In addition to hosting 15 pavilions containing the latest technologies and solutions for systems integration and audiovisual systems, the fair provided its most comprehensive professional development program to date, expanding its coverage to key sectors of the vertical market.

The exhibition space exceeded 56,100 net square meters and hosted 1,301 exhibitors. Of these, 225 (17%) were companies exhibiting at ISE for the first time. By the close of ISE 2019, 92% of the available space for ISE 2020 had already been sold.

The total number of registered visitors to ISE 2019 was 81,268. Of these, a remarkable 32% were attending ISE for the first time. Wednesday saw the highest single-day attendance of any show at the RAI in Amsterdam, and Friday's attendance surpassed 20,000 for the first time.

A key theme of the program was how AV technology enables creative imaginations to produce rich experiences. This was evident in both the opening address by master projection designer Bart Kresa and the closing address by Tupac Martir, creative director and co-founder of Satore Studio. They were part of a professional development program that brought together 300 international thought leaders, subject matter experts, and creative minds.

Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Events at Integrated Systems, commented: “As an exhibition, as an unparalleled source of education and professional development, and as a destination for a global industry to meet and do business, ISE 2019 delivered results. Our opening keynote, closing keynote, and two projection mapping features were fantastic showcases of how event professionals and others can leverage AV technology to further develop their creativity.”.

The day after his opening speech, the world premiere of Bart Kresa's latest projection mapping sculpture, Sviatovid, took place at RAI. Constantly changing, highly detailed images, projected around a 5-meter-tall figure and synchronized with a dynamic soundtrack, created for a compelling and memorable AV experience.

In the first screening of ISE 2019, the facade of the soon-to-be-opened nhow RAI Amsterdam hotel, right next to the exhibition center, was transformed into a video projection canvas, with video filmed that day at the show forming part of each night's exhibition.

Presented under the theme "Learn, Discover, Be Inspired," the ISE 2019 professional development program featured strong participation from program co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA, as well as conferences organized by vertical market specialists.
For the first time, the nearby Hotel Okura was used as an ISE venue and hosted five of the program's ten conferences. New additions for 2019 included the Hospitality Tech Summit by HTNG; the Digital Cinema Summit, produced in conjunction with Digital Cinema Report; AGORA, for the sports facilities market, produced by MONDO | STADIUMS; and the theme park and tourist attractions specialist, blooloop, returned to ISE for the second consecutive year with its new Attractions TECH conference.

AVIXA hosted two of its "What's Next" conferences, both of which sold out before the show even opened. These two strategy and technology conferences focused on integrated AV experiences in higher education and enterprise. The association also held a series of free 20-minute FlashTrack educational sessions at its booth.

CEDIA, which used ISE 2019 to kick off its 30th anniversary celebrations, offered a four-day professional development program with over 36 different courses, covering relevant topics under the headings of Technical Skills, Emerging Trends, and Business Success. In addition, its booth hosted free CEDIA talks on industry topics each day of the show.

A new addition to ISE 2019 was the Main Stage theater in Hall 8. This venue hosted high-level leadership presentations, best practice case studies, and expert-led panel discussions, many of which were exclusive. Content was provided by AVIXA, CEDIA, AV Magazine, and ISE, and the presentations were streamed live to the ISE website.

The heart of ISE is its exhibition hall, and exhibitors at ISE 2019 once again seized the opportunity to launch new products and showcase their latest solutions. Among the technological trends on display were 8K displays; smart building technology, including the Internet of Things; AI-powered devices; the continued advancement of conferencing and collaboration technology; 3D projection mapping; a wider selection than ever before of curved, flexible, transparent, and increasingly narrow-gap LED displays; and other developments in AV via IP and audio networks.

For AVIXA and CEDIA, the event offered the perfect opportunity to showcase their various initiatives for 2019 in the areas of professional development and industry representation.

Dave Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, Executive Director of AVIXA, commented: “Congratulations to everyone involved with ISE on another record-breaking year. But let’s not lose sight of the many connections, both personal and professional, that were made in 2019.”.

“AVIXA defines success as a catalyst for the growth of the global AV market and a hub for the profession and its professionals. We certainly saw those twin goals realized in Amsterdam. All the focused conferences throughout the week, including AVIXA’s “What’s Next” conferences for postgraduate and business technicians, and networking opportunities, such as those held for the AVIXA Women’s Council and EMEA members, help bring people together to drive this industry forward. Our FlashTracks training opportunities stage was exciting, and special programs, such as ISE’s student program to foster workforce development, demonstrated some of the many ways the show continues to be a dynamic and critical gathering of industry professionals.”.

“As always, it is our privilege to work with the great team at ISE, CEDIA and RAI. The commercial value of a trade fair like ISE cannot be overstated or overvalued.”.

Tabatha O'Connor, CEO of CEDIA, commented: "We had an amazing ISE 2019! CEDIA chose this year's program as the starting point for our 30 years of anniversary celebrations and it was an incredible week.

"Our professional development program has exceeded expectations, with delegates from all over the world taking advantage of the excellent and varied training opportunities on offer. A number of classes, including our new full-day Home Cinema Design Masterclass, even sold out, which was fantastic. The free CEDIA Talks at our booth also proved popular, and we enjoyed showcasing CEDIA Award-winning projects supported by integrators and brand members from the industry on the main stage at ISE.".

“Above all, ISE is a great place for the global CEDIA community to connect not only with the many exciting new technologies on display, but also with friends and colleagues in the industry. We met with many new and existing international members at the CEDIA booth, which gave us the opportunity to share progress on our three-year strategic plan and discuss the many initiatives we are undertaking. We also welcomed over 200 guests to the Heineken brewery for our annual CEDIA party and 30th birthday cake cutting – a fantastic evening for everyone involved.”.

ISE 2020 will take place at the RAI Amsterdam from February 11-14, 2020.