More details have been released about the Spark content programme at ISE 2026. Powered by Samsung, Spark is a four-day creative industries event designed to break down barriers and foster collaboration. Located in Hall 8.1, it features activations from technology partners alongside a four-day programme of keynotes, panels, fireside chats and live demonstrations.
The highlight on the Main Stage on each of the first three days will be keynote presentations by prominent figures in the creative industries. Victor Martí, director head of production at Netflix Spain and Portugal, will speak on Tuesday 3 February. His keynote ‘Netflix, Investing in Creative Enablement’ is expected to cover storytelling and creative collaboration.
On Wednesday, Alex Boateng, co-founder of London-based record label 0207, will give the keynote ‘From Silos to Systems: How Cultural Ecosystems Power the Future of Creativity’. Thursday’s Spark Keynote will be given by Jordan Schwarzenberger, CEO & founder of Arcade Media and the manager of YouTube collective the Sidemen. Its title is ‘From Talent to Enterprise: Building Creator-Led Businesses That Last’.
Other key sessions include:
- ‘Strengthening Audiovisual Ecosystems in Catalonia and the United Kingdom’, a discussion on sustainable media ecosystems and innovation, which features a strong line-up of panellists: Marc Lopez (director, Catalunya Media City); Miquel Rutllant (president of the Catalan Audiovisual Cluster and CEO of XR Lab); Richard Wormwell (head of innovation at Dock10, in Manchester’s MediaCityUK); and Will Saunders (creative head, CoSTAR National Lab and professor of creative industries at Royal Holloway University).
- ‘Minecraft: Immersive Storytelling’ – a session on transforming Minecraft into real-world immersive experiences.
- ‘What If? The Hidden Engine of Creativity, in AI Times’ – why intention, curiosity and interpretation remain the true drivers across AV, XR and digital storytelling.
- ‘American Icon: Delivering Massive Pixel Counts for Immersive Experiences’ – a deep dive into ultra-high-resolution immersive content pipelines for the multisensory Mustang Immersive themed experience.
- ‘Broadcast Reimagined: From Local Stories to Global Audiences’ – giving a clear sense of where the broadcast industry is heading, and how to be part of it.
In additional to headline partner Samsung, partners driving Spark include technology partners Mo-Sys, 3Cat and Lab of Tomorrow, as well as supporting partners CFLEX Event Solutions, Silver Music Entertainment, and LVP – Liga de Videojuegos Profesional (GRUP MEDIAPRO).
“Spark is where creativity and technology converge in real time,” said Mike Blackman, managing director of Integrated Systems Events. “We’re proud to work with partners who are actively shaping the experiences that will inspire the next generation of creators.”
Look out for more programme announcements at www.iseurope.org/spark.
