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definitely a key day for all those involved and saw the aisles at their busiest. The lighting sector came out in full force, with all major brands represented, either directly or through a distributor, however only a handful of audio brands such as Martin Audio, FBT, TC Group, Roland and Pioneer Europe chose to exhibit and while they appeared to be relatively happy with the visitor traffic, with Martin Audio’s Director of Marketing James King saying: “We enjoyed a very good show, with anyone that was interested in pro audio flocking to our stand,” the general consensus seems to be that for 2014, the jury is still out, as questions remain over who will attend next year. PLASA did try and cater to those interested in audio through the AudioLab Arena, which aimed to offer demonstrations and shoot-outs of the latest technology, but the feedback mondo*dr received suggests it was less than successful and major improvements are needed to move it forward. Official figures were still subject to ABC audit when mondo*dr went to press, but it appears this year’s show attracted over 11,000 visitors, of whom over 3,000 attended on multiple days. Last year’s show attracted 11,500 visitors across the four days. In the run up to the show there had also been some doubt as to whether PLASA could pull in the international community this year, with the new location being blamed for the route of the problem. Last year’s figures reported that 25% of the 11,500 visitors were from overseas, representing 2,875 international visitors. Official figures for this year’s show report that 2,200 visitors from 84 countries attended, which could suggest a drop in numbers. Positive comment for the show came from Robe’s Mick Hannaford, Managing Director in the UK, he said: “The venue is a massive improvement - the outside space and cafes by the river were paramount to the overall feeling of the show and
www.mondodr.com
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the customer experience, and visitors also commented on the accessibility. The show floor looked really good, it was easy to navigate and signage was much more concise, there was a constant stream of people to the booth.” I would have to agree with him on all points. Yes, while London Docklands isn’t the most desirable of places, in that it took me an hour to get there on the tube from Wimbledon (but doesn’t everywhere in London take an hour to get to!), it does make a refreshing change to step outside an exhibition centre and be greeted with views of the Thames rather than inhaling a lung full of smog in central London. The layout also made the show a lot easier to navigate and resulted in my time being used more effectively, so from a visitor stand point ExCeL wins hands down. What the future holds for PLASA is anyone’s guess and unfortunately I don’t have a magic ball. I went to the show expecting the worst, I expected negativity at every turn but this wasn’t the case. Yes, there were a few grumbles relating to the venue itself but you get that at the majority of shows, you are never going to please everyone, all of the time. Moving forward its organiser needs to concentrate on listening to its exhibitors. What is it they want from a show? Do they want more seminars and education programs? Do they want more networking opportunities out of show hours? Whatever it is, for the show to succeed the team behind PLASA needs to listen to what people want and deliver, as ultimately, like the audio sector has done this year, the industry will vote with its feet. For all the products showcased at this year’s PLASA show please scan the QR code to be taken directly to our website. PLASA 2014 will take place at ExCeL Exhibition Centre from 5 - 8 October. For more information visit
www.plasashow.com
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