Attendance and exhibitor numbers from the recently completed 129th Audio Engineering Society convention, Nov. 4–7, in San Francisco are out.
The final tally was around 14,500 registered attendees and 300 exhibitors. That’s down from last year’s 18,160 attendees and 320 exhibitors in New York, as reported by AES at the time. The prior year in San Francisco drew 17,900 people and 400 exhibitors.
But organizers were upbeat about the show. Chris Plunkett, AES deputy director, convention management said: “The trend towards smaller booths creates a level-playing field for all exhibitors — emphasizing technology more than hype seen at other shows.” Plunkett said program offerings such as the Product Design Track and the expanded Live Sound, Broadcast/Streaming and Game Audio Tracks drew audiences. “Virtually everyone was delighted with both the turnout, the buying power of the attendees and the overall good vibe of the show.”
Next year’s show will be back in New York.
