To the root of ISE 2020

Farewell Amsterdam

From both sides of the Atlantic, the Ignition team attended ISE in this final year of the event’s tenure in Amsterdam. Our US Business Development colleagues Tom Owens and Jeff Chandler joined Josh Holder, Group Marketing Manager and Carita Middleton, 3D Designer from the UK office to see what was on offer.

In spite of Storm Ciara and the emergence of the Coronavirus, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2020 continued to impress with an array of innovations, including groundbreaking digital signage, smart building and home automation advances and cutting-edge AV.

Here’s a brief summary of our team’s key outtakes from the show.

Nothing new, but...

Tom Owens

“This was my 15th year attending the show and it still amazes me every time I visit. With all of the issues building up to and surrounding the event from weather to virus restrictions, the ISE team did a fantastic job in keeping the momentum and energy up during all of the show days. Whilst there was no great new “Oooh and Ahh” technology revealed, at the show, the best booths highlighted a combination of intentional design and complimentary technology that allowed the attendee to truly experience the product instead of just looking, hearing or touching as the focus.
Notably absent this year were VR displays. This trend has now become more mainstream as consumers add these devices to their equipment and the novelty of VR begins to fade.
After a decade plus of being in Amsterdam, this was a bittersweet time coming to this great host city for the last time, but as the show continues to grow, we can expect major investments in exhibitors booths size and presence at the show for the future in Barcelona. There are almost truly no limits.
We did say a proper goodbye to Het Elfde Gebode or commonly known at the ISE scene as “Tom’s Bar”, as we hosted a drinks and cheers to Amsterdam and to the future at Barcelona! I now have the task of finding an appropriate “Tom’s Bar” in Barcelona...all suggestions appreciated!

LED vs LCD

Jeff Chandler

“Lighting and signage were key areas of change this year with LED leading the charge in digital signage.
Digital signage continued to literally shine bright, with newer LED panels that are thinner, clearer and faster. This market will continue to grow and new applications for digital signage will be shown in creative and innovative ways as the prices for the equipment lowers.
LED seems to be overtaking LCD in displays and the quality of the product means it can be positioned as a better and even sometimes less expensive product. LED creeping into the projection market might have been something said at last year's show. This year, LED was leading the charge in projection, not just displays. The continued progress in the sector is something to definitely keep your eyes on. LED continues to give the “WOW” factor and can provide larger displays. As the technology grows, we’ll see LED start to take over small displays as well.
It will be interesting to see how much has changed in this field by next year’s event in Barcelona”

Check out Jeff’s interview at ISE on day 1 by Steph Beckett, Rave Pubs.

The Power of Plants

Carita Middleton

“At such a tech driven show the stand out booth experiences were surprisingly those featuring biophilic design.
Incorporating natural elements and textures such as timber slats, both living walls and hanging planters were popular themes. The lack of natural light in exhibit venues, a deliberate ploy by exhibitors at ISE, makes it all the more satisfying to walk onto a booth that re-connects you to nature. These booths offered a little moment of calm to relax and recoup amidst the bright lights and screens, especially within the digital signage halls.”

Brand Experiences

Josh Holder

“There were a variety of ways in which brand experiences or activations occured on booths, from the high tech to the low tech. Lenovo opted for the use of stickers, for example, as a simple but effective way to answer a burning question: 'where is your workplace transformation focused?’. In comparison, Christie brought excitement and competition. The Christie Grand Prix Racetrack was a huge attraction. Delegates became virtual race car drivers with this show-stopping demo powered by Lenovo products and partners.
Arguably, the show stopper was Epson. Their campaign #EpsonUnboxed at this year's show used projection mapping effects applied on a rotating box simulating pitstop scenes and intricate displays. The final reveal of a Formula 1 car, also mapped, left visitors to their booth in awe.”

ISE 2021

Ignition is proud to be a Recommended Partner at ISE 2021 as the show moves to the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona Feb. 2-5, 2021. If you would like more information on Ignition, or if you would like to share your brief for Barcelona, click the button below.

ISE 2021