This was the year visitor numbers for ISE reached an all time high. But did the new products match the crowds? The Inavate team were there to spot the trends and pick out the best on the show floor.
ISE 2025 was the best ever. How can we say that? Because the numbers tell us so. The exhibition had its highest number of exhibitors ever (1,605), with the largest show floor space (92,000 sq m net). Visitor numbers broke the all-time record, set in Amsterdam in 2019 (81,268), with 85,351 visitors from an incredible 168 countries, marking a 15% increase from 2024. The show began on Tuesday with 49,981 attendees, a 16% rise on the first day of ISE 2024. On Wednesday, the busiest day, the Fira hosted 59,038 visitors, a 14% growth from the previous year.
One theory put forward when the show moved from Amsterdam to Barcelona in 2022 was that it would affect visitors from northern Europe, but DACH visitor numbers alone were up 7% on ISE 2024, so clearly, it hasn’t had a huge effect. A level of friction is baked into the experience of any exhibition, especially ISE, which continues to grow bigger and better. However, despite sprawling across more halls, delivering more exhibitors, and attracting more attendees, the ‘ISE experience’ was improved this year, thanks to the efforts of the organisers. The addition of new access points meant that congestion and log jams at the entrances were avoided. Encouraging people to bring printed badges from home and making them the primary form of ID for entering the exhibition also likely helped.
The halls and their specific technology angles were clearly defined, allowing veteran attendees to plan their visits accordingly. The aisles were particularly clear this year, except for the one in hall 3 in front of LG, which seems to always have throngs of people crowded around it. And of course, the best quality-of-life improvement was the extension of the free travel pass issued by ISE to 120 hours. Everyone knows that the Monday before ISE is pretty much a complete working day for many, and the five-day pass meant that the entire span of the show could be completed on public transport.
With regards to new technology within the eight halls of the Fira, there was a decent amount being launched at the show. The jury’s out as to whether most of it will still be talked about by next year’s show, but there was innovation if you looked for it. Google Project Starline, still in development, is a product we have been writing about for three years within the pages of Inavate. It was the first time that most of us got to see it in action, via pre-scheduled five-minute individual demos. Thankfully, it was worth the wait. The system offers 3D (glasses-free) video conferencing so realistic it leaves you slightly dazed afterward. When the tech support staff from Google on the screen faces you and holds an apple in front of them, you genuinely believe you can take it from them. Promised ‘later this year,’ it has the potential to offer a whole new level of realistic video conferencing never seen before.
One technology predicted to have a strong week was ePaper, and it turned out to be the case. For those unfamiliar with the tech, imagine a bigger Amazon Kindle, but for digital signage. Philips and NEC had shown the tech for a few years in small sizes, but this time it was shown in full color in 27-inch and 32-inch sizes, as well as a prototype in 78-inch size (LG and Samsung both had one). The smaller sizes can receive wireless updates and only need a power charge every 200 days. For wayfinding, digital signage, menu boards, room booking systems, etc., this could be a hugely significant product, especially given the current desire for the AV industry to be more sustainable.
Another piece of display tech that caught our eye was an 8K screen (in portrait mode) on the Avocor stand. Aimed at use in museums, the screen had an aged copper bezel fitted to it so it resembled an old painting. The content was a selection of paintings from the Old Masters, and the detail was so good that once you got up close to the screen, you felt compelled to touch the brush strokes. In a museum or visitor attraction context, this clever mix of hardware and software would attract lots of eyeballs. LED, so often the standout tech at an ISE show, was again very prevalent. Architectural LED took a larger spotlight this year, with manufacturers focusing on breaking away from the traditional rectangular format of LED displays.
Leyard debuted its new CDI series, designed for creative LED applications in various verticals, while other manufacturers highlighted existing product lines for this growing application that is redefining both public and private spaces. Absen also came out swinging, highlighting a collaboration between the LED manufacturer and renowned digital artist Refik Anadol. The artist explores the synergy between human creativity and machine intelligence by using data as a primary material and collaborating with the neural networks of computerized ‘minds.’ The AI-generated piece, titled ‘California Landscapes,’ was shown on Absen’s booth, using adaptive discriminator augmentation to generate artificial images. To create these images, Anadol and his team gathered data from digital archives and publicly accessible sources, processing them using machine learning classification models.
Transparent LED had a great week, from the gorgeous waterfall on the Lang stand to a stunning microLED desk-mounted control room display from Samsung; the tech is coming of age. LG also showed an impressive cabinet fitted with transparent LED, which would impress in any boardroom or retail setting. ViewSonic displayed a foldable 138-inch LED display, pre-assembled and ready for instant use. Foldable LED screens have been at previous ISE shows, but it’s difficult to remember one where it wasn’t obvious where the ‘folds’ were when the screen was moved back into its natural state, as was the case with this one. ISE 2025 was definitely the dawning of the All-In-One LED screen, seen across various manufacturer booths.
At ISE 2025, we saw processor manufacturers come to the fore. PixelHue and RGBlink, in particular, had prominent booths and both were out in full force. Processing for visuals, in general, was becoming more modular and easier to deploy. One of the biggest audio launches at ISE 2025 was also probably the smallest. Nota by Powersoft is an amplifier you can fit into your pocket. About the size of a compact power bank, it features PoE/PoE+ and USB-C connectivity, offers 140W of power, and has a built-in DSP. It can be used as a USB-to-AES67 converter and comes with a specially designed mount.
Small enough to fit into your pocket while also being powerful enough to drive a couple of pendant speakers, the Nota can change how amplifiers are positioned and how cables are run due to its innovative design. It also opens an interesting world of options for upgrades and refurbishments. It seems that speaker manufacturers were at the end of their research and development cycles, leading to several speaker products being unveiled and showcased at ISE 2025. The K-array Dolomite stands out from the field—modular, scalable, and offering high performance for a range of applications. Sennheiser added to its popular TeamConnect line with the release of the TeamConnect Ceiling Medium ceiling tile, designed for medium-sized spaces, featuring beamforming technology and expected in Q2 2025.
d&b audiotechnik released its ArrayCalc V12, the latest version of its system planning and simulation software. New features include d&b’s virtual Patch Plan, a visualization tool designed to streamline workflows and improve the accuracy of infrastructural planning. Software has become increasingly important to the pro-audio industry, and this is a prime example of why. Kramer launched a new line of PoE-powered Dante speakers in Barcelona for integration into networked AV systems. These speakers are targeted for use in conferencing, education, retail, and hospitality installations, offering matching passive models with the same industrial design and sound profile for consistent quality across installations.
As the successor to the JBL Control 20 Series, JBL launched the Control 400 Series at ISE 2025, offering improved conical coverage, enhanced installation features, and a more modern aesthetic. JBL Professional also introduced its latest iteration of Radiation Boundary Integrator (RBI) technology: the Coplanar RBI, or CRBI. This aims to provide a smooth sound character that remains consistent and clear across a wide coverage area. This enhanced coverage results in more consistent levels and can lead to fewer required speakers and amplifier channels, ultimately saving on budgetary costs.
With a theme of “restoring connection” at ISE 2025, it’s fair to say that connections were expanded as traditionally residential-oriented companies took greater strides toward the commercial market. Chief among them was Sonos, a staple in the residential world that now introduced its Era 100 Pro loudspeaker for light commercial applications as well as the residential space. ADI Snap One also put a bigger emphasis on its commercial product lines this year, as residential players continue to bridge the gap between the two markets and target the crossover between these two worlds.
Walking around the show floor, it was evident that the focus was not on a single ‘flagship’ product at any booth but rather on wider ecosystems and partnerships that deliver more comprehensive results for integrators. K-array unveiled its Dragon series loudspeakers, featuring the KXT12P and KXT18P, as well as the GT12 multi-purpose, full-range point source loudspeaker from KGear. Partnerships again played a central role on the show floor, as leaders in their field continue to focus on what they do best. Instead of aiming to become ‘one-stop-shop’ offerings, manufacturers emphasized the value of partnership and collaboration in the AV industry.
Camera specialists like Lumens partnered with audio manufacturers such as Sennheiser, Shure, Yamaha, and others. This greater focus on working better together between manufacturers is a positive development for integrators, simplifying the process of integration and mass rollouts. Cloud-based AV and remote management solutions are on the rise, and ISE made that pretty clear. Platforms like Q-Sys Reflect, when paired with its full-stack platform, show how far cloud infrastructure can go in streamlining control, scalability, and overall efficiency.
ISE 2025 also confirmed a shift in the way booths choose to showcase their products. Exhibitors are moving away from static product displays, embracing interactive experiences that create a journey for the customer. It’s no longer enough to place products on a shelf and call it a day. Q-Sys exemplified this shift with its booth tour and escape room, immersing visitors in real-world applications of its platform. TD Synnex Maverick also gave visitors a trip on an immersive gondola experience on its ski-lodge-themed stand at ISE. ‘Elevate’ was created in partnership with interactive experience company Arcstream, and the 10-minute journey showcased the latest UC&C and digital signage from manufacturers within Maverick’s portfolio.
Sony was another company to firmly put its products into context, showcasing its Bravia professional displays, which had featured in a real case study at designer Stella McCartney’s high-end fashion store.