'twas the night before TAVES and all through the place,
exhibitors were scurrying to tidy their space.
On-wall treatment, in-corner treatment, tweak it some more,
lest attendees lament that your sound does not soar.
Line up your music and give it a spin,
only a few more hours to let them all in!
This year the TAVES venue moves from its previous location at the King Edward Hotel to the Sheraton Centre, situated across from the picturesque contrasts of old and modern City Halls. The new location is a study in contrasts as well. Where the King Eddy was established, traditional and old-school charm, the Sheraton is bright windows, gleaming metal with a lovely central courtyard enveloping a tranquil waterfall. New beginnings. For 2014, TAVES delves further into the audio/video side of its title. My early sneak preview allowed me to jump the queue and sample some of the latest (quite convincing) virtual reality hardware and software. Gleaming new 4k television and source material was already being unboxed and set up. Plus to add some pedigree to the video side, TAVES organizers also brought in real artwork, showcasing aspiring talent in a variety of media. From what I gathered, there is faith that the golden-eared may also have a discerning eye. An interesting new twist.


The location may be new but the monumental effort to bring it all together remains the same. Expectations on all sides are running high.


With fewer brick and mortar stores, there are fewer chances for music lovers to sample the finest, the prestigious, the classic and the new. So it falls on these events to intrigue and nurture the prospective audiophile population by showcasing best of breed under a single roof.


The challenges are multiple. Is there an audience whom the show will attract? Can the exhibitors conquer the dreaded hotel room acoustics and turn reverberant suites into sonic sweets to catch the ear? Will the new mix of the arts find favour with attendees? As always, for all concerned, these are leaps of faith. Tomorrow will tell the tale.