Mike Blackman: "Things are going well for us in Barcelona. Why should we think about leaving?"

BarcelonaIntegrated Systems Europe (ISE), the premier audiovisual trade fair, opens its doors this Tuesday, February 3rd, at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, ​​showcasing all the latest innovations and conferences in the audiovisual industry until Friday, February 6th. This will be the fifth year the event has been held in Barcelona, ​​and Managing Director Mike Blackman (Georgetown, 1958) describes himself as a lover of the city. He considers leaving Amsterdam and establishing ISE in the Catalan capital to have been "the right decision" and, for now, isn't considering any alternative.

What can we expect from this edition of ISE?

— Moving ISE from Amsterdam to Barcelona was a great choice, and its success has proven it was the right decision. Last year we had over 1,600 exhibitors, and this year we've grown to 1,740. We have over 1,100 square meters of space, almost the entire Fira Gran Via. Another key factor is attendance: over 85,300 last year, and for this edition, we're seeing year-on-year registrations more than 10% higher than at this time last year. We're fortunate that the show is at the beginning of the year because that way all the new product launches come to ISE; there will be thousands. Among the highlights, we know Samsung will be presenting its new glasses-free 3D displays. We also have new cybersecurity conferences, which is something our clients have been requesting lately. We're also working on Spark.

What does it consist of?

— Spark is something new: an exhibition with conferences, workshops, presentations, and discussions focused on the creative side of audiovisual production. Companies like Netflix will be giving presentations, along with Tomorrowland, 3Cat, and other content creators who will showcase how they use audiovisual technologies and what they're doing for their clients. Furthermore, Spark supports the creative industries here and what the Three Chimneys are trying to achieve. We are building the audiovisual business in Catalonia.

And on a city scale?

— We are the sponsors of the mappingAt Casa Batlló this weekend, there will be a spectacular display on the building's façade. We're working with Casa Batlló to present it as a gift to the people of Barcelona. And this year, Matt Clark of United Visual Artists has been chosen as our artist-in-residence to present the mapping project. In addition, this year we'll be hosting our first-ever drone show in front of Fira Gran Via, outside the venue, open to everyone.

How is AI transforming the audiovisual sector?

— AI is still a key issue in our industry. It's becoming not just a software or creative tool, but also a hardware tool, and more and more people are trying to understand the business aspects of AI. In this regard, at ISE we have Sol Rashidi, who was IBM's AI architect and the creator of IBM Watson. We must be clear that AI is transforming various sectors of our industry, including hardware.Like software. If we look at the software side, we find it in film, content creation, the use of AI to make movies and documentaries, making what they present even more interesting, even more creative. It has its dangers, and we know that. And the reason we have speakers on AI is to show people how creative it is and what can be done. If we focus on the hardware side, we find smart solutions for television studios: studios are being built with AI to help them control systems remotely. Or think of a meeting room, where the audio, microphones, and speakers adjust automatically. If there are two people in the room, the acoustics are different than if there are 20. And these systems adjust automatically to give the best experience to the participants in a meeting. These are examples of how AI is impacting our industry.

What is the economic impact of the ISE on Barcelona?

— In 2023, ISE had an economic impact of €368 million, in 2024 it was €486 million, and in 2025 it was €520 million. These figures are calculated using a model that draws on multiple data sources, including information on exhibitor spending, attendee spending, data from Turisme de Barcelona, ​​and spending in hotels, restaurants, bars, and so on. But this isn't the only important economic impact figure. We also look at the companies that come here as a result of ISE, not just temporarily for the exhibition, but those that decide to establish themselves here and build their businesses. ACCIÓ published a report on Monday highlighting that since ISE arrived in Barcelona, ​​more companies have been created and start-ups of the sector and there are more companies from outside Catalonia that are setting up here.

Are you afraid that what's happening with the commuter rail will affect the fair?

— We're not worried that it might affect the event. Obviously, we understand what's happening, and it's always a concern for the community when something like this occurs. But we know that many of our attendees come from abroad. Over 80% of ISE attendees come from outside Spain and stay in the center of Barcelona, ​​and those who were taking the train are finding other ways to get to the show. They may be affected, but we don't think it's a major problem for us.

MWC will celebrate its 20th anniversary in Barcelona this year, 2026. Do you see yourself celebrating 20 years in Barcelona with ISE as well?

— ISE is now 22 years old; we started the event in 2004. And we've been in Barcelona for five years, since 2021, and we've seen the success we're having here; it's working very well for us. Fira de Barcelona is adding more facilities that will help accommodate our growth. With these results, why should we even consider going anywhere else? Will we still be here in 15 years? I hope so. If the city treats us the way it does now, why not?

Do you have a good relationship with the City Council?

— Very good. They've been here since day one. We got off to a great start with former mayor Ada Colau, who helped us get started. Jaume Collboni was deputy mayor at the time, and he was also very involved with the project from the beginning. He and Albert Dalmau, now the Minister of the Presidency, were very involved with us. Dalmau, who I believe is now the acting president, has been a fan of ISE and has helped us a lot from the start. These are the kinds of things that really make us stick; they're the things that help us succeed. And I don't know where else we could get this kind of support.

Wasn't it like that in Amsterdam?

— No, not at all.

Lately, we've seen some consolidation moves in the audiovisual industry, such as Netflix's intention to buy Warner. Is this a trend?

— We see it often in our industry. One of the reasons we have the ISE innovation park is to foster new businesses, to encourage the start-upsAbout 15 years ago we saw a lot of acquisitions of start-upsAnd one day I said to my team, "We need to be careful." It could be that of these twenty companies doing this, suddenly there are only five left, which means our event could shrink. So we saw that we had to help the new companies entering the market, and we believe we're doing that. There are always reasons for acquisition. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. I think it's inherent in every industry. We're not worried. Since ISE began, we've seen many acquisitions, but our trade show continues to grow.

What is the audiovisual ecosystem missing?

— We have an industry with a talent shortage. There are many unfilled jobs, and we need to train people to fill them, and we're doing that here in Catalonia, helping to fuel the growth of our industry. All of this clearly benefits the region.