As Integrated Systems Europe opens its doors this morning, Mike Blackman is already balancing the immediacy of show week with a longer-term view of what comes next. After more than two decades at the helm of ISE, he remains acutely aware that size alone is never enough. “We might be the biggest at the moment, but we have to work hard to stay there,” he says. “The key is we don’t do what we think is best. We do what our customers think is best.”
That philosophy underpins both the scale of ISE 2026 and the mindset behind it. As the doors open for the first time on Tuesday morning, Blackman admits to a familiar mix of anticipation and pride. “There’s nothing quite like the moment the doors open for the very first time,” he says. “There’s always a buzz on opening day, but this year feels particularly meaningful.”
Much of that comes down to what ISE has set out to represent this year. The show’s Push Beyond theme, he explains, reflects more than a marketing message, it represents a real “mindset shift” across the AV and systems integration community, “pushing beyond silos, beyond traditional roles, and beyond what many of us thought was possible just a few years ago.”
ISE’s evolution from a systems-integrator-focused event into a broader platform spanning AV, broadcast, IT and creative technologies has been deliberate. Blackman frequently cites CeBIT as a cautionary tale. “I saw it like watching a car crash about to happen,” he recalls. “You could see it heading in one direction and then, suddenly, it just went boom – and disappeared. The issue was a failure to adapt.”
LEAN MACHINE
Despite its scale, the organisation behind ISE remains relatively lean. Around 45 core staff coordinate strategy, sales, operations and marketing across several countries, supported by extensive outsourcing. Strategic decisions are taken in Munich, operations sit in Barcelona, while much of the marketing team is UK-based. “English is our first language of communication for ISE,” Blackman explains. “We do our marketing in multiple languages – Spanish, French, German, Italian – but because English is the first language, I wanted native English speakers.”
That structure supports an intense annual rhythm. Sales for the next edition begin during the show itself, followed by immediate post-event analysis. “We look at everything and say, ‘What was good? Was it good because we did it well or were we lucky? And what was bad?’” Blackman says. “From about January 7th, it’s like a race. It’s full speed ahead.”
One of the most visible outcomes of that process is ISE’s increasing emphasis on convergence, particularly between AV and broadcast. Hall 4, now the second-largest hall at the show, devotes roughly half its space to broadcast-AV solutions. “It’s not that the broadcast business is coming to us,” Blackman says. “The broadcast business is changing. They’re using more and more AV products and solutions.”
Virtual production is a clear example. Blackman points to Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE. “They had these huge studios where there was a set being built for one TV show,” he says. “Now you’ve got 200sqm virtual studios and you can shoot a different show every hour. The investment is higher, but the long-term savings are tremendous. LED manufacturers are profiting a lot from this.”
The show’s early position in the calendar also plays a strategic role. “Samsung, LG and Sony launch consumer products at CES,” Blackman notes. “Then they launch the modified versions at ISE.” For him, that timing reinforces the value of in-person experience. “You want to see firsthand the video and the audio and experience these solutions, especially as they’re becoming more immersive.”
LOCAL FOCUS
Beyond the halls themselves, Blackman is increasingly focused on ISE’s relationship with Barcelona. Public-facing activations – from projection mapping to drone shows – are part of that strategy. “We do these activations to show the softer side of AV,” he says. “We’re providing these entertainments to the citizens as a gift because we want them to welcome us.”
Internally, Blackman says he is particularly proud of the team and the wider ecosystem that supports the show. “We work hard to ensure ISE evolves alongside the industry,” he says, pointing to new initiatives such as Spark, a new four-day creative industries hub bringing together technology, storytelling and design. The introduction of the Cybersecurity Summit reflects another shift. “As systems become more connected, resilience and security are no longer optional conversations – they’re essential.”
For first-time attendees, that scale can feel daunting. “ISE can feel overwhelming in the best possible way,” Blackman says. His advice is simple: slow down. “You can’t see everything in one day, so don’t try to.” New tools are designed to help, including an AI-powered planning tool that creates personalised itineraries based on role and interests, alongside ‘New to ISE’ show floor tours that provide a structured overview. “It’s a very practical way to cut through the scale of the show,” he says.
He also encourages visitors to look beyond the exhibition floor. “Some of the most meaningful conversations at ISE happen outside the halls,” he adds, noting that Barcelona itself has become part of the experience.
CLEAR CONTINUITY
Looking back to ISE’s beginnings in Geneva in 2004, Blackman sees a clear line of continuity. “In its early days, ISE served a more clearly defined AV community,” he says. “What we’ve seen since is vast growth in scale and a fundamental transformation that mirrors the evolution of the industry itself.”
Today, he argues, ISE is no longer just an exhibition. “It’s a global meeting point for innovation,” Blackman says, “a place where industries converge, partnerships are formed, and the future of technology is actively shaped.” And as the doors open on ISE 2026, his enthusiasm remains undimmed. “I’m more excited about ISE each year than the previous one,” he says. “In this industry, there’s always something new.”
