How many times have you attended ISE, and in what capacity?
I’ve attended ISE every year since 2012, when we first exhibited in Amsterdam. Back then, we were showcasing a single solution, a focused product solving one specific classroom challenge.
What’s interesting is how closely our journey aligns with ISE’s 2026 theme, “Push Beyond.” In many ways, that’s exactly what DisplayNote has done over the past 14 years too. We’ve pushed beyond standalone products. Beyond feature lists. Beyond incremental upgrades.
This year, we attended ISE not simply as an exhibitor with a cool booth theme like previous years, but as a strategic partner helping education institutions and enterprises remove friction from collaboration. We’ve evolved from delivering a product to building an experience layer over hardware simplifying ecosystems, connecting environments, and enabling scalable transformation.
So for us, “Push Beyond” isn’t just the 2026 ISE theme. It reflects the evolution of both the industry and DisplayNote itself.
Overall, how was ISE 2026 for you?
ISE 2026 felt like a milestone year.
There was a noticeable maturity in the conversations. Buyers are no longer asking, “What does this do?” They’re asking, “How does this integrate? How does this simplify? How does this scale?”
That aligns perfectly with our journey. We’ve evolved from delivering a standalone solution to building an experience layer over hardware. DisplayNote are a platform that reduces complexity across classrooms, boardrooms, and enterprise environments. ISE 2026 validated that the market is ready for that next phase.
Numbers were up again, so how was footfall for you, and what about the quality of leads?
Footfall was strong, but more importantly, the quality of conversations was exceptional.
We saw fewer “walk-by” interactions looking for free merch and far more strategic discussions with decision-makers like CIOs, IT directors, channel partners, display vendors, education leaders and enterprise transformation teams.
The demand is shifting from products to ecosystems. From features to frictionless experiences. And the leads reflected that – high-intent, high-value, and aligned with long-term deployments rather than one-off purchases.
Did you engage with the ISE Daily, either by reading it or by contributing editorially or promotionally?
Yes – both personally and as a team, we engaged with ISE Daily throughout the week. It became part of our routine on the booth each morning, reading the magazine and keeping close to the wider industry conversations unfolding across the show.
This year, I also contributed editorially, collaborating with Anne Morris on an article focused on removing friction across education and enterprise environments.
ISE Daily plays an important role in shaping the narrative of the show, and it’s valuable to not only follow that conversation, but contribute to it.
Did you nominate any of your products for the Best of Show awards? If not, do you have a particular reason?
Our focus this year wasn’t on a single product release, so we didn’t enter them. We focused more on demonstrating a cohesive experience – the layer that connects everything together.
Is there anything you’d like to see improved at ISE in 2027?
ISE continues to grow in scale and sophistication, which is a positive sign for the industry.
As the event expands, I’d love to see even more structured opportunities for deeper strategic dialogue – roundtables, curated enterprise sessions, and cross-sector collaboration spaces.
The AV industry is no longer just about technology. It’s about experience design, workflow integration, and measurable outcomes. ISE 2027 has an opportunity to further elevate that strategic layer.
You can subscribe to Installation magazine for free here and the daily newsletter here.
