InfoComm day 1

June 19, 2008 by Dave Haynes

Crazy hot. Not a cloud to be seen.

Pretty busy inside, though compared to Day 1 at DSE a few months ago the traffic was nothing.

It was mercifully free (well … almost) of AV integrators wandering up and asking what we did. I expect that tomorrow, as day 1 at a show is usually about going straight to the stuff you want to see. Day 2 is wandering.

My two key observations from day 1:

– Why can’t the people who run the world’s busiest convention facility get their act together and have food services that match the size of the crowd??? There are 32,000 people at this thing and, it seems, about three crappy food stands. The Starbucks line-up was Biblical in proportion. I think this is run by the city government, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised at the ineptitude.

– The panel guys spend a LOT of money at this thing. During my fruitless search for food and a short line, I had a quick blow through the panel-makers exhibit hall. I chatted with an old friend at Barco, John Youngson, who pointed at an amazingly crisp HD LED panel/sun tan wall. And my Samsung Canada buddy Peter Bougadis showed me around that company’s MASSIVE booth, pointing out some cool things like a huge touch screen, a portrait unit built with out-of-home billboard companies in mind, and a nice stackable display solution.

Some quick pix, with details to follow when I have time to scribble notes.

I had little time to wander, but hope to do so tomorrow.