AXPONA 2018

The remarkably relaxed, smiling faces of AXPONA Tradeshow Coordinator Jordan Brereton (left) and VP/Event Director Liz Miller (right) say it all. Photographed after show's close, Jordan and Liz were poised to announce that under the leadership of JD Events Founder and CEO Joel Davis, their team of 8 had sold 8134 tickets—up 21% from 2017—and welcomed 5718 unique visitors to the largest consumer audio show in the United States. The number of tickets sold to students ages 15-25 increased by 27%. This to a show with 165 active exhibit rooms and an over-15,000 square foot exhibit hall that hosted booths from 96 companies, half of which were part of the Ear Gear Expo.

By any means and measurement, AXPONA 2018 was a smashing success. Despite some pre-show trepidation about the move to the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, the venue proved near-ideal for an audio show. Not only did the sprawling Convention Center have enough space to host the largest marketplace in memory, an impressive headphone display, plus a large number of oversized exhibits, but it was also so big and spread out that the space never felt over-crowded. In fact, Stereophile's Jana Dagdagan (pictured second from left in our AXPONA team photo below), the new editor of our sister site, AudioStream.com, observed post-show that since the Schaumburg is "a much larger, open-style venue than previous American audio expos of late," proper ventilation made for a far more hospitable environment.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was the sound on the seven floors filled with "standard" size hotel rooms. Initial trepidation that rooms would be too narrow, with sonics further compromised by unmovable granite counters and credenzas along one of the long walls, vanished when the rooms' greater-than-average ceiling height helped make them audio-friendly. In the rooms I visited, I recall but one where bass boomed out of control or sound was uncomfortably bright. As hard as it to believe, my sense is that the sound I heard, often in rooms that lacked room treatment, was an honest representation of what the component chain could deliver in a non-custom environment.

I think everyone who visited hotel exhibits enjoyed that floors 3 to 6 are laid out around a central, open Atrium. The sense of space and light did a lot to relieve the claustrophobia that often manifests when people try to navigate narrow, crowded hallways, only to discover that they can't find a seat in the rooms they wish to visit.

Even though heat and air conditioning were often going in the rooms, their operation was uncommonly silent. Compared to the din created by the heating/cooling systems in the renovated Denver Marriott Tech Center, which I expect that the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest will vacate after their contract expires this year, the Renaissance Schaumburg was a dream venue.

Electrical power wasn't ideal, of course. As Vince Galbo of MSB discusses in my report on his room, he had to take multiple measures to ensure quality power for his quality components. But most exhibitors who did have power treatment—quite a few did—probably left AXPONA smiling.

Without wishing to overdo this smile thing, it is important to note the effect of venue on attendees. With the exception of folks in Denver, I have never encountered a warmer, more relaxed, and more respectful group of show attendees. Only once in all the rooms I visited did I encounter any talking, and that was occasional whispers. One company rep commented that AXPONA attendees were amongst the "most astute" she had ever encountered, and were both extremely interested and receptive.

For exhibitors, a major plus of AXPONA was that so many manufacturers and distributors were in attendance. Given the decline of "high performance audio" participation at CES, AXPONA has now become the prime US show where US-based manufacturers, dealers, and distributors can wheel and deal. Because the Renaissance Schaumburg has plenty of room for expansion, and 70% of this year's demo rooms are already rebooked, expect an even bigger AXPONA in 2019.

Yes, Munich High End is considerably larger, with attendance commensurate with its size, and also attracts more industry people from Europe and Asia. (Other overseas shows, including those in Hong Kong and Poland, are also larger than AXPONA.) It also attracts a more diverse crowd, with far more women. But not only is Munich High End unable to expand further in its current venue, but it is also forced to relegate a large number of exhibits to booths in sprawling open air halls, where noise makes honest sonic evaluation near impossible. Munich exhibitors fortunate enough to snare rooms often face acoustic nightmares, with sloped ceilings and glass rear walls presenting major sonic challenges.

If there is one area that AXPONA could improve upon, it is food service. Lines at Starbucks and the grab-and-go in the Convention show were long, and some of the fare in the latter was overpriced and of low quality. (The pre-packaged salads are far better in airports, if you can believe it!) There was also a distinct lack of places to sit, with far too many grabbers and go-ers forced to eat on the floor.

Food was good in the one big restaurant, but the staff was so overworked that errors were multiple and delays long. In addition to what was available this year, AXPONA needs a self-serve cafeteria-style line plus salad bar where people have a choice of hot and cold entrees that are prepared with health in mind, and where lines move at a fairly rapid pace.

The reports already posted are not the full extent of our show coverage. Still to come are videos that Jana shot of John Atkinson's keynote address, plus additional in-room visits with Herb Reichert and myself. I trust they will give you a further sense of the optimism and good spirits that pervaded AXPONA 2018.

From my vantage point as a short person who often had to mount chairs in exhibit rooms in order to take adequate photos, I had a ball. I wish I could have auditioned more rooms—shooting video takes lots of time—but what I did see and hear was so rewarding. I was amazed at how many people not only recognized me, but also took the initiative to offer up prime listening seats without being asked to do so. "You're working" and "I know you guys only have limited time to listen" were phrases I heard over and over.

I am humbled by the respect and generosity that were the norm during my days at AXPONA. As someone who somehow made it through the 1968 Democratic National Convention in the Windy City without getting his head bashed in or being forced to inhale more than a mild amount of tear gas—guess who leaped over a 6'-high wrought-iron fence topped with sharp spikes and kept running for several blocks without ever pausing to think about the fact that he had risked impalement!—the kindness and warmth I experienced at AXPONA 2018 affirmed the American potential for goodness and camaraderie.

A deep bow to Liz, Joel, Jordan, the staff at JDEvents, and the manufacturers, dealers, and distributors who made the show possible, and a second bow to all who attended. Thanks to you, AXPONA 2018 was a great show. Here's to many more years of celebrating audio at its finest.