The AES New York 2017 Convention once again hosted the year’s largest annual contingent of pro audio professionals, students, and enthusiasts at the Jacob Javits Center, October 18 – 21.
Convention co-chairs Agnieszka Roginska and Paul Gallo, along with numerous convention organizers and volunteers, provided the programming and events spanning the four days of audio presentations, discussion panels, and three-day gear exhibition. Additionally, co-location at the Javits Center with the NAB New York show created an additional edge, bringing in an even more diverse attendee base to the premier professional audio education and networking event of the year.
Total registration for the 143rd International Convention eclipsed that of last year’s Los Angeles Convention. With 15,590 registrants, AES New York 2017 registrations were 24% higher than final registration for AES LA 2016 (where 12,540 registrations were tallied, including those for the parallel AVAR Conference). The quality of the technical program in New York drew over 40% more All Access attendees than in Los Angeles last year, setting a new milestone.
“I’ve never been so proud of our team and of an AES Convention as I am after the amazingly successful AES New York 2017,” said AES Executive Director Bob Moses. “Words don’t come close to conveying the admiration I have for every member of the Convention committee and every member of the AES staff and our volunteers. Attendees and the Convention exhibitors and sponsors offered unsolicited praise for the entire convention experience, from the technical program to the exhibition hall. Our co-location experience with The NAB Show New York proved that working with collaborative partners can be mutually beneficial and still allow each organization to retain its unique and independent identity.”
With the theme of Maximum Audio, AES New York brought a diverse array of special events and prominent industry names and technologies into the spotlight. In addition to the opening Diversity Town Hall meeting and Keynote Speech by Prof. Edgar Choueiri, the Heyser Lecture given by renowned, award-winning engineer and producer Leslie Ann Jones, and numerous other featured events, AES New York offered well over 200 technology presentations including 700 presenters and a half-dozen offsite Tech Tours, as well as 260-plus brands exhibiting the latest gear and services on the AES Exhibition floor. Further exhibition floor events featured the return of the Project Studio Expo and Live Sound Expo, as well as the addition of the new Broadway Sound Expo, Broadcast Audio Expo, Software@AES presentations, and three days of AES Mix with the Masters workshops.
AES New York Convention research papers and E-briefs can be found online in the AES E-Library, and recordings of the convention presentations and proceedings will soon be online as part of the AES Live: Videos collection. Full E-Library access is a benefit enjoyed by all AES members. Additional photos and convention news will be posted to the aesshow.com site, as well as other AES social media channels.
“At the close of the exhibition on Friday,” added Moses, “the hall was still packed when the lights were dimmed. Attendance in the technical program sessions continued unabated on the final day of the Convention, which included another first: the Immersive Audio Super Saturday event, offering binaural and 9.1 experiences throughout the day. As we continue to develop content that spans all of the audio disciplines, and offers pioneering insights into emerging technologies, we hope that you will join us, as a member and as an attendee, at our events throughout the coming year.”
Next up, the Audio Engineering Society returns to the west coast for the AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium, Live and Studio, to be held in NAMM’s education campus, adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center, during The 2018 NAMM Show, which runs January 25 – 28, 2018 (aesatnamm.com). This first-of-its-kind education and training event is a collaboration with NAMM, bringing AES expertise to AES@NAMM attendees while offering registrants access to the NAMM exhibition. The AES celebrates its 70th Anniversary as the Society returns to the Javits Center in New York for AES New York 2018, the 145th AES International Convention, taking place October 17 – 20, 2018, co-located once again with The NAB Show New York. Visit aes.org/events for AES event updates throughout the year.
