Two major changes this year are that Hall 5 has been made larger and permanent, while Hall 14 will house a new Innovation Zone, an area specifically designed for companies new to ISE to showcase their technology. The ISE Main Stage will relocate to Hall 14 and will offer a full program of free leadership and best practice sessions from ISE, AVIXA, CEDIA, and AV Magazine.

Following the success of our spectacular projection mapping at the nhow Hotel during ISE 2019, there will be another exciting projection display elsewhere in the RAI complex.
Our keynote address will be delivered by Duncan Wardle, former Chief Innovation and Creativity Officer at Disney. He has some really interesting insights on how all businesses can leverage their imagination and creativity, and I'm eager to hear what he has to say.

What's new in terms of conferences and professional development?
All the conferences held at ISE 2019 will return in 2020, covering smart buildings, XR, digital signage, digital cinema, hospitality, visitor attractions, stadiums, and professional audio, plus AVIXA's two What's Next... conferences, focused on enterprise and higher education. In addition, we have a couple of new events: the Control Rooms Summit and the CEDIA Design & Build Conference. As in 2019, many of the conferences will be held at the Hotel Okura, near the RAI, which proved very popular with our attendees.

In addition to its conferences, AVIXA is holding 20-minute FlashTrack sessions at its booth. CEDIA has a four-day program of training sessions, starting Monday with a cybersecurity workshop, and is also hosting free CEDIA talks at its booth.

What are the challenges presented by an event that has grown so large?
One of the most important is ensuring that visitors can easily find what they are looking for and easily locate relevant exhibitors. One of the ways we have addressed this is by creating six technology zones: for audio and live events, digital signage and DooH, education, residential buildings, smart buildings, and unified communications. The technology zones mean that visitors can quickly locate the part of the program where they will find the technology and product trends most relevant to their interests.
The ISE app has proven to be a great success with visitors, and its wayfinding features are a key part of that.

How has the average ISE visitor profile changed over the years?
When we started, our audience consisted almost exclusively of systems integrators and other AV channel professionals. However, the show has increasingly become a destination for end users; our exhibitors want to interact directly with them, as well as meet their existing and potential channel partners. Today, ISE has become a "must-attend" event for both end users and the channel.

How have you made ISE more appealing to end users?
We've substantially expanded our conference program over the years because end users have told us they derive tremendous value not only from the opportunity to speak directly with manufacturers and learn about the products and technologies that will shape their companies' AV strategy, but also from networking and learning from industry experts and their partners.
Our Special Interest Group program is designed to attract attendees from key vertical market segments to ISE, helping end-user technology buyers meet technology vendors and solution partners. These groups are the result of formal agreements between ISE and a variety of associations, media partners, companies, and consultants, and are designed to meet the information needs of visiting executives with planned booth visits, presentations, networking events, and dinners.

You mentioned AVIXA and CEDIA sessions. What is their role with ISE?
ISE is owned by AVIXA and CEDIA, two trade associations with a focus on professional development, so education and training have always been an important part of the show. Another priority for both associations is reaching beyond the industry to other stakeholders within AV projects. Establishing and awarding professional qualifications plays an important role in establishing the expertise of the industry as a whole, as well as demonstrating the competence of the people who work in it.

AVIXA and CEDIA are incredibly helpful in delivering the outstanding visitor and exhibitor experience that ISE has become, setting the tone and themes for the event and helping us continue to develop and create increasingly engaging content for our channel and various end users across vertical markets. Between them, the two associations provide a wealth of market intelligence, guidance, and educational initiatives, as well as many entertaining and stimulating development opportunities.

What technology trends should ISE 2020 visitors look out for?
I think we'll start to see AI permeate a range of AV applications. It's already being used in digital signage, but many see opportunities in other customer-centric applications, such as hospitality. AI is also being used to improve the quality of meetings and collaboration.
ISE 2020, I believe, will provide evidence of the rise of LED-based displays. They have advantages over LCDs, and prices are falling rapidly. It will also be interesting to see the progress that OLED technology has made. Visitors should also keep an eye out for new generations of application-specific projectors.
In audio: object-based sound will be heard everywhere.

With the move to Barcelona in 2021, ISE 2020 will be the last at the RAI. How does that feel?
The RAI has been a great venue for us for over a decade, so of course there's some sadness: I'll be leaving with many fond memories of our time there. It has served us very well and has been part of our rapid growth into the world's largest professional audiovisual event. The downside is that we've become too big for a convention center, even one the size and with the facilities of the RAI.
However, I'm also excited. The Fira is a fantastic venue and a much larger space, located in a very attractive destination. The move isn't simply about increasing numbers: it's about delivering a higher-quality experience for our exhibitors and visitors.