Inside ISE 2026: Electrosonic’s Experts Share What’s Next for AV and Immersive Experiences

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2026 in Barcelona confirmed its position as the global stage for audiovisual (AV) innovation. With more than 92,000 attendees and 1,750 exhibitors, the show offered a snapshot of where the industry is headed.

Three leaders from Electrosonic; Nerijus Linauskas, Programming & Commissioning Lead; Philip Portway, Senior Design Engineer and Paul Taylor, Executive Consultant shared their takeaways on how the AV landscape is evolving. What they saw was not just incremental improvement but a broader transformation: AV is moving away from standalone hardware to systems that are intelligent, integrated, networked and experience driven.

AI moving from hype to practical application.

Artificial intelligence was difficult to miss on the show floor. What was once experimentation is now shaping real workflows in automation, analytics and content optimization.

“I noticed a lot of dynamic content is being generated by AI, but AI still introduces a lot of mistakes in content creation," said Linauskas. He noted how there is no replacement for a strong media partner in any AV installation.

AI is beginning to be integrated into AV workflows but there is still room for growth.

“I came across AI assistants for AV issues that were not so competent and sometimes even unresponsive,” added Portway, pointing to a mixed maturity level depending on the application.

With advances in AI being able to learn much faster, it can use analytical data to utilize spaces more efficiently and dynamically, personalizing content and reacting to audience movements.

Taylor reinforced that vision while stressing what it will take to realize it: “I am sure AI will become a core element to AV design, but only if a significant amount of money is invested in the right tools and then time and money are invested in training people to use them correctly. It also needs engagement and commitment too.”

Together these views show a clear trend: AI is transitioning from novelty to foundation in AV but thoughtful implementation and investment are critical to realizing capabilities.

Immersive experiences beyond early adoption.

Immersive technologies are no longer experimental curiosities. Glasses-free 3D displays, spatial displays and large-scale LEDs are being deployed in commercial installations rather than just show demos.

“Clients expect more immersive, smart and automated experiences,” said Portway. “As technology advances, immersive experiences will become more polished, engaging and interactive, gripping people’s attention.”

Creative and technology convergence accelerating.

Each year, ISE establishes overarching themes to frame the show and spotlight the ideas shaping the industry’s direction. These themes provide context around where the market is heading and how technology is influencing creative and operational possibilities across AV, broadcast, gaming, live events and experiential design.

For 2026, one of the central themes was Spark: A concept symbolizing the ignition of creativity and the connection between ideas and technology. Rather than focusing on tools alone, Spark positioned technology as a catalyst: something that empowers creative practitioners to realize ambitious visions. It underscored the growing convergence of tools, workflows and disciplines, enabling more cohesive production pipelines and more immersive storytelling.

Across the show floor, that convergence was clear. Solutions once confined to specific sectors are now part of integrated ecosystems, supporting seamless content creation and delivery. As Taylor noted, “The story and the client’s dreams are how we design a system; technology is only a tool. The toolkit has always changed and developed, and it’s our job to understand what tools are out there, how we can scale them and the workflows needed to deliver content to those tools.”

Spark ultimately reinforced a simple but important shift: innovation is no longer defined by standalone technology, but by how effectively those technologies work together to serve creative vision.

Cybersecurity embedded in AV design.

As AV systems become more networked and deeply integrated with IT infrastructure, cybersecurity is no longer optional.

Several vendors demonstrated solutions that embed security into AV workflows, including encrypted signal distribution, secure remote monitoring and access-managed networked controllers. These platforms show how robust security can be part of the system design rather than an afterthought.

Electrosonic’s team emphasized that security must be integrated from the earliest design stages. Secure network architecture, role based access, encrypted communications and ongoing monitoring are essential components to protect systems against modern threats.

Cloud and platform ecosystems replacing standalone systems.

Centralized device management, remote diagnostics and coordinated content orchestration are quickly becoming baseline expectations across enterprises.

At ISE vendors highlighted cloud-first approaches. Examples included multi-vendor support platforms designed to bring disparate systems under one management umbrella and new SaaS tools that simplify firmware updates and system health monitoring across locations.

“Cloud-based maintenance and support is essential and remote monitoring of systems is critical to reduce downtime,” said Portway.

“It seems that every manufacturer either has their own hardware management cloud platform or goes into partnership with a vendor-agnostic platform to have integration drivers,” added Linauskas.

“Although most major products and manufacturers have a cloud-based platform for their systems, what is needed is one place to look at all of these. ISAAC is well positioned to offer a comprehensive cloud-based view on the AV ecosystem,” said Taylor.

These developments reflect a shift toward intelligent, cloud-connected AV ecosystems that align more closely with IT operations and enterprise standards.

Unified workplace technology and smart spaces.

Workplace technology at the show highlighted how enterprise AV is converging with collaboration and room control solutions.

New interactive kiosks focused less on signage and more on practical functions such as space booking, visitor check-in and workplace analytics. This trend reflects broader expectations that workplace systems behave like IT applications, offering insights and actionable data rather than static content.

“AI will potentially enable greater personalization through smart spaces, such as meeting rooms,” said Linauskas, highlighting how intelligent systems can tailor environments to individual needs.

Next-generation display innovation.

Display technology continues to evolve, offering both refinement and experimentation.

Conventional 55” LCD video wall monitors are increasingly being replaced with LED alternatives that deliver higher brightness, improved longevity and finer pixel pitches.

“Panasonic now has a 55” LED tile system with a VESA mount that can directly replace older  LCD displays, making upgrades simpler and cost effective in some cases,” noted Taylor.

Sustainability Gaining Operational Traction

Sustainability is increasingly tied to operational efficiency, with more technology vendors presenting fully integrated ecosystems focused on energy optimization, lifecycle planning and cloud efficiency. As high-resolution formats like 4K and 8K become standard, designers are challenged to balance elevated performance expectations with the realities of power consumption and infrastructure demand.

“More efficient hardware, management platforms and control systems allow us to save energy,” said Linauskas. “On the other hand, 4K or 8K signals over the network require 10GB links, which are heavy on processing, network switching and AI, while high-brightness LED screens consume a lot of energy.”

This tension between capability and consumption was a recurring theme at the show. Manufacturers highlighted advances in power management, streamlined system architectures and embedded processing designed to reduce rack space, cabling and overall infrastructure load. For example, the Hive media server platform player can be mounted directly within a projector or display, minimizing external hardware requirements and shrinking the footprint of control rooms.

Together, these developments reflect a more holistic approach to sustainability, one that considers not just energy-efficient components, but smarter system design and infrastructure reduction as essential strategies for responsible, high-performance environments.

From components to ecosystems.

A unifying theme at the show was the shift from standalone products to platform strategies that span entire environments. End users are looking for fewer silos, less one-off design and a single management layer that scales across buildings and campuses.

Electrosonic observed vendors positioning their offerings as integrated stacks that combine hardware, software, cloud and service layers. This ecosystem approach enables AV systems to be more aligned with enterprise technology strategies and deliver more consistent outcomes at scale.

Conclusion: What this means for the future of AV.

ISE 2026 reinforced that the AV industry is evolving from a collection of disconnected technologies into intelligent, networked ecosystems.

AI is no longer just buzz. It is becoming a practical component of workflows and experiences. Immersive technologies are commercially viable and increasingly expected. Workplace AV is converging with collaboration technology. Cloud-native platforms are redefining how systems are managed. Cybersecurity and sustainability are now fundamental considerations. And displays are more capable and flexible than ever.

For organizations planning AV strategies, the message is clear: technology decisions must look beyond isolated products toward long-term, scalable experiences that integrate intelligence, analytics and automation. Systems that embrace these shifts will be better positioned to adapt to future demands, reduce total cost of ownership and deliver higher quality experiences across the board.

About Electrosonic

Electrosonic is an award-winning international audiovisual and technology services company. Our team designs, builds and supports innovative, experiential and immersive environments that create lasting experiences by fusing architecture, storytelling and technology. For more than 60 years, Electrosonic has been recognized for its commitment to innovation and unsurpassed technology design, system integration and support services. Through technical consulting and strong industry partnerships, we deliver complex, world-class experiences in museums, themed entertainment, transportation, sports, enterprise, media, energy and utilities and higher education.