InfoComm’s Key 2023 Metrics Include An Interesting Note – More Than A Third Of Attendees Were First-Timers

June 19, 2023 by Dave Haynes

Last week’s InfoComm in Orlando, Florida had just shy of 30,000 attendees, more than a third of them first-timers.

When the show shut down last week, the trade association that owns and runs the biggest pro AV event in North America – AVIXA – pushed out PR with a round-up of key metrics:

• 29,325 verified attendees from 115 countries;
• 37% first-time attendees;
• 20% international attendees (I assume Canada is part of that);
• 36,639 total registrants;
• 2,000+ people sat down for education or training.

There were 700 exhibitors showcasing pro AV products and solutions across 358,700 net square feet at the Orange County Convention Center.

A year ago, the show had 19,681 verified attendees and 522 exhibitors across 294,500 square feet of the trade show floor. So a big post-pandemic bump but definitely not back to pre-COVID numbers.

Show organizers and boosters regularly make the point that headcount is not a particularly valuable or insightful metric for show exhibitors – stressing the quality beats quantity thing: 10 great conversations beat 100 tire-kicking, “what is it you folks do?” chats.

On the other hand, if InfoComm did a record number for something, it would certainly be highlighted.

The 37% first-time attendees thing is intriguing, and likely owes to things like IT and AV roles converging both with end-user organizations and solutions providers, the rise of virtual production (all kinds of LED manufacturers have added that to their offer), and the increasing use of AV technology in designed spaces (architects now think of digital as a design material).

I headed home Friday morning, so don’t know what the hall was like that day, but most shows see a drop off for Fridays, given people with long or connecting flights don’t want to spend Saturdays traveling, particularly in the summer and Father’s Day and in the US, a Juneteenth long weekend.

“It’s been an incredible week at InfoComm 2023 – seeing the power of such creative minds come together to show off pro AV solutions that enhance our world,” says David Labuskes, AVIXA. “To witness an industry evolving in real-time is so inspirational. I know attendees will head home with countless new ideas and business connections – supercharged for months to come.”

“There were so many highlights from the show. If you ask 10 different attendees, you’ll surely get 10 different fantastic answers – innovative products and solutions, experiential components, education, integrated experience tours, and so much more,” adds Rochelle Richardson, SVP of Expositions and Events, AVIXA. “There are numerous people that work together to make a big show like InfoComm a success – exhibitors, sponsors, attendees, speakers, media, the Orange County Convention Center, Freeman, and the AVIXA staff. We thank you for all your hard work and dedication to the show.”

InfoComm 2024 is back in Vegas June 8-14 (with the trade show component running June 12-14), at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The 2025 and 2026 dates are already booked as part of the Orlando-Vegas rotation, so the people who moan and wish it were done somewhere else are stuck with these two for a while yet.