Total attendee numbers were over 600, exceeding all the organisers' expectations, with visitors coming from a variety of countries, not just the host nations. Copenhagen, for example, drew large numbers of visitors from Sweden, while Slovenian and Hungarian delegates were drawn to Vienna, and Zagreb saw visitors from throughout the former Yugoslav republics, including Serbia and Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events, comments, "With exhibitor and visitor numbers both substantially up on last year, our Roadshow has again proved itself to be a popular and successful means for the industry to 'reach out' to new markets. Visitor feedback in all five cities was excellent, and I was particularly pleased at how well-attended the education sessions were in two of our new venues, Copenhagen and Zagreb."
Post-event analysis of visitor data shows that delegates came from a rich variety of backgrounds, including commercial AV integration, home cinema and automation, conferencing, IT, and consultancy. There were also significant numbers of commercial end users in all cities. In this respect, the attendance mirrors that of Integrated Systems Events' flagship January tradeshow.
After last year's inaugural Roadshow, the event formula was altered slightly, with fewer but longer seminars giving visitors more time to visit an expanded table-top tradeshow area, and the addition of association training from InfoComm International and CEDIA. As well as invaluable education, delegates were able to gain hands-on experience of a range of systems integration technologies, including AV signal management, control systems, projectors and screens, voting systems, and professional audio products.
Summing up the appeal of the Roadshow and its unique place in the European AV event calendar, Blackman says, "No other event gives manufacturers the opportunity to forge new contacts in these emerging markets at such a reasonable cost, or enables systems professionals to add to their knowledge base without travelling large distances across the continent. Planning for next year's Roadshow starts now."