ISE 2023: A return to strength for the AV industry and a change of focus

With attendance up 33% on last year, a presence from close to 1,000 exhibitors, and an appearance from King Felipe VI of Spain as he toured the show floor, ISE 2023 felt like a success on all fronts. Although there have been some reports of record visitor numbers, the attendee figures did fall short of pre-pandemic levels. Despite this, the event presented a clear vision from the ISE team, and a sense of purpose from those visiting.  

It was a far cry from 2022, which carried an underlying mood of quiet hopefulness, a desire for it all to work out, and an opportunity to reconnect with old friends. 

Content, content everywhere 

This year, we sent a multi-disciplinary team of 22 Futuresource analysts to explore the energetic show floor. For all of us, the focus on content was clearly evident, with a new Content Production and Distribution Zone making its debut in Hall 6. This was reinforced by the addition of a Content Production and Distribution Summit, and the opening keynote from Epic Games. There is no doubt that content has landed. 

At Futuresource, we used to focus our professional video practice on the show floors of IBC and NAB. Now we’re finding ISE 2023 is sliding into the frame, enough for us to field three members of our pro AV team. That content focus is being complemented by a presence from virtual production and esports, as well as a greater show emphasis on media server ecosystems. 

As an industry, we all grew tired of hearing ‘content is king’, but now we’re seeing a merging of production techniques and workflows across a wide range of applications, and this is genuinely exciting.  

A perfect package of conference tracks, and a new direction 

Alongside the Content Production and Distribution Summit, ISE 2023 delivered six more paid-for conferences, CEDIA’s Smart Home Technology Conference, and a free-to-attend series of daily Tech Talks. The bulk of the conference content was managed and delivered by AVIXA, the trade association representing professional AV and information communications industries. Dan Goldstein, Chief Marketing Officer for AVIXA, told us that he was happy to be able to introduce a host of new speakers to the programme, which in turn delivered fresh perspectives to attendees. Combined with the Fira Gran Via Barcelona’s room layout, which created excellent networking opportunities, the conference tracks were definitely worth attending. 

An industry in ascendance 

The lesson we all took home from ISE 2023 is that our industry is hugely positive and fully energised. Sure, there are considerable challenges to navigate as convergence continues its march, and we move away from proprietary and closed systems, to open and best-in-class offerings. But this also presents enormous opportunities for those willing to make that change. 

Now that we’ve had time to catch our breath and absorb all the information from an outstanding week in Barcelona, our 52-page show roundup report is now complete. For more information or to find out how to get hold of a copy, get in touch with ben.thrussell@futuresource-hq.com 

About the author

Chris Mcintyre-Brown

Coming from a background in marketing consultancy, Chris joined Futuresource in 2004 and has worked across all areas of the Futuresource business in his time at the company.

Chris is recognised as a leading global authority in the B2B Technology sector, regularly presenting at major international conferences, video broadcasts and published in trade press. He now leads a large team of analysts spanning 4 core pillars of Pro AV, Video and Broadcast, Collaboration and Information Technology.

Chris works extensively with the world’s largest tech giants, trusted to delivering strategic insights and consulting services. He holds a BA in Business Management and an MA in Marketing Management.