Live events: raised expectations

Much has been written about so-called ‘millennials’ – the generation born between around 1981 and 1996 – and not all of it complimentary.

The reason for the interest in them? Perhaps the most discussed aspect of their behaviours is their preference for experiences over possessions. They like to travel, to eat out – more so than any other generation.

High expectations
“Today, customer expectations are higher than ever,” believes Thomas Vertommen, European product manager for projectors at Panasonic Visual System Solutions. “We are all used to using technology in our daily lives – so when we attend an event, particularly a big music or stadium event for example, visitors expect something more advanced. There is an expectation that they will be amazed by what they hear, see and interact with.”

“And,” he adds, “the latest AV innovations can make this happen.”

He has an ally in AV Stumpfl’s CEO, Fabian Stumpfl. “It’s an exciting time for professionals working in the live events industry,” he says, “particularly as there are so many ways in which artistic visions can come to life, supported by a growing number of innovative audiovisual technology approaches.”

“It’s an exciting time for professionals working in the live events industry”

Social media is also growing in importance in the sector, with few live events today not taking advantage of the opportunity to reach a much wider audience than those who are physically present.

“Event organisers are looking for that ‘moment’ – experiences that visitors will want to share that will bring more followers, more shares, more engagement and so on,” notes Hanne Page, who is segment marketing manager, events, at Barco.

Creating unique fan experiences
“For today’s sports venue owners, living up to the immense expectations of fans is a challenge,” Mike Garrido, senior product manager, Christie, believes. “This is especially so in today’s digitally connected, technology fluent world. Although the sports themselves always will be the reason fans attend, there is a growing demand for stadium owners to enhance the non-game aspects of live sporting events to create truly unique and enriching fan experiences.”

Here, there’s no substitute for not only knowing what the technology will do today – but what it will enable in the future. To gain that kind of insight takes a special kind of show – and Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) is that special kind of show.

“Event organisers are looking for that ‘moment’ – experiences that visitors will want to share”

Taking place at the RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam on 11–14 February 2020, ISE has established itself as the world’s largest professional audiovisual show. With over 1,300 exhibitors and over 80,000 attendees each year, it represents the full gamut of everything the AV industry has to offer.

Recognising the importance of the live events industry, ISE now features a Technology Zone specifically dedicated to relevant products and solutions, as well the attractionsTECH conference produced with industry resource blooloop. The half-day conference takes place on 14 February at the nearby Hotel Okura and aims to explore the business and technology strategies of live events and attractions.

“The unparallelled scale of ISE means the reveal of new technologies that will transform the live events market is almost certain,” notes Rosseel.

And, as a bonus: ISE 2020 will again feature a demonstration of state-of-the-art projection mapping, beaming images onto the exterior of the Amsterdam RAI exhibition centre each evening of the show.

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