rewrite this title ISE 2026 Interview: How UC and AV Convergence Is Changing the Industry

Integrated Systems Europe is positioning its 2026 edition as a more strategically focused event, reflecting broader changes in how organisations approach workplace technology, unified communications, and hybrid working.

Speaking to UC Today, ISE Managing Director Mike Blackman said the emphasis this year is less on scale and spectacle, and more on helping attendees understand what is coming next and how to prepare for it.

“ISE 2026 is going to be more strategic, more future-focused than ever before,” Blackman said.

“You’re going to see a lot more about what’s coming in the future, not only from exhibitors, but also from the conference content.”

Product Cycles and Practical Demonstration

Product launches remain central to ISE’s role in the industry, particularly as manufacturers have increasingly aligned their R&D and release cycles with the start of the year.

Blackman said that shift has worked in ISE’s favour, both for exhibitors and for integrators planning their purchasing cycles.

“Manufacturers have changed their R&D cycles to launch products at the beginning of the year,” he said. “It fits their schedules, it fits integrators’ buying periods, and it works extremely well.”

Alongside new launches, ISE 2026 is expected to place greater emphasis on showing how technology is actually used.

This means an increase in live demonstrations, use cases, and tech tours designed to move the conversation beyond specifications.

“You’re going to see more demos, more use cases, and more opportunities to go outside and see in-situ installations,” he said. “That’s about seeing how other companies are implementing UC solutions in the real world.”

The approach reflects a wider shift in buyer behaviour, with organisations increasingly looking for proof of interoperability, scalability, and operational value rather than isolated features.

Unified Communications and the Hybrid Workplace

Unified communications remains a core focus of the show, shaped by the continued growth of hybrid working.

Blackman said ISE continues to attract both channel partners and end-user organisations, but noted that the expectations of end customers have changed significantly.

“UC has become a central part of how organisations work,” he said. “It’s not just about systems in offices anymore, it’s also about how those systems are managed on desktops and personal devices.”

He added that workforce flexibility and rising real estate costs are pushing more organisations towards hybrid models, increasing pressure on IT and facilities teams to deliver reliable, scalable collaboration environments.

“We’re seeing more organisations saying hybrid just makes sense – young people coming into the industry still expect it, and companies need to offer solutions that actually allow for that.”

For UC professionals, much of this activity will be concentrated in Halls 1 and 2, which focus on unified communications and education technology and host many of the major platform providers.

Security, AI and Expanding the Scope of the Show

Cybersecurity is expected to be more prominent at ISE 2026, following a series of high-profile incidents affecting major organisations and infrastructure.

Blackman said these events have shifted the conversation with customers.

“A lot of what’s been in the news has made both integrators and their customers far more aware of what the threats could be,” he said. “The idea is to inform customers what they need to do, but also to give integrators clearer answers for the questions they’re being asked.”

The Cybersecurity Summit will focus on practical considerations, rather than abstract risk, while a new area of the show, Spark, expands ISE’s remit into content creation and creative technologies.

“Spark is really about supporting the creative industries – it covers areas that were missing before, particularly around content creation and software solutions.”

AI implementation will also feature across the event, largely as an embedded capability within products.

Blackman pointed to a keynote from Sol Rashidi as one of the highlights for organisations trying to move from experimentation to implementation.

“A lot of manufacturers are already using AI to enhance how their products work,” he said. “What companies are now looking for is guidance on how to implement it properly in the workplace.”

Planning, Preparation and Takeaways

With more than 1,700 exhibitors expected, Blackman said preparation remains critical.

The most common mistake attendees make, he said, is trying to see everything.

“ISE is too big to see everything in four days,” he said. “The key is to focus on what problems you’re trying to solve and plan around that.”

He also encouraged attendees to make greater use of the show’s planning tools and conference content, which he believes are often overlooked.

“A lot of people miss the content that gives them real insight into what’s happening in the industry – that’s where you start to understand what you actually need to consider when putting systems in place.”

Ultimately, Blackman said the aim of ISE 2026 is for attendees to leave with clarity rather than overload.

“It’s about going away with a better view of where the industry is going – and understanding how other organisations are dealing with the same challenges.”