ISE 2026: Push Beyond

*Executive Summary*
Following a record-breaking 2025, ISE – the world-renowned annual tech show – faced an increasingly volatile global landscape and ongoing category decline. Key competitors experienced negative growth circa 5%. Some even had to close doors. To remain resilient, ISE committed to ‘Push Beyond’ – an organising idea that served as a mantra to unite an internal team and a statement to inspire an entire industry…
*Aims and Objectives*
ISE 2026 focused on the following:
Grow Volume: Increase attendance from 85,000 to 90,000+.
Diversify Demographics: Raise female attendance from 18% to 20% and ensure under-25s outgrow over-65s.
Maintain Standards: Maintain attendee purchase authority at 80% (minimum) and NPS of 57 and 61 for visitors and exhibitors respectively.
*Strategy and Activation*
While competitors struggled, ISE leaned heavily into its organising idea; avoiding just another branded trade show and embracing a brand-led industry initiative instead. ‘Push Beyond’ was activated through a global, integrated campaign but manifested further upstream (broader marketing efforts / innovation) to support objectives re new, varied, quality attendees:
The Show Shoe: A new product for solving audiences’ greatest pain point (literally – sore feet!) alongside NFC chips for fast-track entry.
SPARK: A new feature (enticing creative giants like Netflix and BBC) to diversify into growing, adjacent markets and bridge gaps between creativity and tech.
ISE Foundation: A new public-private partnership (and attractive investment vehicle) to extend ISE’s impact beyond a four-day show.
*Results*
ISE 2026 was a seemingly-impossible success:
Grow Volume: Achieved 92,176 total attendees (8% YOY growth).
Diversify Demographics: Achieved 20% female attendance (tripled over four years) and under-25s outgrew over-65s.
Maintain Standards: Achieved 83% attendee purchase authority and NPS of 62 and 61 for visitors and exhibitors respectively (exceeding category benchmarks of 31 and 10).
But the most fulfilling result? External adoption and endorsement, including that of Barcelona’s Deputy Mayor:
“Barcelona is proud to host ISE and this year’s motto could not be more timely. This is the kind of city we want to build. A city where technology serves people. A city always with people at the centre but that dares to ‘Push Beyond’.”