ELAF reconnects Europe and Latin America in the audiovisual and digital sector
For the third consecutive year, ISE 2026 hosts the networking event that fosters connections between government representatives, business leaders, industry clusters, and audiovisual professionals from both continents. The event takes place this Wednesday, February 4th, at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via venue.
Barcelona will once again host one of the most important dialogue spaces between Europe and Latin America in the audiovisual and digital sector. This Wednesday, February 4, 2026, within the framework of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), the European Latin American AV Forum (ELAF) will be held for the third consecutive year. The event is establishing itself as a key platform for fostering strategic alliances, technological cooperation, and business opportunities between the two continents. What began as an ambitious initiative at ISE 2024 has rapidly evolved into a leading international forum. ELAF It is not just a space for debate, but an engine of economic and technological impact between Europe and the emerging markets of Latin America. The forum stands as a catalyst for new opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic.
A platform to connect ecosystems
ELAF will bring together government representatives, business leaders, industry clusters, and audiovisual professionals with a shared goal: to accelerate collaboration between audiovisual and digital ecosystems on both continents. The forum acts as a meeting point to foster internationalization, facilitate entry into new markets, and generate investment flows in sectors such as professional AV, digital industries, and creative content. In the face of global technological transformation, ELAF focuses on artificial intelligence and moves away from regional competition. The forum maintains its commitment to collaboration among companies, organizations, and industry experts as its guiding principle. Emerging technologies are redefining how content is created, produced, and distributed, and therefore, having a shared vision and fostering cooperation is vital to consolidating new business opportunities. One of ELAF's greatest strengths is its ability to connect public policies, innovation strategies, and business needs. Therefore, institutional cooperation maintains its specific weight in the event with the active participation of all those involved: public administrations, economic development agencies, and cultural institutions. The sessions will address key issues such as regulatory frameworks, taxation, trade policies, and investment incentives—determining elements for the cross-border growth of the audiovisual sector. This public-private collaboration is essential to align interests, reduce barriers, and create environments conducive to innovation and the development of joint projects. AI and the future of the audiovisual sector
One of the highlights of this edition will be the session "Shaping the Future: Innovation Across Continents," focused on the impact of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies on the audiovisual sector. Moderated by Carles Gómara, an expert in innovation and digital transformation at ACCIÓ, the session will address both the transformative potential of AI and its ethical and operational challenges. "We are living in a time when technology is advancing faster than we can predict," Gómara points out. "The future is not written, and forums like ELAF are key to building it collectively." Controversial topics such as the use of xAI Grok's generative AI chatbot to create sexualized images, or the latest generation of audio that exactly replicates our voices—which Gómara views with concern—will be among the issues discussed. The roundtable will feature top-level voices such as Laura Harrison (BBC Research & Development), Martín Umarán (Globante), and Will Saunders (CoSTAR National Lab), who will contribute perspectives from research, industry, and content creation. In addition to the above, participants will include AVIJA senior analyst Mike Sullivan-Trainor, international tax expert Michela Ritondo, Vice President of the Catalan Audiovisual Cluster, and Christopher Manhey, founder of Mundos and BACA (Buenos Aires-based audiovisual music board) Soundlab. Barcelona, international hub
The ELAF event held within ISE reinforces Barcelona's position as an international hub for the audiovisual industry. The city offers an ideal environment for talent, technology, and business to meet. For Mike Blackman, CEO of ISE, cultural ties make Barcelona and Spain a "natural bridge between Europe and Latin America in the audiovisual sector," thanks also "to the shared language and a strategic location that facilitates connections between markets." Initiatives like ELAF demonstrate how this strategic position can translate into real impact, driving joint projects, shared innovation, and sustainable growth between Europe and Latin America. Collaboration between regions is a tangible opportunity and fosters knowledge transfer as well as international collaboration between continents, with Barcelona as the center of action.
