Creative Technology at ISE 2026: Innovation, Insights, and Industry Connections

ISE 2026, held at Fira Barcelona, once again proved to be a pivotal point for Creative Technology. The exhibition served as a nexus for balancing strategic partner meetings with hands-on demonstrations of emerging AV technologies.

This year’s ISE was particularly significant for CT, with our team contributing to three different speaker panels, moderated by Stew Hume from Tpi Media, as well as participating in various discussions across the show. These sessions provided an opportunity not only to share our perspectives and expertise but also to engage in thoughtful debates with industry peers on topics ranging from rental operations and trends in lighting and LED technologies to innovative display applications, as well as deeper exploration of client expectations and regional market growth and ever-evolving dynamics.

Andy Reardon, Managing Director and President of Live Events at Creative Technology Middle East, offered valuable insight into the rapid growth of the Middle Eastern entertainment market, with a particular focus on Dubai, Doha, and the accelerating expansion within Saudi Arabia. His discussion traced the region’s evolution from its early stages to its current status as a major force in the global entertainment industry. Reardon highlighted how the Middle East has moved beyond hosting one-off, headline-grabbing spectacles to becoming a fully integrated part of international touring schedules. Artists can now plan multiple stops across the region, reflecting its maturity and robust infrastructure as a touring destination. Looking ahead, Andy Reardon and Duncan Riley, Managing Director of DWR Distribution, shared their perspectives on what the next five years may hold for the Middle East and Africa, respectively, conveying a strong sense of optimism for continued growth and opportunity. Following Andy’s insights, the panelists, including Chris Palmer, Executive Commercial Director at Rock-it-Cargo, agreed that the Middle East is no longer an emerging market; it has firmly established itself as an emerged market.

Sam Connolly, Head of Lighting at Creative Technology, joined the Lighting The Way panel, which focused on the latest developments in lighting technology.  The discussion covered a wide range of topics, from pre-visualization techniques to fixture selection, while also delving into the practical realities of collaboration across different departments. Bringing a rental-house perspective, Connolly highlighted the importance of involving rental partners early in the design process and the essential relationships between rental houses, show designers, and lighting directors. These partnerships are central to delivering successful productions, reinforcing the value of early engagement to ensure that creative intent is supported by technical feasibility and that solutions are optimized to align creative ambition with technical feasibility and deliver optimized solutions that can elevate the audience experiences.

When asked about where he thinks technology is heading, Connolly contended, “We are slowly tapping the limits when it comes to lighting parameters and control elements. Five or six years ago, our average show used 30 to 40 universes. Today, our standard show is well over 100, sometimes approaching 200 universes, and we’re beginning to hit the ceiling of what’s possible on large-scale lighting productions. As an industry, we need to start looking at ways to move beyond the standard DMX cable and explore new options.”

Evolving Video Department Demands

On the other hand, Tom Burford, Director of Technical Delivery at CTUK, contributed his insights in the LED-ing the Way panel discussion by elaborating on how video department requests are continuing to evolve. As display technology advances and audiences become more visually sophisticated, clients are asking for increasingly complex and flexible video solutions. From higher resolutions and tighter pixel pitches to more ambitious creative formats, rental companies are constantly adapting their inventories and workflows to meet these expectations. The discussion addressed how staying agile and informed is essential in delivering the level of visual impact modern productions demand.

“One of the interesting takeaways from the discussion was the shift toward real-time render engines and away from pre-rendered content. This opens up far more opportunity for interactive and reactive visuals, deeper audience engagement, and the integration of live data sources. To make that work at scale, we need stronger collaboration between creative and technical teams from the very beginning. The best shows happen when creative ambition and technical reality are developed together, not in isolation,” explained Burford.

Clinton Hughey-Trueman, technical manager at CTSI in the Middle East, led a discussion at the INFiLED booth examining Creative Technology’s deployment of INFiLED LED screens at the Toyota showroom in Jeddah, KSA. The session explored how advanced display technology creates immersive brand environments in retail and permanent installations, influencing visitor sentiment and consumer behavior. Clinton focused on how the LED screens were deployed and demonstrated the R&D and the use of INFiLED LED screens for this particular installation. The project demonstrated the convergence of technical innovation and commercial application, where reliability, performance, and creative vision combine to redefine customer experiences.

Reflecting on ISE 2026, Hughey-Trueman said, “From an SI point of view, ISE provided great insight into how the industry is pivoting with new developments. One of the key takeaways was seeing lighting, audio, and video manufacturers producing products with size and form taken into consideration. This can be seen in new slim panel LED screens and smaller but more powerful speakers from multiple manufacturers. When our clients ask to make the technology invisible, these developments help us deliver on those creative requirements.”

Furthermore, Simon Lang from the CTSI team in Ireland discussed standout products at ISE with Justin Dawson, host of All Things TechIE. He highlighted technical innovations of particular interest to the SI team, including Shure’s new video bar, Logitech’s AI cameras, and AVer’s matrix units for camera control, tracking, and switching.

Adding to this, Jack Strong, Business Development Director at CTSI in London, commented, “ISE 2026 was a real step forward for the AV industry, with notable advancements in projection, LED, and immersive technology. Several projection manufacturers are elevating the game with progressive product launches in contrast, scale, and overall technology development. LED manufacturers also showcased a clear trend toward fine-pixel-pitch displays (sub 0.7 mm) and competitively positioned MIP and COB solutions. Equally for us, the exhibition was about supporting ongoing client projects. Many end users and creative agencies sought hands-on experience with the AV solutions we propose. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect in a real-world environment and demonstrate exciting new technology that will play a major role in upcoming projects, especially in immersive experiences and virtual production, where we are pushing the boundaries of possibility.”

Moreover, Creative Technology’s expertise was on display throughout ISE, where CT powered booths, demos, and stands for many of the brands we partner with. CT’s delivery encompassed Panasonic’s event, the Absen and Midwich booths, 22 stands for different brands, and various demo rooms in Pavilion 8, including Renkus-heinz loudspeaker manufacturers and Harman, the distributors of audio and lighting brands, such as JBL and Martin.

Oscar Ramal, Managing Director of CT Spain, explained, “ISE 2026 is one of the most important exhibitions in the AV sector, where we see technologies developing and connect with manufacturers, clients, partners, and colleagues from all over the world. It was also a great opportunity for us to not only connect with brands but also play a key role in delivering parts of ISE itself.”

Given the global nature of the business, Creative Technology’s presence at ISE reflected this, with the CT teams attending from the Middle East, Asia Pacific, the UK, the US, and across Europe, providing a valuable opportunity for the team to connect and explore innovation together.

In conclusion, ISE 2026 offered valuable insights into a wide range of emerging and maturing technologies that we’re excited to explore further and add to Creative Technology’s arsenal of inventory. Danijel Blazevic, Procurement Manager at Creative Technology Middle East, said, “ISE 2026 enabled productive discussions with leading manufacturers around investment opportunities aligned with our long-term strategy.”

Tom Stocks, Head of Technical at CTME, further elaborated on this, saying, “ISE gave us a valuable opportunity to experience new technologies across all our technical disciplines and to explore the solutions that will shape our investments in the coming years. Seeing products in operation provides a far deeper understanding of performance, integration, and real-world deployment. It’s one thing to view demonstrations in our own facility, but it is quite different to see technology showcased at full scale. And, just as importantly, ISE strengthens our long-term relationships with manufacturers and suppliers, ensuring we continue to collaborate closely to develop the right solutions and products for our clients.”

Reflecting on the visit, Andy Reardon said, “It has been a phenomenal event yet again this year, with huge displays from manufacturers, but more importantly, it is really good to have the team here, looking at these latest things that are potentially on our investment list for 2026 and 2027.”