ISE 2027 to Expand Footprint by 7% and Add Second Venue in Central Barcelona

What is planned for ISE 2027?

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) — the annual gathering for professional audiovisual and systems integration, widely described as the world's largest ProAV and systems integration exhibition — is set for another record-breaking edition in 2027. The plan involves two linked elements: an enlarged presence at Fira Gran Via and the introduction of a second exhibition site in central Barcelona. The established venue will see its footprint increase by 7%, while the overall event will extend beyond the single complex that has housed the show since its move to Barcelona.

No floorplan, hall allocations, or dates for the 2027 edition beyond the year have been provided.

How will ISE use two venues in Barcelona?

ISE 2027 will operate across two distinct sites: the main complex at Fira Gran Via and an additional venue located in central Barcelona. The second venue is not named, its size is not specified, and how exhibit categories will be divided between the locations is not detailed. The arrangement — stretching beyond its traditional home for the first time and incorporating a second exhibition venue in central Barcelona — indicates a split-site model that keeps the core at Gran Via while adding capacity elsewhere in the city.

A dual-venue structure of this kind introduces practical considerations for an exhibition that has previously operated as a single-site event in Barcelona. Central Barcelona and the Gran Via area are geographically separated, so programming, wayfinding, and scheduling would need to account for movement between locations. The arrangement is described as temporary, which suggests organizers view it as an interim solution for 2027 rather than a permanent relocation or permanent addition, though no further detail on duration or long-term venue strategy is provided.

Why is expanding beyond Fira Gran Via notable?

The significance attached to the move lies in its novelty: the 2027 expansion will take the show beyond its traditional home for the first time, a departure from recent history at Fira Gran Via. In the context of large-scale trade exhibitions, leaving a single-venue footprint is operationally and symbolically notable. Shows of ISE's scale typically consolidate to simplify logistics for exhibitors who build large stands and for visitors who navigate by hall and product zone. A decision to add a second site, even on a temporary basis, signals that incremental growth within the existing complex was deemed insufficient for the edition as envisioned by organizers.

What does a 7% increase at Fira Gran Via mean?

The only quantitative detail provided is the 7% enlargement of the footprint at Fira Gran Via, a figure given without a baseline area, hall count, or square-metre total. That percentage applies specifically to the Gran Via portion of the event, separate from whatever capacity the second central Barcelona venue will contribute. Even as a single-digit percentage, a 7% change at a major exhibition complex can translate into meaningful additional display area, given the existing scale of halls, outdoor spaces, and circulation zones at Gran Via. For exhibitors, incremental floor space can affect stand sizes, adjacency to complementary categories, and availability of meeting areas. For visitors, a larger footprint within the main site implies longer walking distances and potentially broader coverage of product segments.

How should exhibitors and visitors prepare for a split-site format?

With details limited to the outline provided, concrete preparation guidance for 2027 remains at the level of general principles for multi-site events. If the structure proceeds as described, participants would need to plan for time and coordination between Fira Gran Via and the central Barcelona venue. Exhibitors with appointments in both locations and attendees seeking to cover product areas split across sites would benefit from advance scheduling, with attention to traffic, public transport, and the timing of meetings. No shuttle, transport link, or programming split has been specified, so such logistics remain to be clarified by organizers.

The temporary nature of the arrangement also suggests that wayfinding and communication materials for 2027 may differ from previous editions. Visitors accustomed to navigating solely within Gran Via would need updated maps, app information, and hall guides that reflect two venues. For companies exhibiting, decisions about staffing — whether to maintain teams at both sites or concentrate presence — would depend on how organizers allocate categories and visitor flows, information not currently available.

Why does temporary growth matter for the ProAV and systems integration sector?

The 2027 plan is framed as growth that continues, linking the 7% increase and second venue to ongoing demand for exhibition space in professional audiovisual and systems integration. In broad industry terms, requests for larger footprints typically reflect exhibitor interest in maintaining or expanding presence, and visitor interest in seeing a wider range of solutions under one event brand. A temporary expansion can therefore be read as an indicator of near-term demand that outpaces immediately available single-site capacity.

ProAV and integration intersect with corporate, education, retail, hospitality, and live events, and the underlying technologies are deployed across both large enterprises and smaller organizations. An exhibition positioned as the largest gathering for the field serves as a barometer for product introductions and channel activity. When that event outlines a move to two venues in a major European host city, suppliers, integrators, and end users often watch for signals about category momentum.

Why it matters

For small and microbusinesses, the relevance of a show like ISE lies less in the floorplan of Fira Gran Via than in what the concentration of ProAV offerings indicates about affordable tools that may reach the wider market in the following months. Signage displays, collaboration systems, audio solutions, and control platforms first shown to integrators and large buyers often appear later as streamlined options suitable for a shop, studio, café, or small office. A described expansion suggests continued investment in those categories, which can translate into more choice and more competitive pricing for modestly sized buyers over time, without any assurance of a specific product or price point.

A temporary two-venue edition also underscores a practical point for smaller enterprises that attend or follow the event remotely: information about new tools and pricing trends may arrive through channels that cover the show, even if they cannot attend in person.