Joe Way caps off his ISE preview series with one of his annual favorite conversations, welcoming back Mike Blackman, Managing Director of Integrated Systems Events, the organizers of Integrated Systems Europe. Mike shares why ISE 2026 is on track to be the biggest edition yet, how the team plans the show as a year round reinvention cycle, and what “Push Beyond” really means in practice, not just as a theme, but as a commitment to raising the bar for the industry and the attendee experience.
A big focus of the episode is how ISE has become more than a trade show inside a convention center. Mike explains the deliberate shift to making ISE a city wide experience that gives something back to Barcelona while also showcasing the best of AV to the public. Joe and Mike unpack how those external activations connect back to the show floor, the conference program, and the broader mission of ISE as a marketplace plus an editorial engine for learning.
The conversation also goes deep on vertical strategy and why education continues to grow at ISE. Mike talks about partnering with subject matter experts and communities to curate programming that motivates end users to attend, and Joe shares how HETMA is helping first timers navigate the show and find their people. They close with practical pro tips for surviving the scale of ISE, plus Mike’s latest attendance signals and a few Barcelona favorites.
Key topics and highlights
- Mike’s role and the show’s foundation: Integrated Systems Events as a joint venture between AVIXA and CEDIA, with more than two decades of ISE history and continued growth
- ISE 2026 theme: Push Beyond
- Internal: the ISE team challenges itself every year to avoid getting “comfortable” and to reinvent the experience
- External: challenging the AV and systems integration industry to push boundaries and raise expectations
- Why ISE feels different: ISE as both marketplace and “publisher”
- Exhibitors are the marketplace and the advertising
- ISE’s job is the editorial: conferences, summits, thought leadership, and curated experiences that make the trip worth it
- Barcelona as part of the show
- The origin story: learning from city gridlock in Amsterdam and deciding to create value for locals, not just visitors
- Projection mapping at Casa Batlló and connecting it back to the show through artist involvement and learning moments
- Collaboration with the Llum lighting festival, moving it to dovetail with ISE and supporting it without consuming its identity
- A major new “Push Beyond” moment for 2026: drones go outside
- Nightly outdoor drone shows near the venue starting around 6:30 pm
- Integrated with a large transparent LED element and immersive programming
- Special Tuesday evening performance with a live orchestra and opera singer, then repeated with recorded performance on Wednesday and Thursday
- Education growth and the EdTech Congress partnership
- Why the education technology cluster matters and how it grew from small beginnings into a serious convening
- Why partnering makes sense: thousands of education specialists, many not previously attending ISE
- How it’s structured: Montjuïc venue, shuttle connections, two day format that complements ISE and encourages cross attendance
- Mike’s broader point: ISE succeeds by working with partners who know each subject area better than the show organizers do
- Show navigation and scale
- Why you cannot “do it all” in four days
- How ISE divided halls by sector so attendees can start in the right place for their vertical and then branch out
- Production and live events growth: that “haze, lights, buzz” energy expanding into larger halls
What attendees should do differently this year
- Treat ISE like a curated mission, not a wandering marathon
- Pick your primary vertical starting hall
- Block time for discovery outside your lane (the surprise vendors are part of the magic)
- Use communities and meet points (like HETMA) as a reset point to plan the next move
- Plan for the city experiences
- Add at least one evening for the public activations (projection mapping, Llum, and the new drone spectacular)
Pro tips mentioned in the episode
- Download and use the official ISE app for wayfinding and planning
- Use the ISE tools, including the chatbot Dave, to quickly find vendors, locations, and show information
- Take the metro to skip the post show taxi crush
- Free metro tickets are provided
- Metro access is available directly at the venue entrances called out by Mike
- Leave time for the “first ISE moment”
- Joe’s reminder: the walk in experience hits before you even enter a hall, and first timers never forget it
HETMA and higher ed callouts
- HETMA is increasing its presence and community support at ISE, including being a visible flag for education attendees who want help navigating the show and connecting with the right people
- Joe encourages education attendees to use the HETMA meet point approach as a way to make a massive show feel manageable
Attendance check and what Mike can share
- Mike shares last year’s verified attendance number and notes current registration tracking is trending ahead year over year
- Joe makes his annual guess and pushes for a new milestone, while Mike hints at internal competition and waits for final numbers post show
How to connect with Mike Blackman and ISE to learn more
- ISE Website: https://www.iseurope.org
- Email: mblackman@iseurope.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaellblackman/
