ISA Insights

January 2008

Success at the ISA EXPO South American Show

São Paulo, Brazil served as the site for the 11th ISA Show hosted by ISA District 4 at the Expo Center Norte, 27-29 November 2007.

Attendees included 13,000 visitors, with 760 attending the Congress, 430 attending training courses, 879 attending the technology innovation area, and 671 attending the technical presentations. ISA Headquarters sent a delegation made up of ISA Executive Director and CEO Pat Gouhin, 2008 ISA President Kim Miller Dunn, and ISA staff member Laura Crumpler.

This year's event highlights included the ISA100 Wireless Roundtable, with technical presentations and discussions about wireless, including special participation from Jorge Ramos from Converteam, invited to serve as Mediator, and professionals including Ian Verhappen (ISA100 representative), Marcos Peluso (Emerson Process), Augusto Pereira (Yokogawa), and Jim Allipert (Honeywell). These professionals shared their expertise and recent lessons learned to help other professionals understand the real state of wireless technology. The event was transmitted simultaneously to all pavilions via the Closed Circuit TV system.

The ISA District 4 booth was hailed a great success, continuously filled with more than 120 attendees. Feedback was positive for the show, presentations, and discussions. Thirty-eight new members enrolled at the show. Research with exhibitors showed 100% approval for the Quality of the show overall.

“Our booth this year was a great success! For 2008, we want to rent a stand with double the space. We would like to thank ISA for the excellent work," said Carolina Prada of Engezer.

New to the show this year was the Technology Innovation Area, a large booth dedicated to presentations, round-tables, and technical discussion; the ISA VIP Booth, which served as a meeting location with wireless access available to ISA members only; a Cyber-Chopp with open-bar and computer access for visitors; Closed Circuit TV for the transmission of technical presentations to all pavilions; lectures in English with simultaneous translation to Portuguese; and a campaign for new members, which included facilities for new member enrollment.

“The ISA Show 2007 was perfect in all aspects and well planned. The exhibit had excellent quality, good booths, was spacious, and provided good views. The Innovation Technology Area was a great idea and I hope that it continues next year, with new additions," said Francisco Antonio Rocco, DVP Curitiba Section and Engineer Manager from Petrobras.

When asked about training, Ricardo Alves, an ISA Member and Automation Engineer from Caraiba Metais, stated, "I think it’s a good initiative, particularly for attendees coming from other regions. It’s a good opportunity to recycle and learn new subjects." When asked about the Exhibit, he stated, "The number of booths has grown, allowing the attendees to hear and discuss the launch of several products and solutions, to participate in training, and to update themselves on the new launches in the world of automation and instrumentation."

In 2008, the Brazil Automation-ISA Show plans to strengthen the International Congress, with the help of new organization committee members Dr. Jay Lee, Marcos Peluso, and Ian Verhappen. “The Internet is the most challenging competition for events like this. To sustain and increase the Expo and the Congress, we must offer what the Internet cannot: professional networking combined with access to new knowledge and innovative and up-coming technologies,” says Marcus Coester, District 4 Vice President. The central theme for 2008's congress is "Global Competition and Global Warming: The Challenges and Opportunities for Industrial Automation." The 2008 Expo and Congress will occur 17-19 November 2008 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The ISA EXPO South America show demonstrated the inherent differences between US-based exhibits and how other regions run their events. ISA is working through our districts and sections around the world to ensure that our message is strong, consistent, and heard. To facilitate these efforts in South America, ISA District 4 has hired Graciete Achcar to serve as a liaison to ISA headquarters in RTP.