Integrate returned for its first in-person event since before the pandemic with its three-day event at the ICC Sydney in tandem with the Security Exhibition + Conference. After years apart, the AV industry came back in a big way.

Diversified Communications Australia commercial and event manager, Soren Norgaard, is delighted with the success of the show, adding that the AV industry, and events in general, have been through a tough couple of years.

“There was a lot of, I suppose, pent-up anticipation from both respective industries, and certainly a willingness to reunite these industries again. And I think what we’ve seen here at both Integrate and Security is the industry is rallying and coming together, which has been great to see because nobody really knew what’s going to happen this week.”

Soren adds that following the pandemic, registrations for all events were slow and exhibitors and visitors were making the decision to come much later in the process. A rush of registrations in the month before Integrate and visitors turning up on the day has turned this into possibly one of the most successful Integrates in show history.

“I know it has been a successful show for the exhibitors because we’ve had about 70% of them sign up for the 2023 show which is telling,” he says.

“While there were a few sceptics about the merge of the two, Integrate and Security, the analysis we made was that 20% of the audience crossover. The big integrators and the big consultancies operate in both markets, especially since everything’s being networked.”

Soren explains that with integrators working in network security, monitoring and control centres, it worked well having the two shows under one roof. On the other side of the coin, AV integrators benefitted from the security visitors who needed big panels, control systems and high-quality displays.

For those that missed out on Integrate 2022, Soren says: “Speak to colleagues and industry members who were here and ask how they enjoyed the show. I think the majority will say that it’s time well spent, and it has been great to see the diversity of offers from exhibitors, new product innovations and the ability to catch up with colleagues or industry in general.”

In the coming weeks, Connected will be writing wrap-ups of some of the major events that took place at Integrate 2022 including emerging technologies, industry trends and expert insight.