Finally, Amsterdam is an English speaking city. A majority of people in the city can communicate with Americans. But it’s written in Dutch. Ninety-five percent of signs are in another language. Just a heads up!
It’s Showtime
Print your pass beforehand… or don’t. There are attendants at the entrances that can check you in and print it out for you. An employee will scan your paper and give you a badge. You’re in.
Coat checks are right downstairs for you. There will be show guides and maps as soon as you enter. Grab them. The Amsterdam RAI is a mishmash of large and a tiny bit less large halls on different levels with almost no order. It’s a labyrinth. I spent twenty minutes wandering between Hall 10 and Hall 9 in search of Hall 8 and once I got there I couldn’t find a way out.
I’m being dramatic but the point remains. With so much to see, it’s important not to waste time getting lost. Most halls are in clusters, like 9, 10, and 11, so that can help you gain your bearings. Stick to the outer walls and you’ll find digital display signs above entryways that will point you to the different halls. They aren’t perfect, but they’re helpful.
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In the halls themselves you’ll see a booth marked with numbers like, for example, 8-F125. The first number stands for the hall, the letter stands for the row, and the number is the destination. City, Street, Address. Stand in the center of a row and somewhere above you there will be a banner showing what letter you’re at. Though there will be missing letters, isles are alphabetical.
You’re going to get thirsty and your legs will get tired. Utilize booths that have seating areas. Some give away drinks. In the hallways there are almost always kiosks where you can grab a drink or snack. There are a good amount of options and a couple places where you can be served.
Be sure to ask if they take swipe cards if you don’t have a chip and pin or any euros on you. Not all will. There are also rest areas if you need them. The one in Hall 8 has good space. At the end of the day many booths will hold small events and serve beer or wine. Grab one, you’ve earned it.
About the Booths
Booths, for the most part, are clustered together with similar technologies. However, some will be scattered for different reasons.
Be sure to spend some time in whatever hall has display screens. They’ll have the most visually impressive booths and you don’t want travel all the way to ISE without stopping to smell the 4K UHD flowers.
The audio hall is also worth checking out; You’ll find residential setups, home theaters, automated control panels, cool gadgets and great home televisions. They’re fun to check out whether you have the money for them or not. At the least you’ll be treated to classic American rock, techno, and today’s hits from incredible stereo systems.
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The smaller booths have a handful of employees that may or may not speak English. If they don’t, odds are they don’t sell their product in America anyway.
Larger booths will have armies travelling with them. Employees will be wearing flag pins to indicate the languages they speak. Anyone with a British or American flag pinned to their lanyard can help you out.
If you’re not looking to be bombarded with facts and want to peruse, many booths will have brochures that explain the highlights of the technologies they are showcasing. I found that most brochures were in English, or at least had an English translation along with the company’s native language.
When employees ask to scan your badge you can accept or decline. Some booths will use the scan to enter you into a raffle to win products, and I personally like to keep updated on companies that interest me.
In the end, the show isn’t as overwhelming as it seems. Go in with a game plan. Write down the numbers of the booths you wish to see and order them. That way when you find yourself in Hall 8, you can see all the Hall 8 booths, and when you find yourself in Hall 3, you can see all the Hall 3 booths. You’ll get a sense of general direction sooner or later.
With an extra day available next year, I’m sure your first trip to ISE will be as fulfilling as mine was.
