This year's InfoComm, built around the theme See, Hear, Connect!, features a brand new Pro Lighting and Staging Pavilion, additional pavilions for Streaming Media/Video Production and Conferencing; and an exciting line-up of special events, educational courses and award programs.
Enjoying strong early sales, the Show has received commitments to date from 401 companies to reserve 231,000 square feet of exhibition space, 88 percent of the total amount available. With only 30,000 square feet remaining, sales are continuing at an enthusiastic pace.
For the first time, InfoComm has also introduced a new program for dealers and integrators that want to exhibit. Designed to be attractive for local, regional and large national distributors that have never previously exhibited, the program is already enjoying favorable results.
The Show's sponsors this year comprise a cross-section of the AV communications industry and include Barco, Crestron Electronics, Christie Digital Systems, iMatte, MediaPOINTE, Middle Atlantic Products, SMART Technologies, Sonic Foundry, Stewart FilmScreen, and Telex Communications. In addition, several major companies--including Accordent Technologies, Canopus Corp., Hewlett-Packard and Serious Magic-- have made the decision to begin exhibiting at this year's InfoComm.
InfoComm '04 is also expected to attract many new buyers and end users of AV technology, for a number of reasons. With a new Organization Membership category created by ICIA in 2003, many organizations, including corporations, museums, universities, educational institutions, associations, hospitals, government agencies, military installations, and religious organizations are joining the association and planning to be represented at InfoComm. In addition, InfoComm is holding events with a number of groups that are expecting to increase end-user attendance, primarily in education, worship, government and corporate markets.
InfoComm Pavilions
InfoComm '04's dedicated exhibition venues include a new Pro Lighting & Staging Pavilion, which is designed to provide solutions for corporations holding staged events.
Additional dedicated areas include the Streaming Media/Video Production Pavilion, sponsored by publisher PRIMEDIA, Inc.; and the Collaborative Conferencing Pavilion, hosted by the Interactive Multimedia & Collaborative Communications Alliance (IMCCA). Audio companies are also generally concentrated in an area of the InfoComm Show Floor, which offers a full range of exhibits for display and projection, controls, networking, interfacing, sound systems, furniture and racks.
The Streaming Media/Video Production Pavilion, which sold out in its debut at InfoComm '03 and is already 75 percent sold out this year, brings together exhibitors offering products, services, and technologies aimed at the creation, editing, encoding, hosting, management, and distribution of video and audio over the Internet and internal IP networks. It also features a special education area where attendees can learn more about the capabilities of streaming media and how to implement the latest technologies, as well as video production products and services.
No longer a novelty technology, streaming media has penetrated the mainstream to become an important method of conducting communications and presentations. Today, streaming media is used by corporations, government agencies, retail outlets, and schools and universities for a wide range of applications, including employee and client communication, training, distance learning, and digital signage.
The Conferencing Pavilion, launched successfully in 2003, will again feature companies offering solutions in video conferencing, audio conferencing and web conferencing. Attendees will get a hands-on look at the latest technologies for implementing video and audio conferencing, as well as products, supplies and related accessories. A theater setting will also offer mini-sessions presented by experts in the field throughout the three days of the exhibition.
Companies that offer AV communications and presentations solutions to the Higher Education and K-12 markets will be interested in the new EduComm Conference being launched at InfoComm '04 by University Business and District Administration magazines. Conference attendees will be informed about education solutions offered by exhibitors on the show floor.
A special EduComm icon will be used to represent these designated companies through signage and other devices, and both magazines are producing pre-show custom publications that will reach the senior technology and executive leaders in institutions of higher education as well as school districts across the U.S. The EduComm Conference will run June 9-11 in conjunction with InfoComm, and provides a significant new opportunity to help AV companies integrate presentation technologies into the education setting.
With exhibit space selling quickly, companies interested in exploring exhibiting at InfoComm are invited to contact John Woodstock, InfoComm Director of Sales, at jwoodstock@infocomm.org.
About ICIA
The International Communications Industries Association, Inc. (ICIA) is the premier trade association for the professional audiovisual communications industry. ICIA is the founder of InfoComm, the conference and trade exposition for audiovisual communications professionals who come to learn about the latest technologies and available services as well as new and alternative applications. ICIA also co-founded with CEDIA and NSCA the Integrated Systems Events in Europe, China and Singapore.
ICIA serves its worldwide membership as the pre-eminent provider of education, training and certification. As a key industry event, InfoComm is the educational and interactive marketplace for manufacturers, distributors, dealers, systems integrators, rental and staging companies, independent representatives, independent design consultants, architects, facilities managers, engineers, presentations designers and end users, including AV and IT professionals, sales and marketing staff, meeting planners and purchasers. InfoComm attracts a broad spectrum of market sectors, including business, government, military, education, religion, health care, entertainment and conventions. More information is available at www.infocomm.org. Registration for InfoComm 04 will be available in early February, 2004.