I was at the ACV – venue for the HIGH END 2026 ‖ COLUMN

On February 11^th, on Wednesday, together with a dozen or so other journalists and representatives of the audio industry, I had the opportunity to peek behind the curtain of this year’s edition of the exhibition.

For a few hours, we were given a tour of the facility, and organiser representatives talked about its capabilities, plans of the exhibitors and their own plans for the coming years.

On the organiser’s side, there were Claudia Kazner and Manuel Pinke from High End Society Service GmbH, the company organising the High End exhibition, and on the ACV side we were accompanied by Constanze Huber and Josip Bozic, both holding the positions of Event Manager at ACV.

text WOJCIECH PACUŁA

photo „High Fidelity”

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WHEN WE ENTER THE BREUGEL ROOM at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Art History Museum Vienna), we see the most important painting in the room, The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1563), on the opposite wall. It hangs alone to emphasise its importance, which is confirmed by the constant presence of viewers and photographers. On the other side of the hall, two more masterpieces by the same artist hang side by side, The Battle Between Carnival and Lent (Dutch: De strijd tussen Vasten en Vastenavond) and Children’s Games (Dutch: Kinderspelen), which, together with The Tower…, form the core of the exhibition in Gallery X.

These three paintings alone would elevate any large museum to the status of a ‘cult’ institution. But that’s not all, because on the wall to the left we have a whole series of works known from school, albums and literature, only slightly less ‘important’ than these three; a total of twelve paintings by Bruegel. And among them, at the very end, in the passageway to the room where Rembrandts’ works will be displayed, hangs The Conversion of Saint Paul (Dutch: De bekering van Paulus), painted in 1567.

‖ Pieter Bruegel the Elder The Conversion of Saint Paul (1567)

I stood pensively for a long moment in front of this unusual representation of a well-known scene. Not because it is my favourite – that would be the Way of the Cross – but because I did not yet know whether I was more like Paul, suddenly struck by the truth as if with a club and transformed by his faith, or perhaps more like, sticking to convention, Thomas the Apostle, who had to see and feel for himself that Jesus, his master, had truly risen from the dead. And even then, some reservation remained inside of him.

My reflection and contemplation took place late in the morning of the following day, after Claudia Kazner and Manuel Pinke from High End Society showed me and a group of journalists around the Austria Centre Vienna. This is the place where, by all accounts, the event will be held in the coming years and which will be the next venue for the exhibition in its 44-year history.

‖ AVC surroundings; the U1 metro station is five minutes from the entrance

We found out that it was a done deal at the very end – I asked about it directly. People were saying different things, as I had reported myself: that it was an experiment, that it was only temporary, that nothing would come of it. Manuel revealed (of course, it was a controlled leak, to be clear) that they were currently negotiating for the next three years.

Although he is a representative of the organiser, and therefore must be brimming with optimism, hard data speak for themselves – the exhibition is completely sold out, down to the last square metre. There are quite a few people on the waiting list. After some initial hesitation, representatives of the audio industry became enthusiastic about this change – probably when they saw what the venue really looks like. And once they saw it, they imagined what they could do there, often for the first time in their history.

‖ The ACV building from the entrance side and the entrance itself

Audio-Technica has taken over a huge hall/corridor, as has ELAC, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. These will be the largest stands for both companies to date. Yamaha, for example, will have a large windowless room with an exhibition area in front of it. By the way, Josep, a representative of ACV, mentioned that such rooms are usually the last to be sold, precisely because of the lack of windows. He stated that this was the first time he had seen a company that was pleased with this – but this is audio, right?

There will also be a huge hall, entirely lined with wood, where conferences are held, which will be converted into a huge listening room by Bowers & Wilkins and Marantz. The previous owner, Masimo, was not interested in trade fairs, considering them a waste of money. The current owner, Samsung, thinks completely differently. This could be a truly unique place.

‖ Some of the meeting participants in the main lobby, entrance on the left side

At the same time, this will be the third fundamental change in the functioning of the High End exhibition, after it had moved to the Kempinski Hotel in Frankfurt and then, in 2004, when it changed its location and character, landing in Munich, at the MOC Veranstaltungscenter München exhibition centre. And the current change will probably be the biggest in its history.

This is because the German exhibition is moving to another country. It is still a German-speaking one, but in the audio industry it is treated as a satellite of ‘proper’ Germany. In addition, the venue is nothing like what we have become accustomed to.

‖ Movable panels with LED displays – a kinetic system called polySTAGE

Opened in 1987, the Austria Centre Vienna (ACV) is Austria’s largest conference centre and one of Europe’s most important venues for large-scale events. It is located in the vicinity of the Vienna International Centre (VIC) in the 22nd district. Designed for international congresses, exhibitions and corporate meetings, the venue has undergone continuous modernisation, including a thorough renovation between 2009 and 2013. In fact, it is still undergoing changes and renovations, but on a smaller scale. As Constanze and Josip said, it looks a bit like a medieval cathedral, where something is always being renovated and refurbished.

‖ We begin our tour – one of the smaller rooms; acoustic panels on the ceiling and walls, too

The VIC complex was designed by Austrian architect Johann Staber and built between 1973 and 1979 north of the Danube. It is one of four UN headquarters worldwide – the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV; German: Büro der Vereinten Nationen in Wien). The complex, which includes the Vienna International Centre and the Austria Centre Vienna (ACV) congress centre, is commonly referred to as the UNO City. The exhibition will therefore literally take place at the crossroads of the world.

The ACV building is relatively low – at least compared to the towering skyscrapers surrounding it. It is a hexagonal building resembling a diamond when viewed from above. It has five levels, three of which are above ground and two underground, as well as two large halls and another, newer one, just behind the lobby. The facility offers twenty-one large rooms and one hundred and thirty-four small rooms; the rooms can be divided into two, three or more parts with movable walls. The smaller rooms are located around the outer walls, while the large conference rooms are situated in the centre.

‖ Another small room

The problem that exhibitors pointed out from the very beginning was the small number of rooms with average floor space. I had spoken to many people from the industry and this complaint always came up. For over two hours, I walked around the facility, accompanied by several other journalists and industry professionals, guided by ACV staff, and with each step I took, my doubts diminished. As I said, it was not a sudden epiphany or conversion, but as I left the building and headed towards the centre of Vienna, I already had a rough idea of what the new High End could become.

Or it could be a modern version of the Kempinski exhibition. I know it’s a bit hard to imagine, but that’s how I see it. This is because there is plenty of space for communication in the ACV, and the whole building is very ‘friendly’ (lots of clean and accessible toilets, for example :). The floors are connected by escalators, and there are wide corridors in front of the rooms. On each side of the ‘diamond’ there are large halls with windows and gardens outside; some of them will have catering facilities. There are also seating areas on the inside of the corridors.

It’s a real game changer – these conditions correspond to those at Kempinski in Poland at PGE Narodowy Stadium (Audio Video Show), and here they are even better. Goodbye narrow corridors around the gallery at MOC! Goodbye stuffiness! Hello space!

‖ This is what the corridors outside the rooms look like; there is access to bathrooms from almost every location

This open plan had a calming effect on me. But that wasn’t all. The building is very clean and nicely decorated. Most importantly, the floors are made of real wood. As the very kind guides said, it is expensive to maintain, but a conscious decision was made to go for this 1970s-style decor. It’s good for the sound, good for your legs and good for your well-being.

I listened carefully to what Claudia and Manuel had to say about the rooms and halls, but above all, I listened to the sound of their voices. Another concern that came up in conversations with exhibitors was acoustics. In my opinion, it is better than in Munich, and often much better. I have already mentioned the floors, so I will add that the ceilings have acoustic elements, as do the walls. It seems to me that preparing such a room will be easier than struggling with the acoustics at MOC.

‖ One of the medium-sized rooms – movable walls can be seen on the right, acoustic panels on the ceiling

However, we will see how the sliding walls I mentioned will work in practice. Large rooms will be divided into smaller ones. Manuel mentioned that this was the first thing that companies asked about when he showed them ACV last year. He says it should be better than in Munich because the walls offer -50 dB soundproofing, which is supposed to be better than the walls between rooms at MOC. They are covered with soundproofing material, twenty centimetres thick and very solid – I saw them in action. We’ll see…

However, what seems most important to me is something that became apparent with each room we visited: this will be a completely different exhibition than the previous ones. Comparisons with Munich are inevitable, which is normal, but in reality, we are entering a whole new era of the event. I am speaking for myself here, not quoting the organiser’s information brochure. We will have to look at it from a different perspective.

‖ One of the coolest things about ACV is the wooden flooring throughout the entire facility; below is another spacious hall, sold out entirely to ELAC

What perspective? I propose a cultural-political one. The thing is, when we organise any event in a specific location, we link it on one level to architecture and politics. In retrospect, ‘hotel’ exhibitions seem like a ‘catacomb’ period. A wonderful, refreshing period, vibrant with possibilities.

But this potential could only be realised after moving from that first stage to a technocratic one. Because that was what the exhibition in Germany was like – painfully pragmatic and emotionally dry. That was the architecture of the exhibition halls and rooms at MOC, and that was also the attitude of the German audio industry – business first and foremost.

And let no one say that culture, art or sport, as we are currently in the middle of the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, are apolitical. That’s what greedy bastards who want to make money no matter what say… In reality, these fields are extremely political. And that’s fine, that’s how it should be, that’s a real force.

In this respect, the Austria Center Vienna is completely different from both ‘hotel’ and ‘hall’ exhibitions. It has the potential of both, but realises it in a better way. At least, that is my opinion. It is open not only to slightly different people, but also to a different political configuration.

As Manuel told me while showing me around one of the floors, the shift in Europe’s centre of gravity is something that can no longer be denied. However, many countries still try to do so. He did not say so explicitly, but it seems that Germans themselves are losing faith in their own agency.

It is in Central and Eastern Europe (yes, he did use this distinction) that people live as they should live. They shop, socialise and listen to music. Germans, he said, have closed themselves off in their shells in fear of war and do not want to come out. The shift towards Vienna is therefore a logical change for High End and a leap forward. It is at this latitude that most of the action is currently taking place.

‖ One of the rooms divided into three parts, with a shared centre

So, what is it going to be? I must tell you that I travelled to Vienna with a negative attitude. I left it feeling cautiously optimistic. Perhaps even with an emphasis on ‘optimistic’. I understand the logic behind the change, and I am surprised that the changes that have taken place in the world have finally been noticed. Let us not forget that Vienna is a cultural centre with incredible impact, a brand in itself. An event in the UN building, in such a city, is also a political statement, not just a business choice.

Recalling what I saw, I also remember the sense of freedom and recognition I felt. It’s simply a good place. A combination of technocratic chic and the spirit that fills it. Separately dangerous or useless, together they create added value. And that’s what audio is, right?

‖ One of the largest halls, which will be divided into two parts

It’s like an installation by contemporary visual artist Žilvinas Kempinas, who lives and works in New York, entitled Double O, shown at the temporary exhibition De Line at the Heidi Horten Collection museum in the heart of Vienna. This kinetic installation consists of two fans mounted on the floor, facing and blowing air towards each other to support a loop of magnetic tape floating in the air. The loop is pushed from both sides by the working fans. It spins, changes shape, but does not fall, even though it is not supported by anything.

This combination of technology and art is mesmerising and seems to me to be a good representation of what the High End Society Service is trying to achieve by moving the exhibition to the Austrian capital. I think we have a bright future ahead of us, not only in terms of audio, but also for this part of Europe. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for it, it’s worth it! ‖ WP

‖ To the left: Manuel Pinke and Claudia Kazner from the High End Society, to the right: Constanze Huber and Josip Bozic, Event Managers at the ACV

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▓  The exhibition in a nutshell:

• When: 4 – 7 June 2026
• Where: Austria Center Vienna (ACV), Bruno-Kreisky-Platz 1, 1220 Vienna – Austria
• Organizer: HIGH END SOCIETY Service GmbH

→ www.ACV.at

→ www.HIGHENDSOCIETY.de

text WOJCIECH PACUŁA

photo „High Fidelity”

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