Going further is not just about growing, it's about daring to expand the limits. And in an industry like the audiovisual one, which does not stop evolving, wanting to go further is not an option, it is practically a requirement. This is also understood by Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), the largest audiovisual fair in the world and one of the great international congresses held in Barcelona, which is already finalizing preparations for its next edition, which will land from February 3 to 6 at Fira Gran Via. It will do so precisely under the title Push Beyond, which summarizes its ambition to overcome limits and go further, with more than 1,710 exhibitors spread over 101,000 square meters and the forecast of generating an economic impact in the city that will exceed 520 million euros.
For the general director of ISE, Mike Blackman, this ambition of the show, which promises to offer the largest edition in its history, is the natural reflection of the sustained growth of the audiovisual industry globally, but also in Catalonia. According to Blackman, audiovisual has ceased to be a small specialized sector to be fully integrated into daily life. "It is enough to take a walk along Passeig de Gràcia to see how more and more companies use audiovisual with greater intensity," he assured.
In Catalonia, part of the success and growth of the audiovisual industry is due, precisely, to the impact of ISE. Since the show held its first edition in 2021 ---after its previous location, Amsterdam, became too small and limited its expansion possibilities---, the Catalan audiovisual industry has gained 15% more companies. Currently, this sector generates 8.6 billion euros annually, which is approximately 3% of Catalan GDP, and concentrates more than 4,160 companies and nearly 42,000 professionals working in areas ranging from audiovisual production to immersive environments or virtual reality.
"Barcelona is a vibrant city. I am proud to call Barcelona home," said Blackman, originally from Georgetown (Guyana), who began the press conference presenting the new edition of the show by addressing it in Catalan. The general director also stressed that "Catalonia is already one of the great audiovisual hubs in Europe," citing projects such as the future Catalunya Media City. However, ISE has not only managed to generate a direct impact on the audiovisual industry, but on the entire city, with an economic impact that has grown exponentially in recent years: from 386 million euros in 2023, to 468 million in 2024, reaching 520 million euros in the 2025 edition, 11% more than the previous year.
More surface, exhibitors and opportunities
But the growth of ISE is not only reflected in its economic impact generated in the city, but also in the number of attendees. In its previous edition, in fact, the show broke all its records and predictions, exceeding 85,000 unique verified visitors. A figure that stands as the best in its history, even surpassing the data from before the pandemic, when it reached 62,000 attendees in Amsterdam. For this year, Blackman has shown himself "optimistic" in surpassing these records, driven by the dynamism of the sector and by a more extensive program than ever. This is demonstrated, for the moment, by the number of registrations: which already exceed by 7% those registered in the same period last year, with congress attendees coming mainly from Spain, China, the United Kingdom, France or the United States, but even from Latin America, a region that is growing strongly in recent years.
This year's edition will seek to attract these visitors with more than 1,710 exhibitors, which represents an increase of 6.5% compared to the previous year, of which 323 will attend the show for the first time. Big names in the industry such as Epson, Microsoft, LG, Crestron, LANG, Shure or Panasonic will not miss out. But national companies will also be represented with nearly 150 exhibitors, among which names such as Mediapro, Simon or SONO stand out.
These exhibitors will be spread over more than 101,000 square meters of Fira Gran Via, which represents a growth of 9.7% in exhibition space. "We are constantly exploring how to grow, making the most of the available space," Blackman acknowledged. With this purpose, the organization has decided to relocate the traditional registration desks ---usually located inside the east access--- to an outdoor tent, and thus be able to gain that space to accommodate more exhibitors. A formula that has been chosen while the expansion of the fairgrounds with Hall 0 is being carried out, a project that other shows such as the Mobile also eagerly await.
New formats for a record edition
Beyond growing in surface and exhibitors, ISE 2026 also wants to go further in content and formats. Thus, one of the great novelties this year will be Spark 2026, a new initiative focused on the creativity of the audiovisual industry. "We realized that the show was broadly covering the technological part, but it did not always address the creative part," Blackman acknowledged. The new space, therefore, will bring together professionals from video games, live events or design, with confirmed names such as the Tomorrowland music festival or the gigantic Samsung.
On the other hand, cybersecurity will also gain weight, with the celebration, for the first year, of the CyberSecurity Summit, a congress that will be held on February 5 to address how to protect critical systems in the audiovisual industry. Without forgetting the companies that develop technologies applied to education, which will again play a prominent role during the EdTech Congress Barcelona, which is held in parallel on February 4 and 5 at the Palau de Congressos de Barcelona, co-organized by ISE, the EdTech Cluster and Fira de Barcelona. Likewise, the Innovation Park, the startup zone that the show premiered last year with the aim of fostering innovation within the audiovisual sector and generating business opportunities, will also be strengthened.
There will be no shortage of top-level speakers from the audiovisual industry: 340 leading figures will participate in ISE to address the challenges of a sector that continues to grow and reinvent itself. Among them, Sol Rashidi, one of the most influential voices in artificial intelligence, or Matt Clark, founder of the British company United Visual Artists, stand out.
And, as is tradition, ISE will once again transcend the limits of Fira Gran Via to integrate into the cultural life of the city. From February 3 to 5, the show will illuminate the south access of the venue with a synchronized drone show of 700 drones, by LANG AG, which will combine digital art, live music and opera performances. It will also be present again at the dazzling Llum BCN light arts festival, as well as at Casa Batlló, with the traditional videomapping on the facade of the modernist building designed by Gaudí, which has already become one of the most anticipated events by all Barcelonans. This year, the projection will be carried out by the congress speaker, Matt Clark, titled Hidden Order.