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InfoComm 08 Largest Pro AV Tradeshow in History

June 24, 2008

Source: InfoComm

InfoComm International today released preliminary figures showing record participation at InfoComm 08, the largest annual conference and exhibition for audiovisual buyers and sellers worldwide, in Las Vegas, June 18-20, 2008.

Reflecting strong demand for AV communications technologies in business, education and government as well as the retail, healthcare, entertainment, worship markets, attendance at the exhibition so far has topped 34,678. AV professionals from 93 countries attended to see the latest technologies in display, projection, audio, collaborative conferencing, control and networking applications. This reflects a 9.5 percent increase over last year's record attendance.

A record 988 exhibitors participated at InfoComm this year, representing more than a 15 percent increase over the previous record of 855 in 2007. Exhibitors occupied more than 500,000 net square feet of exhibit and special events space, compared to 465,000 net square feet in 2007. There are 231 new exhibitors at this year's show.

"InfoComm 08 reflects the fast pace of innovations and growth in the AV communications industry," said Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., InfoComm International Executive Director. "We introduced new courses and exhibitors this year to address the demand for digital signage, audio, and telepresence technology, as well as high definition products, lighting and staging and more. The NSCA Expo also was incorporated into our show for the first time, and we were pleased to debut the Electronic Systems Pavilion, along with the rest of the Expo's traditional activities."

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 70 percent of the attendees are commercially involved in the industry, with the remaining 30 percent comprising specifiers, buyers and end users.

Conference, Classes and More

Attendees also value InfoComm for its educational sessions. Registrations for InfoComm Academy educational courses totaled 8,606 for 2008. The Institute of Professional Development (IPD) attracted 587 registrants, up from 531 in 2007, a more than 10 percent increase. Super Tuesday, a full-day of advanced instruction for AV pros, attracted 817 registrants in 2008, a 12 percent increase from 2007.

Attendees come to InfoComm for the diversity of courses on topics ranging from acoustics to videoconferencing. Among the most attended courses were the classes focusing on Green AV, Technology Trends and Project Management. Other popular classes include Syn-Aud-Con's Sound Reinforcement for Designers and the Imaging Science Foundation certification class. Classes offered jointly by InfoComm Academy and NSCA University drew 564 students.

InfoComm also offered a new Certification Study Group course prior to the exhibition opening. InfoComm International's certification program is renowned among AV professionals, and is the only industry certification accredited by ANSI. More than 9,500 AV professionals have earned the CTS designation.

Other highlights of InfoComm 08 include the welcoming of InfoComm International's 5000th member, a preview of the 2008 InfoComm International Asia Pacific AV Market Definition and Strategy Study, and the debut of the association's social networking program.