News

Strong Demand for AV Communications Technologies Reflected in InfoComm 05 Attendance (16/6/2005)

Record Numbers Attend Pro-AV Conference and Exhibition

The International Communications Industries Association, Inc.¨ (ICIA¨) today released preliminary figures showing record participation at InfoComm 05, the largest annual conference and exhibition for audiovisual buyers and sellers worldwide, in Las Vegas, June 4 - 10, 2005.

Reflecting strong demand for AV communications technologies in business, education and government as well as retail, healthcare, entertainment, worship and residential markets, attendance at the end of the first day of the exhibition exceeded total attendance in 2004 by 10.2 percent, with 25,240 preliminary registrations for 2005, compared to 22,894 total registrations in 2004. AV professionals from more than 80 countries attended to see the latest technologies in display, projection, audio, collaborative conferencing, control and networking applications.

A record 725 exhibitors participated at InfoComm this year, representing a 12 percent increase over the previous record of 647 in 2004. Exhibitors occupied 385,540 net square feet of exhibit and special events space, compared to 319,860 square feet in 2004. More than 170 new exhibitors joined this year's show.

"InfoComm 05 mirrors the fast pace of innovations and growth in the AV communications industry," said Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., ICIA Executive Director. "We introduced new courses and exhibitors this year to address the demand for digital signage, presentations technologies and the residential market as well as audio, collaborative conferencing, streaming media and lighting and staging."

Leading display, projection, audio and control systems manufacturers such as AMX, Barco, Canon, Chief Manufacturing, Christie Digital, Crestron, Da- Lite Screen, Draper, Eastern Acoustic Works, Extron, Harman, Hitachi, JVC, LG Electronics, Meyer Sound, Mitsubishi, NEC, Panasonic, Peavey, Philips, Pioneer, Polycom, Polyvision, QSC Audio Products, Renkus- Heinz, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Shure, Sony, Stewart Filmscreen, Tandberg, Telex, Thomson and Yamaha see InfoComm as an important way to reach technology managers who are the end users of AV as well as the professional dealer and integrator channels.

InfoComm is attended by AV dealers, independent reps, design consultants, systems integrators, rental and staging companies, and AV buyers from business, government, education, healthcare, retail, entertainment and the worship market. Approximately 62 percent of the attendees are commercially involved in the industry, with the remaining 38 percent comprising specifiers, buyers and end users.

Conference

Attendees also value InfoComm for its educational sessions. Registrations for InfoComm Academy educational courses totaled 6,620 for 2005, up 11 percent from 5,962 in 2004. Super Tuesday, a full- day of advanced instruction for AV pros, attracted 716 registrants in 2005, up from 580 in 2004. The Institute of Professional Development (IPD) attracted 345 registrants, up from 227 in 2004. Nearly 200 individuals attended the AVolution Technology Tours at the University of Las Vegas, Fashion Show, Wynn Resort and Bellagio's Cirque du Soleil's "O" Show.

Attendees come to InfoComm for the diversity of courses ranging from Fundamentals of Display Technology to AV/IT, acoustical and collaborative conferencing courses. Among the most well-attended courses were Super Tuesday's Technology Trends, Project Mangement and AV/IT Converged courses as well as Tools, Tactics and Technologies for Presentation Professionals, a new offering. Others included IMCCA's Intro to Collaborative Conferencing, The Interactive Classroom 2005, Plasma, LCD and Emerging Flat Panel Technologies and CEDIA's Project Management.

InfoComm also offered its Certification Prep course, a three-day IPD course, prior to the exhibition opening. ICIA's certification program is renowned among AV professionals. Sixty-one individuals completed the course and earned their Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) credentials onsite. ICIA has sponsored certification for the AV industry for more than 30 years at both general and specialized levels; there are currently more than 3,000 holders of ICIA certifications worldwide. About ICIA

ICIA is the international trade association of the professional audiovisual and information communications industries. Established in 1939, ICIA's 3,300 members include manufacturers, systems integrators, dealers and distributors, independent consultants, programmers, rental and staging companies, end-users and multimedia professionals from more than 69 countries. ICIA is the leading resource for AV market intelligence and news. Its training and education programs, along with its Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) and Certified Audiovisual Solutions Provider (CAVSP) credentials, set a standard of excellence for AV professionals. ICIA is the founder of InfoComm, the largest annual conference and exhibition for AV buyers and sellers worldwide. ICIA also co-sponsors the Integrated Systems Asia, Integrated Systems China and Integrated Systems Europe industry expositions.

www.infocomm.org