How was ISE 2026 for you in general, personally and professionally?
ISE 2026 was record-breaking and deeply rewarding on both a personal and professional level. From a business point of view, it was gratifying to see the show continue to mature in Barcelona and deliver tangible value to our exhibitors, partners and visitors alike. The scale, the quality of conversations, and the diversity of applications represented across the halls really demonstrated how central the pro AV and systems integration industry has become to so many sectors.
The growth of the show also reflects the resilience and dynamism of the industry itself – it’s encouraging to see how pro AV and systems integration continue to thrive, innovate, and expand into new markets. ISE 2026 highlighted how boundaries between sectors are increasingly blurred, with technology playing a pivotal role across commercial, residential, and creative applications.
Watching Spark come to life as a space where creative minds and technologists could connect, share ideas and push the boundaries of audience experience was a standout moment for me. Personally, there’s a real sense of pride that comes from walking the show floor, meeting old friends and making new contacts, seeing teams energised, deals being done, and ideas being exchanged. After the intensity of organising an event of this size, those moments make it all worthwhile.
You must be delighted with the increased visitor numbers. Given the continued hall size restrictions for the next edition, do you anticipate further increases for 2027, and how will you accommodate additional exhibitors?
We are, of course, delighted with the growth in visitor numbers, but equally pleased with the quality of those visitors. That balance is critical for us and for our exhibitors.
Looking ahead to 2027, we do expect continued growth, but it will be carefully managed. The space we have at the Fira will continue to be optimised through smart floor planning, enhancing our Technology Zones, and continuing to refine how we use features, stages and shared spaces.
We’re also working closely with Fira de Barcelona, not only to ensure the visitor flow and experience remains positive, even as demand increases, but also to look at different ways we could create extra space for exhibitor booths ahead of Hall 0 opening for ISE 2028.
Was there anything you would have liked to have done differently at this year’s event?
At ISE, we never like to stand still – so every year we are trying new and innovative ways to continue to deliver a great and worthwhile experience. For example, this year we partnered with EduTech Cluster and Fira de Barcelona to host the EdTech Congress as an independent event. I’m eager to watch its continued growth and the valuable insights it will offer innovators and decision makers about the future of learning.
We continuously review everything from logistics and wayfinding, to visitor and exhibitor feedback and content session scheduling. If anything, ISE 2026 reinforced the need to keep refining operational details as the show grows. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and any areas identified for improvement are already feeding into our planning for ISE 2027.
The enthusiasm from attendees and exhibitors alike at ISE 2026 was very apparent. What was the ‘magic sauce’ at this year’s event that spread such good feelings across the halls?
I think it was a combination of factors rather than one single ingredient. The industry itself is in a very positive place, there’s strong innovation with groundbreaking technology and real momentum in areas like smart buildings, collaboration, immersive experiences and sustainability, and a sense of confidence returning to global markets.
The quality of new initiatives, including the debut of Spark powered by Samsung, drove innovation and knowledge sharing across the creative and technology industries, bringing a new exciting and inspiring element to the show.
Away from the show floor, Barcelona excelled again as a host city for ISE, reflecting its status as a global technology hub. The combination of the quality of the tech tour and visitor benefit programme portrayed a genuine effort to make ISE feel welcoming and human despite its size and scale and created an environment where people want to be. That atmosphere is infectious.
Several exhibitors expressed interest in more ISE ‘noise’ throughout the rest of the year, from content to physical events. Do you have any plans to raise the profile of the ISE brand throughout the year?
Actually, this is an area we are already working on. ISE is no longer just a four-day event, it’s a year-round platform for the industry. We’re already working behind the scenes to expand our content, and insight-led initiatives, as we aim to support the industry’s conversations throughout the year, while still ensuring that the annual ISE show remains the focal point and flagship moment.
We are also excited to announce the creation of the ISE Foundation, spearheaded by ISE, and backed by co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA, with support from the City of Barcelona and Government of Catalonia. This is structured around three core pillars: talent development, innovation and social responsibility. The Foundation is designed to consolidate and scale ISE’s local contribution projects and will help in launching new initiatives throughout the year.
This year’s programmes have been particularly well received. How do you intend to maintain the momentum and excitement for 2027, and will Spark continue as planned?
The response to the 2026 programmes was extremely encouraging. We had 323 exhibitors making their debut this year, which was really inspiring and signifies the scale and engagement in our industry.
For 2027, we’ll continue to evolve the content to reflect emerging technologies, new applications and changing skills needs across the industry, to keep the momentum and excitement high.
Spark will absolutely continue. It has proven to be a powerful platform for innovation and fresh thinking between technologists and creative professionals, and we see it as an important part of ISE’s future. Expect it to grow in relevance and impact, while staying true to its original purpose, a hub where creativity meets technology.
Some of the queues for lunch were too long for the Installation team to wait in (lunch at the press office was usually impractical due to distance and timings!). Is there scope for additional concessions to alleviate the length of time wasted queuing?
We’re aware of this feedback.
High attendance is a good problem to have, but it does mean we need to work with our partners to scale food and beverage options accordingly. We will work closely with the Fira team to explore ways to address these concerns.
Can you tell us anything at all about ISE 2027 at this early stage?
While it’s still early days, I can say that ISE 2027 will build on the momentum of 2026 rather than reinventing the wheel. Expect continued focus on innovation, education and experience, with further refinement of the show layout, content and visitor journey.
Our goal remains the same: to deliver the most relevant, inspiring and effective global event for the AV and systems integration community.
