Day 3 Blog: Simply the Best
Integrated home technology that is as simple as pushing a button. Controlled environments with a single verbal command. A freedom from the device tyranny in boardrooms with BYOD. Digital displays that are simply astounding. The final day of Integrate 2018, proved that the future of AV is simply...simplification.
And this simplification of the user interface will make our lives, at work, home and play only better, more engaged and more connected than ever. At least that was the word from the show floor, in what was simply the best Integrate to date.
That’s right, it’s official, the 2018 event was our largest and busiest event to date, with record-breaking visitor numbers, including a 25% increase on the attendance from the previous Sydney event – but we’ll have the wait until the official audit before start talking numbers and a show floor that was 20% bigger and brighter than in previous years. The significant increase in repeat attendees demonstrated that buyers were taking the time not only to invest in the products themselves but also in taking the time to thoroughly search for the right solution on the show floor. In an age where you can find almost anything on the web, it shows that there’s still nothing better for manufacturers than to simply put their products in front of buyers.
The final day kicked off with the 4th annual AVIXA Women’s Morning Tea, a function that since it’s inception has championed diversity in the industry and provided a community for women in the industry to share experiences and support to help change the game when it comes to gender diversity. This year’s keynote was Brisbane Lions Womens CEO, Breeanna Brock, who shared her own experiences as a champion of change in an industry that has seen a dramatic about face on the role of women and their contribution to the game – a lesson that any industry can learn from.
Integrate’s reputation for staging international launches, also solidified this year with Extron’s demo room hosting the debut of its AV-over-IP line – which won’t be available to the marketing until next month and was kept completely under wraps until the event opened – a feat in itself. In fact the reputation of Integrate has gone so far, that rAVe Founder, Gary Kayye, also named it as one of the top 3 AV events in the world, alongside ISE and InfoComm.
And the launches didn’t stop there with Sonance also bringing a new UTL in-wall and in-speaker line that’s only 37mm deep – so much for measuring by coin depth – and Lumens showcasing ther new HDMI-based wireless sharing system, TapShare.
LG’s OLED will always have a special place at Integrate as it was at Integrate in 2016 that is was released to the world market and this year, they showcased not only the convex and concave applications of this mind-bogglingly display but they also unveiled what was arguably the show stopper – it did literally stop people in their tracks at the entrance – their transparent OLED. It’s exactly what it says on the box, or rather what is says through the box, and greeted visitors with a mesmerizing display that could be adapted for home, retail, hospitality, lobbies, or signage.
EAV Technology also showcased a revolutionary ultrasonic directional speaker that projects a beam of isolated audio to a specific area, with minimal audio bleed beyond a 1-2m radius. The beam can also be bounced off surfaces to fill a room and with the modern life becoming noisier, this could have far reaching applications across public and private sectors.
And then it was over for another year, the high vis was out and we had a new Prime Minister – but while that may change next week, what won’t will be the positive outcome that this event has driven for the AV market. From the deals done, to the insights shared, to the brimming show floor and standing room only education sessions, this year’s event was…simply the best.
Integrate would like to thank it’s exhibitors, speakers, visitors, partners & suppliers for making it’s 10th celebration such a success. Integrate will return to Melbourne in 2019 from the 27-29 August
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