137th AES Convention Was The Largest West Coast Convention in More Than a Decade

October 30 2014, 07:00
According to the Audio Engineering Society (AES), the 137th  Convention, which took place Thursday, October 9, 2014, through Sunday, October 12, 2014, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA, was highly praised by exhibitors, sponsors and collaborative organizations alike.
The aisles on the exhibition floor at the 137th AES Convention were filled with wall-to-wall attendees. Photos courtesy of Audio Engineering Society.

“With over 300 exhibitors and sponsors and a 10-year record west coast registered attendance of over 15,000, AES137 displayed sure signs of a burgeoning industry steeped in historical, artistic and technological breakthroughs that are playing a very crucial role in the development of audio across all corners of the industry and our daily lives,” states the Audio Engineering Society.

With 350 presentations during the four-day event, all focused on diverse aspects of audio production and technology, Convention Co-Chairs Michael MacDonald and Valerie Tyler helped amass an array of exhibitors and sponsor support, which filled exhibition floor aisles with the latest products, technology and services offered in the pro audio industry.

AES Executive Director Bob Moses stated, “The AES137 convention exceeded our hopes in many ways, and it was a thrill to see every one of our new ideas unfold successfully. The Live Sound Expo leveraged the success we’ve enjoyed with the Project Studio Expo and brought professional training to the Sound Reinforcement community. The new ‘Raw Tracks’ events, with a rare glimpse behind the glass at some of the classic recording sessions, were standing-room-only. High Resolution Audio sessions in the HRA breakout room emphasized a convergence of the consumer electronics music business with the musical production community, and the conversations are still buzzing along toward New York next year. And this list goes on and on – wow, that was awesome. We’ll be back in L.A. in 2016, and I suspect we’ll take it to yet another level.”

“The annual U.S. AES convention is always an important event on our calendar,” stated Maureen Droney, The Recording Academy Producers and Engineers Wing Managing Director. “But the 137th show hit a high in attendance, content, energy, and, from what I could tell, positive reviews. The only thing that could have been better would have been to have more time to take advantage of the wealth of offerings. Congratulations to Bob Moses, Michael MacDonald, Valerie Tyler, and everyone on the organizing committee for one of the best shows ever.”  
AES Executive Director Bob Moses presented Solid State Logic (SSL) with its 137th AES Convention Premier Marketing Partner award for their support and contributions to driving attendance to the 137th AES Convention. Shown from L-R: Graham Kirk, AES International Sales Manager; Bob Moses, AES Executive Director; Piers Plaskitt, CEO SSL; and Don Wershba, Senior Vice President SSL. Photo courtesy of Audio Engineering Society.

Piers Plaskitt, CEO, Solid State Logic, Inc. shared, ”In anticipation of the excitement that would surround the return of AES to Los Angeles, Solid State Logic chose this show to launch two new products: The XL-Desk, our revolutionary twist on the classic analogue studio console, and a new addition to our Live Console portfolio, the powerful-yet-compact L300. We were thrilled with the response that both products received, and thanks to a stunning level of attendance, we anticipate an excellent return on the investment of us participating in the convention.“

“The AES convention once again proved to be a vital industry event, offering exhibitors, presenters, and attendees valuable opportunities to discuss technology and techniques at the forefront of audio engineering,” said Barbara Lange, Executive Director at SMPTE. “The sessions presented by SMPTE members in partnership with the AES drew strong attendance and provided unique insight into the newest developments in cinema standards, as well as a lively discussion of audio in today’s live television broadcasts.”

“We were really pleased to have the AES Convention back in Los Angeles this year,” stated Doug Swan, Audio-Technica National Director of Sales & Marketing, Professional Markets. “Attendance exceeded expectations, and we got to see professionals from all corners of L.A.’s busy audio industry – record-making, TV/film, gaming, live sound, the tech sector, system installation and more. Signifying a reinvigorated industry, AES continues its upswing, and we are looking forward to the show next year.”
Acclaimed engineer, musician and record producer Alan Parsons gives the keynote at the opening ceremonies of the 137th AES Convention on Thursday, October 9, 2014. Photo courtesy of Audio Engineering Society.

AES137 Convention sponsors included Audionamix, Audinate, Audio Precision, Auro Technologies, Avid, DiGiCo, EAW, Focusrite/Novation, L-Acoustics, Lectrosonics, Location Sound Corp, MOTU, Sennheiser/Neumann, Shure, TC Electronic, TC Applied Technologies, THAT Corp, Universal Audio, and Yamaha.  
www.aes.org
related items