I’ve landed at Warsaw Chopin airport on Thursday and grabbed the taxi towards Golden Tulip hotel. Its only about 15 minutes away, but you really get a condensed city scape experience. Warsaw is metropolis with unique aura and history. It feels great to walk in both urban part of the city as at the “old” rebuild area.
By each year, Poland Audio Video Show’s organizer Adam Mokrzycki pulls it off not only with the complex organizational demands, but by improving show on many levels. There are grander and subtle changes, that new comers might missed, but being here for the third year I’ve could spot in on many “corners”.
Two nice, high quality brochures were prepared showing all the manufacturers attending as well as the maps of all locations.
As last year, show was happening at three different locations.
Radisson Sobieski
Golden Tulip
Stadion Narodowy
Show opening hours were:
Friday: 14-20
Saturday: 10-20
Sunday: 10-18
This year Adam and his team counted whooping 11933 unique visitors with turnover during the show: 10% Friday, 60% Saturday and 30% Sunday.
I’ve spent whole Friday at Radisson Sobieski. Only to get through all the rooms distributed through seven floors and have an initial listening its quite a task.
Whole Saturday was reserved for impressive Stadion Narodowy. The magnitude of products and renowned brands were impressive to say at least. Just cruising around felt like dreaming and walking around in audiophile dream :).
Golden Tulip was reserved for Sunday around eight rooms to cover, but there were again brands and gear that you cannot pass like Göbel High-End, CH Precision, FM Acoustics, Thrax Audio, Gauder Acoustic, TechDas, Vitus Audio, Aluxity, Natural Sound, Vertere Acoustics etc.
By each year international media attendance is on rise and one could spot:
Paul Messanger – Stereophile / HiFi Critic
Maria & Henk – 6moons
Dirk Sommer – HiFi Statement
Ken Kessler – HiFi News
CHIH YANG YEH – MyHiEnd
Christian Bayer – Image Hifi
Stuart & Linette Smith – HiFi Pig
Doug Schneider – Soundstage
Rui Manuel – Antunes Vumetre
Ingo Schulz -Fidelity (Germany)
Cai Brockmann – Fidelity (Germany)
I’m sure I’ve missed more, but even for the first time visitors this show was more or less jaw dropping experience. I’ve talk with great enthusiasm about Poland show with media colleagues at Sonus faber event in Sardinia, but as they’ve confirmed in Warsaw, you really need to experience it person to truly appreciate it.
To say that show was great is a complete understatement. Poland Audio Video Show radiates with different vibe then Munich. I do love the efficiency and German punctuality of the European epicenter high-end audio show. Still, there is something very different and special about Polish event.
Everything carries less feeling of a trade place. It feels more like a grand industry social event with the great chance of interacting with all the parties from high-end audio industry.
By keeping the prices of rooms down to earth, many small manufacturer can participate and this gives them a great opportunity to show their beloved products to consumers and distributors. We must never forget about the micro organisms of our beloved industry as they have as important voice and message as the big ones. Renowned manufacturers, operating on bigger scale will always push things with grand momentum. This is mandatory and like car industry needs BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz we need big player like Magico, Wilson Audio etc. But, we’re also in need for a continuing flow of out of the box, independent smaller boutique companies. Especially in high end audio, unique ecosystem allows them to coexists.
In a way they inspire each other and both sides are constantly lurking at each other pace resulting in a silent competition and push forward on both ends.
By each year exhibitors at the Poland Audio Video show are trying to push their sound to the limits of the rooms. As usually some simply don’t care much, yet many are finally figuring out that the proper sounding room actually ensurethe interest of the audiophiles, dealers and distributors. Passing the mediocrity won’t do much. Both sides wants to grab a larger portion of what they can expect from the exhibited systems.
It was interesting to meet distributors from all around the Europe. Even from Russia, Spain etc. I’ve asked few of them, how come they’re attending. The answer was simple.. Its mandatory!With many manufacturers supporting their distributors by presence, Warsaw show already moved way beyond domestic or European imprint. International media is picking up and they already ensure that they’ll return.
Making the right impact for the industry is of utmost importance and this is where magazines and online media can help with its impact. I’ve always seen our industry as a special one. Even the most complex characters from any part of high-end industry are molded with a different degree by potency of the music reproduction. No other industry carries similar aura and mechanics that can affect people as high-end music reproduction can. Yes, we do need more professional dealings, presentations and attitude towards the customers. Yet, there are certain positive changes happening as many, even most ego centric manufacturers are figuring out, what high-end watch and other luxury industries figured out long time ago; customer satisfaction means everything as do quality of product, presentation, packaging, proper room design etc.
We all need to take a part of this momentum to push things further and I feel how Poland Audio Video Show carries this message loudly enough to get noticed across the globe.
There were many rooms that ignited right sensory inputs to get involved in the prolonged listenings. Its always hard to accomplish perfect presentation at the show conditions, but I’m highly appreciating the efforts. Even in the non optimally set room one can get a large portion of what system in play can offer. I’m trying to shout out. “Never forget that!”
Poland became my personal favorite show for many different reasons, most of them described above. It carries the message of friendly positive dealings and open social place where industry mechanics seems to run much more smoother and of positive vibe then usually.
Adam Mokrzycki is a true high-end audio entrepreneur, aficionado, enthusiast and connoisseur. Without his vision and focused mind, Poland Audio Show couldn’t succeed in such grand way. Organizing everything to run smoothly and striving to excel by each upcoming year is no slouch effort. It takes whole year of preparation and sleepless night.
I can only highly appreciate and thank Adam for pushing things further while keeping the qualities intact. Hard work do pays of and Poland Audio Video Show is a living proof that high-end audio industry is not dead by any means. Proper execution and utmost dedication will reflect in positive results.
Not to forget. There were many exotic and ultra high-end audio products, that one cannot spot even at the Munich High End Audio Show. Poland Audio Video Show also hosted quite few of world premiers along with some of the state of the art products presentations, that were not to be missed.
I’m wholeheartedly encouraging you to book your dates for next year and join us. There is something mesmerizingly inspiring waiting for you. Take no second guessing. Poland Audio Video shows is becoming one of the most important ones!
Usually awards are going out to the products, but I’m giving out the Editors Choice Award to Adam and team for the Poland Audio Video Show 2016.
Yours: Matej Isak