Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 closed on Friday following four days that saw the event achieve its highest attendance figures. The show welcomed 92,170 visitors from around the world. A total of 1,751 exhibitors, including 323 making their debut at the event, occupied 101,000sqm of show floor space.
The event delivered exceptional attendance growth. By Tuesday, it had welcomed 55,156 unique attendees, a 10 percent increase compared with Tuesday 2025 (49,981). By Wednesday, total unique attendance across all show days reached 76,035, while the show recorded 64,198 visitors onsite on a single day, almost equalling the pre-pandemic record attendance of an entire ISE show (64,908 at ISE 2019 in Amsterdam). Total unique attendance climbed to 87,648 by Thursday, marking the highest attendance in ISE history. The total number of registrations reached 120,914 with over 212,000 visits across the four days.
Mike Blackman, managing director of ISE, said: “As ISE 2026 comes to a close, I’m truly inspired by the passion and strength of our community. Over four extraordinary days, we celebrated groundbreaking technology, ignited bold ideas, forged lasting connections, and set new benchmarks for our industry. What excites me most is the creativity, energy, and diversity of our exhibitors and partners, and the unwavering dedication of the ISE team that makes it all possible.”
New initiatives
At ISE 2026, Spark debuted as an initiative for creativity and technology, bringing together professionals from broadcast, live events, marketing, design, and gaming. The event format served as a hub for creative professionals, technologists, and decision-makers to connect and explore the future of creativity.
ISE also announced the ISE Foundation, backed by co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA, with support from the City of Barcelona and the Government of Catalonia. The foundation launched at a press conference with speakers including David Labuskes, chief executive officer of AVIXA; Daryl Friedman, global president and chief executive officer of CEDIA; Raquel Gil, deputy mayor of Barcelona; and Miquel Sàmper, minister for business and labour, Government of Catalonia.
Keynote sessions
Clark took attendees “Behind the Façade: Building a Performance-led Mapping at Casa Batlló, from Concept to Implementation,” revealing the creative and technical mastery behind the mapping at one of Barcelona’s most iconic landmarks. Rashidi’s “The AI Reality Check: What It Takes to Scale and the Future of Leadership” offered an in-depth look at how AI is reshaping industries and the leadership needed to navigate this transformation. Together, their presentations were designed to showcase ISE as a stage for innovation, creativity, and forward-thinking industry leadership.
Industry reaction
David Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA, said: “ISE jumpstarts every year as the largest gathering of AV professionals. But beyond the numbers is a more remarkable story: people connecting with one another from different corners of the world and exchanging ideas that will live on past the convention centre walls. The week was full of brilliant minds that push this exciting industry forward. AVIXA is proud to collaborate with the ISE and CEDIA teams to deliver such a vibrant forum.”
Daryl Friedman, global president and CEO of CEDIA, said: “ISE 2026 once again demonstrated the extraordinary power of collaboration across our global technology ecosystem. As co-owners of ISE, we are proud to see the event continue to expand its influence as a platform where innovation, education, and partnership converge. The energy on the show floor and throughout the conference programme reflects a thriving industry that is not only embracing emerging technologies, but shaping how they enhance the spaces where people live, work, and connect.”
ISE 2027 will take place from February 2 to 5, 2027, at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via.
You can subscribe to Installation magazine for free here and the daily newsletter here.
