Integrated Systems Events Managing Director Mike Blackman marked the opening of ISE Live & Online this morning with a presentation at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via to an illustrious gathering of government officials, local executive councils and agencies, ISE owners and the media.

ISE Live & Online is a hybrid event, broadcast live from Fira and broadcast to a global audience through the ISE Digital platform.

The opening of ISE’s first trade fair in Barcelona represents an important step in the development of Integrated Systems Europe, and a personal and professional triumph for Blackman, who launched the event 17 years ago with a team of three people. .

Accompanied by representatives from Fira, the ISE co-owner, AVIXA and ISE exhibitors, Blackman made a symbolic motorcycle trip from the ISE Munich office to Barcelona, ​​stopping en route at Geneva, location of the first ISE show in 2004.

ISE Live & Online (June 1-2), a special edition of ISE, brings the AV community together again for the first time since February 2020.

Speaking at a press conference just before ISE’s doors open in Barcelona, ​​Blackman said:

” What a journey ! I’m not just talking about my motorcycle trip from Munich to Barcelona over the past three days, although it gave me a lot of time to think about it. We stopped in Geneva for a break. A beautiful city. Geneva was the site of the very first ISE in 2004. I started to think… how things developed, how ISE grew, how we faced challenges and how we finally ended up here today at Fira Gran Via Barcelona. The destination of a journey that began for ISE 17 years ago.

To more recent events; you don’t need me to comment too deeply on our shared experiences of the past 15 months. The effects have been universal and our deepest condolences go out to all affected countries, businesses and individuals. No one escaped. Yes, more recently the light at the end of the tunnel has started to shine and then shine. This is why, after conducting exhaustive research with our exhibitors, partners and owners, we have decided that ISE Barcelona, ​​Live and Online, should take place. And here we are …

ISE Barcelona is the first in-person event we have produced since February 2020. We have always said that ISE is a destination for learning, networking and doing business. Today you will find leading technology and solution providers here. In addition, there is a fascinating mix of content produced live on the ISE Main Stage and in AVIXA’s AV Experience Zone.

Equally important, visitors will have the chance to reconnect with customers and colleagues, friends and acquaintances. As always, ISE provides the basis for the community to come together again.

I am delighted to report that there is massive industry support for ISE 2022 next February. Our stand reservation change process begins in earnest next week and we are convinced that it will be “business as normal, business in Barcelona”.

In fact, many of our larger customers are already asking for more space than last year. The pre-bookings of our top 50 clients amount to 37,000 net square meters, which is roughly two-thirds of the total space we had at ISE 2020. It also shows why we had to move here. at the Fira de Barcelona to welcome this enthusiast. request.

And there is another reason why we came to Barcelona. Catalonia is positioning itself as the European audiovisual hub and we want to be a catalyst for this development. As the world’s leading trade fair for professional AV system integration, we believe we are in a good position to help.

We have received strong regional support from the City of Barcelona and ACCIO, and nationally from ICEX – and we look forward to strengthening these relationships as we prepare for ISE 2022 and beyond.

So today marks the next stop on our journey which started in Geneva, stopped in Amsterdam for many years, and has now taken us to the beautiful city of Barcelona. The new home of Integrated Systems Europe.

Thank you. Enjoy the show! “

Dave Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA, said:

“We always knew that the ISE trip from Amsterdam to Barcelona would not be easy. None of us ever imagined what would happen between February 2020 and June 2021. And yet, with an unwavering commitment to our industry and our members, we have arrived. We have abandoned old assumptions and business models and suffered extraordinary loss of life and moments of life. But now we come together to celebrate and lead our industry to higher heights than ever imagined. The commitment of our new host Barcelona and our new home, The Fira, is reinforced by the dedication of those of you who join us this week. Let us reflect and remember – and dream and yearn – together, as we reconnect and revitalize in an ISE unlike any other before or to come. “

Giles Sutton, Co-CEO of CEDIA, added:

“We are delighted to see ISE Live and Online launch today. Special thanks to all the local businesses for their support and participation this week: it shows great prospects for the AV and integration industries in Spain. We are delighted that delegates are immersing themselves in the vast offering that is digital ISE and look forward to interacting with you on the CEDIA content hub. We hope everyone enjoys the opportunities that ISE Live and Online bring in June, and we look forward to having a full-scale ISE in February 2022.

At the in-person event in Barcelona, ​​there are plenty of opportunities to reconnect with the AV community. Attendees can visit exhibitor booths, watch live presentations from the main stage, and enjoy networking and live music in a safe environment. Meet the AV Cluster and Barcelona City Hall, visit the Catalan Innovation Zone and connect with the industry in the AVIXA AV Experience Zone.

Running at the same time, with some sessions being broadcast live from Barcelona’s main stage, ISE Digital offers a rich program of content, on a platform powered by Cisco.

And the third event in the series, ISE @ London, (June 23-24) at Evolution Battersea, will provide more opportunities for the industry to come together, reconnect and do business.

Registration for each or all of these events is done at: https://www.iseurope.org/register.php?actioncode=LIVEMAY3