by Clive Young.
San Francisco, CA (November 8, 2010)–Hitting with the impact of an Edgar Renteria home run and speeding by a Madison Bumgarner fastball, this year’s AES had all the hallmarks of a Fall Classic. The annual convocation always brings with it thousands of visitors, exciting panels and workshops, a slew of new technologies on the exhibit floor and more. The 129th Convention was no exception as it delivered on all of the above.
While the Audio Engineering Society won’t know actual attendance numbers for sometime, Christopher Plunkett, deputy director, convention management, remarked, “I would estimate that we’ll get over 14,000 people for this Convention. The pre-registration was excellent this year—it’s actually up over San Francisco two years ago.”
That so many people would turn up was no surprise; despite the fact that tmany have relegated much of their professional interaction to social network sites these days, meeting up in the real world still has its advantages. “You can’t beat face-to-face interaction,” laughed Plunkett. “I don’t care what anyone says, there’s no way. You can’t possibly connect to a person via computer the way you can in person, shaking a hand, talking to them.”
Taking part in the real world also provides an easier way to learn, which is a big part of what the AES Convention is about, thanks to the cornucopia of papers, workshops and seminars it presents annually. This year saw the successful introduction of the new Product Design Track, as well as growth of stalwarts like Game Audio.
“There are broadcast events, live sound events, and the whole program has developed so much,” said Plunkett. “There’s something for everybody this year, and we’re really excited that they’re so well attended. That success really speaks to the various chairs’ efforts to create workshops and panels that address and answer the needs of our attendees.”
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