The ISE show to be held in Barcelona starting in 2021

Its estimated economic impact is around €400 million per year

The Integrated Systems Europe show, the main professional event in the world of audio and video systems, has announced that starting in 2021 it will be held in Barcelona. The move from Amsterdam, where it will still be held in 2019 and 2020, is due to the growth of recent years, which makes it impossible to continue in the Dutch capital.

In 2018 the fair attracted 80,923 visitors and 1,296 exhibitors in a space of 53,000 square meters. ISE has been looking for a new location for 18 months. Its Managing Director, Mike Blackman says the current location is "fantastic", but explains,"demand from exhibitors, and the continued increase in the numbers of attendees, showed us that limited floor space was in danger of putting a brake on the show's development."

ISE describes Fira de Barcelona as one of the most prestigious convention and conference centers in Europe. With over 200,000 square meters it hosts 140 international fairs every year, bringing together over 30,000 exhibitors and more than two million visitors. It also appreciates its "outstanding architecture and exceptional functionality," as well as its good connections with the international airport and public transport.

La Fira is a consortium made up of the City Hall of Barcelona, the Regional Government of Catalonia, and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce. Its annual contribution to the city is estimated at more than €2.6 billion, and hosting the ISE could add another €400 million to this figure.

The Fira and the public authorities give their assessment
La Fira de Barcelona has welcomed the show as its new permanent location. Its general manager, Constantí Serrallonga, estimates that holding it "helps consolidate the trade fair institution as one of the main international centers for technological events. ISE perfectly suits the Fira's strategy of commitment to economic sectors with great growth potential and international importance."

The Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, is convinced that ISE's choice of this city for its growth "is a clear indicator of our strategic position as a city that is committed to talent and innovation. We are working to extend a rich and professional economic and business ecosystem and we now have a new partner to do it better and go even further."

Finally, Àngels Chacón, the counselor for Business and Knowledge of the Catalan Regional Government, recalls that "the technological leadership of Catalonia is characterized by an ecosystem made up of more than 1,250 startups, 8,642 foreign companies, universities that lead the international rankings, and where over half the Catalan companies innovate. It is a local ecosystem that will take advantage of the publicity of ISE to present its products to the world, access new forms of innovation and generate opportunities between companies and professionals in the audiovisual sector."