What’s Next in AV Integration: Our Insights from ISE 2025

• Collaboration Technology
• Digital Signage

In early February, we sent some of our team members to Barcelona, Spain to attend ISE 2025 and explore all of the new and innovative AV solutions coming to the market this year. We were super excited to learn about new trends and emerging challenges all around the world, as well as meet and reconnect with vendors and partners that help us bring the best of technology to our customers. 

What is ISE?

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) is the world’s largest annual audiovisual technologies showcase, with thousands of vendors and partners from many countries displaying and demonstrating new products, solutions and use-cases in the interest of helping the world connect and communicate better. 

Show attendees can expect to see a large variety of technology tools including solutions for displays and signage, audio and acoustics, unified communications, lighting and staging, control systems, entertainment and experience, specialized applications such as education and healthcare, and much more.  

The show was hosted in Barcelona, Spain, at the Fira Barcelona Gran Vìa Venue, which provides over 240,000 square meters of exhibition space spanning across eight halls. 

Who attended the show?

As much as everyone on our team wanted the opportunity to attend the excitement of ISE (and get away from the harsh Canadian winter weather we all know and love) our crew of attendees was chosen strategically: 

From left to right—Chris Drury, Lex Day, Mike Oppedisano, Ahmed Ameen

Ahmed Ameen—our newly minted Chief Operating Officer was focused on developing a wider pool of vendor relationships for ET Group as well as identifying trends that indicate key business challenges that customers are facing to help our experts stay educated and vigilant.

Chris Drury—the Lead Link of our Justice team had his eye out for innovative solutions we can bring to our Canadian courts and correctional facilities to help streamline justice proceedings and improve communication for all parties throughout the process.

Mike Oppedisano—the Lead Link of Design,Engineering and Growth and Innovation was excited to see new and updated solutions that we can bring to our enterprise clients, solving many complex use-cases by designing more intuitive and efficient spaces.

Lex Day—Account Lead and Unified Communications subject matter expert was super keen on exploring new platform and room system solutions to help our customers better strategize how they connect and collaborate.

Which trends excited us the most?

With over 1600 exhibitors to visit, it’s safe to say there were a lot of amazing technologies that caught our eye. However there were some major key trends that really stood out. 

Artificial Intelligence 

Starting with one of the hottest topics of the decade, Artificial Intelligence continues to have a significant impact in the AV space. 

• Digital Signage
  We noticed a large focus on how AI tools are simplifying digital signage workflows such as content creation. By automating the content process with tools such as Intuiface, users can reduce the level of time and effort required by up to 95%. This increases ROI significantly while also allowing team members to focus their productivity on more important initiatives.

• Interactive Experiences
  While a lot of discussions about AI in the workplace are centered on productivity, using it for engagement and entertainment is just as important when it comes to the user experience. For example, LG showcased the ability to create high quality AI generated avatars in less than a minute, that were displayed on large-scale digital screens. It was a great way to make everyone feel included in the experience and show how personalized AI can be.

• On-Premise AI
  For all of the innovation and simplicity that AI provides, for many there are still concerns about privacy and information security. Solutions such as Cabolo and Televic offer AI meeting solutions such as real-time translation and transcription services that don’t require cloud storage. For many industries such as government, justice and healthcare, on-prem AI ensures that organizations are being compliant and able to prioritize safety for all users.

Display Versatility & Digital Signage

Another key trend this year was the variety of display types and solutions. Not only are we seeing an increase in LED technology and transparent screens such as the Muxwave Holographic Invisible Screen, but also more adaptability in how displays are being constructed. 

• Innovative Designs
  No longer are we limited to static, rectangular boxes. Kinetic video walls and flexible, motorized mounting technology (check out this cool video here) allow for endless creativity when designing for both complex spaces and engaging experiences. More versatile display shapes such as globes, curved LED screens and almost 3-D like effects were being showcased across many vendor booths.

• Modular Construction
  A big highlight for our team was that manufacturers are beginning to construct their displays with more modular designs. This means that when a device begins to malfunction, instead of being required to replace the whole thing, users can now narrow the issue down and replace individual defective components—saving money and decreasing downtime of devices. This method of construction not only increases the lifespan of your tech, but it also eliminates unnecessary e-waste!
• E-Ink for Digital Signage
  There was also a large focus on digital signage solutions at the 2025 show. In fact, two of the eight halls were dedicated to just that, so of course this peaked our interest. One thing we noted was an emphasis on e-ink, a more sustainable and cost-friendly solution for static images and signage.E-ink mimics the texture and quality of paper for a more natural look and feel, while requiring the minimum level of energy to power displays. This solution is best used for content that doesn’t change frequently or consists of more simple elements such a mainly text and still images.

  
  Some use cases include directory signage such as airport or bus/train station schedules, building maps, room booking displays and artwork for interior decoration.

Internet Protocol Television

The solution we were probably most curious to learn more about at this year’s ISE was IPTV. IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is a way to stream TV shows and videos over the internet instead of through traditional cable or satellite. It allows users to watch content on-demand or live, often with better control over what they watch and when. IPTV provides businesses with the ability to manage who has access to content down to the user level, and to stream their own content such as digital signage, training videos or live announcements. 

IPTV is cost efficient due to its customizability, allowing business managers to only pay for the content they want. It’s also easily accessible, offering the capability to stream on smart TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones. 

Popular use cases we predict this functionality will be useful for include hotel entertainment, employee training, signage and internal communications, recreation for inmates in jails and remand centers and broadcasting court proceedings. 

Bluetooth Auracast

New audio solutions such as Auracast were showcased, which enables more accessible and easy-to-deploy sound broadcast functionality for individual listeners.

Auracast is a new kind of Bluetooth technology that lets one device send audio to many devices at the same time. It’s like a radio station, but for Bluetooth headphones, speakers, and hearing aids. This audio feature allows a transmitter to broadcast audio to an unlimited number of receivers without the need for pairing, enabling users to select broadcasts similarly to choosing a Wi-Fi network. 

Listen Technologies, in partnership with Ampetronic, has introduced Auri, the first complete Auracast-based assistive listening system designed for public spaces such as auditoriums, theatres and even courtrooms. 

What makes this revolutionary solution useful?

• Better Sound for Everyone – Instead of using loudspeakers, businesses can send audio straight to users’ earbuds.
• Help for People with Hearing Loss – Hearing aids with Auracast can connect to public audio streams, making it easier to hear in crowded places.
• Share Content Easily – Managers can share content from s designated device to multiple listeners’ earbuds at the same time.

Sustainability 

Sustainability is a hot topic across many industries, and AV is not excluded. Alongside the previously mentioned solutions like modular device builds and low-energy e-ink, we also had many discussions with vendors and partners such as Utelogy who prioritize eco-efficiency as part of their workspace and device management platforms. 

Offering capabilities such as automating when devices power on and off, room lighting and thermostat levels allows organizations to ensure minimal power utilization throughout their spaces.

Another more recent venture taking place in the industry is SAVe (Sustainability in AV), a movement for AV experts by AV experts with a global reach offering solutions, advice and volunteer initiatives. Their goal is to increase awareness of the impact technology has on the environment and take action to be more responsible. 

“SAVe is the first industry-wide U.S.-based organization to bring AV leaders together in taking concerted action to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.”

We look forward to seeing more of what SAVe will accomplish, and how ET Group can get involved.  

Other Key Event Insights

ISE 2025 is the largest show that’s been hosted to date, with 1605 exhibitors, and 85,351 total attendees—of which 28,801 were attending for the first time! Visitors came from 168 countries, and while we were there we were sure to notice an increase in Canadians present when compared to previous years. 

There appeared to be a large focus on relationship building between international vendors, both in an effort to be prepared as we navigate the uncertainty of our current political network, and as an opportunity to learn about user trends and technology advancements in other parts of the world. Overall, conversations were friendly, constructive and eye-opening for our team. 

We also really enjoyed taking ISE as an opportunity to reconnect with many of the vendors and partners we work with in person. It’s always nice to share our appreciation and learn about what’s new over a hug, a drink and some laughter. 

Looking forward in 2025

Upon returning to Canada, the ISE crew has been enjoying sharing all of their insights and learnings with the rest of our team. We’ve been continuing to do our research about many of the solutions that stood out, and communicating with our new connections to see how we can bring new offerings to you, our customers. 

We hope to attend ISE again in 2026 in an effort to always be learning and stay proactive when it comes to new trends and challenges in the ever-changing world of work.

Until next year!

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