While industry press was still under embargo, the Spanish newspapers broke the news this morning: ISE is moving to Barcelona in 2021.
According to a subsequent ISE press release, the local newspapers wrongly claim the move is scheduled for 2020. It is a 2021 move. And the new venue, according to ISE, will become the permanent location for the world’s largest AV and systems integration show.
It, is of course, all about getting more exhibition space to continue ISE growth. ISE 2018 attracted 80,923 attendees-- 22,000 were visiting the show for the first time while 1296 exhibitors filled 53,000 net sqm of floor space in 15 halls. ISE 2019 is expected to increase these record-breaking figures.
The decision to relocate the ISE exhibition comes after 18 months of research into the viability of remaining at the RAI Amsterdam. With annual growth in ISE exhibitors and attendees approaching 10%, and the international AV market forecast to grow by 5% per annum through to 2021, it was concluded that ISE was outgrowing its popular Amsterdam location. ISE, for good reasons, has been reluctant to leave Amsterdam, a city where ISE has thrived.
As press prepare to fly next week to Barcelona to hear the news directly from Mike Blackman and his organization, EL PAIS publicly confirms the general director of the Fira de Barcelona, Constantí Serrallonga , has agreed with Integrated Systems Europe(ISE) that ISE will be held in Barcelona.
Fira de Barcelona has two large venues that are ranked among the most important in Europe: Montjuïc and Gran Via--3.5 km apart. Overall, Barcelona have over 400,000 m2 exhibition floor space, spread over 14 pavilions and two congress centres. That is almost 4X the RAI Amsterdam's hireable space.
It seems ISE 2021 will be in Gran Via (shown in photo above) with 8 halls and 200,000 sq m. One of the largest and most modern venues in Europe, Gran Via was designed by the Japanese architect Toyo Ito, winner of the Pritzker prize.
Its outstanding features are its architecture, functionality and commitment to sustainability: it has one of the largest rooftop photovoltaic installations. Its eight pavilions, connected by a walkway that channels the flow of visitors, provide cutting-edge services and logistics. The gastronomic restaurant Nuclo is located inside the Foyer Europe. It is located in a new business development area, very close to Barcelona airport and connected to the public transport network.
The ISE 2019 and 2020 editions will take place at the RAI Amsterdam and are forecast to be the largest and most successful in the show’s 16-year history.
Further information on the move to Barcelona for exhibitors and attendees will be available from a live webcast, hosted on the ISE website at 13:00 CET on Thursday 19th July.
Both Barcelona venues host around 1000 events every year, but it is the Mobile World Congress that has put Barcelona on the high tech map. With more than 100,000 visitors, MWC is supposed to bring in 470 million euros per year and about 13,000 temporary jobs to Barcelona. The FIRA are expecting something similar from ISE 2020.
The Mobile World Congress (to be held February 25-28 in 2019) has a contract with the city of Barcelona until 2023, so the two major fairs will coincide (but not overlap) for at least two years in the Catalan capital. Barcelona has positioned itself as a city of technological attraction and innovation. An article from our sister publication (Mobile Channels.eu) explains how this came about.
Barcelona has been in the press lately as Spain contends with a Catalan move to separate the region from the country. In the same issue of EL PAIS as our ISE move, an article explains Germany will extradite former premier Carles Puigdemont for misuse of public funds. A court in the northern German state of Schleswig Holstein has rejected the charge of rebellion brought by the Spanish judiciary against the ousted Catalan politician. This highlights the political tension of separatism that Spain confronts regularly from various regions.
Go ISE website
