How many times have you attended ISE, and in what capacity?
Philips Professional Displays have been an ISE regular – in fact, we’ve been ever-present as exhibitors since the show made its debut in 2004 in Geneva. Looking back at those early days and comparing them to the giant the show has become now in Barcelona, it’s an incredible achievement. It’s equally exciting to see and be a part of the AV industry as it innovates, grows and thrives.
ISE remains the biggest and most important date in the annual show calendar for PPDS, and the 2026 edition was no exception. Ideally timed to take place in February, it provides the industry’s biggest stage for us to kick off the new year, communicating the key messages that will help shape business over the coming months and years.
As always, among the headlines to come from PPDS during ISE are the announcements of new products and solutions, with visitors to our stand becoming among the first in the world to see and experience them in person. This is always an incredibly proud and exciting moment for us.
We are equally proud to support the industry as sponsors and thought leaders at ISE, and the ISE Hackathon has provided us with the perfect opportunity to help promote two topics that are incredibly important to us – sustainability and championing rising talent. Thinking differently, and bringing new opportunities to the event, is something the ISE team advances every year.
Numbers were up again, so how was footfall for you, and what about the quality of leads?
2026 was arguably our busiest yet, with our Philips booth filled to capacity throughout the week. Numbers were also up on Friday, which was something of a surprise, given it’s often labelled as the quiet day. The quality of visitors – in business terms – was again very pleasing. We gained some very strong leads, many of which are moving into the next stages, while new agreements and partnerships were discussed and agreed during the show. We even enjoyed a surprise visit from the president of the Parliament of Catalonia, Josep Rull, who came onto our booth to meet some of the team and take a tour of our products. He was especially pleased with our partnership with FC Barcelona.
Did you engage with the ISE Daily, either by reading it or by contributing editorially or promotionally?
Picking up a copy (actually a handful) of the ISE Daily is a ritual as we enter the Fira each day of the show. It’s a valued read, and we make sure it is available for our PPDS team and our visitors to leaf through on our booth. ISE is now such a big show, covering over 100,000 square metres of space, that it’s impossible to see everything. It’s a testament to the team of ISE Daily editors, with whom we enjoy a good working relationship throughout the year and as we build up to the show, that they’re able to create such a great publication in such a short amount of time. At ISE 2026 we were delighted that two of our new product launches were featured, including our new Philips Stretch 3150 Series, as well as the first in our AI-ready signage range, the Philips Signage 5000 Series.
Did you nominate any of your products for the Best of Show awards? If not, do you have a particular reason?
ISE 2026 was the first time in recent years that we did not enter the BOS awards. This was purely down to the timings of our product announcements and submission deadlines, which unfortunately did not quite fit this time around. We already have ideas for next year’s entry and, fingers crossed, will have more reasons to celebrate at ISE 2027.
Is there anything you’d like to see improved at ISE in 2027?
The ISE organisers have done a great job of supporting the growing crowds and exhibitors. Based on my own observations and experiences of getting from A to B when I was able to leave our own booth, there were some aisles that became impassable for lengthy periods of time due to video shoots, people stopping to watch scheduled entertainment only viewable on outer booth walls, and suchlike. Listening to visitors to our booth, this was a common gripe.
As exhibitors, this is something we were guilty of ourselves a few years ago with our 4D LED cube show. We were conscious of the crowds and inconvenience in the aisles, so since then we have taken our hourly show back inside the booth – with no barriers to entry – redesigning our spaces to be more open and to accommodate our crowds.
Finally, the free transport ticket is a great benefit, and one we all enjoy and are grateful for. This year’s was only for three days, though. For us as exhibitors, we’re at the show from Monday (or earlier) and we can be among the last to leave on Friday, after the show’s official closure. Perhaps offering options of three- or five-day passes would ultimately be more efficient.
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