Although ISE maintained its position as the industry’s largest exhibition, it failed to address critical trends.
Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) is one of the largest Pro AV industry trade shows and is a premier showcase for understanding digital signage and its evolving offering. ISE 2025 concluded with unprecedented attendance figures, marking a 15% increase from the previous year. The Barcelona-based event had over 1,600 exhibitors spanning eight halls, demonstrating the expanding market, particularly in enterprise and large-scale digital signage technology implementations. The exhibition’s scale and scope attests for the industry’s continued evolution, with manufacturers and integrators showcasing increasingly sophisticated solutions.
Key trends that dominated the show
Artificial Intelligence and IoT convergence emerged as central themes, with numerous exhibitors demonstrating how high performing digital signage software now incorporates AI-powered content optimization and audience analytics. These connected solutions, while impressive, primarily targeted enterprise-level deployments with substantial budgets and technical resources, rather than the growing DIY digital signage trend.
Digital signage design innovations featured prominently, especially in sustainable solutions through power-management innovations and E-paper technologies. Manufacturers presented energy-efficient digital screens in retail and smart power management systems, responding to growing environmental concerns and energy cost considerations.
Security also received significant attention, with vendors highlighting enhanced IT-grade features for digital signage advertising and content management. Integration capabilities were also prominent, with demonstrations of automated systems for digital menu boards and cross-platform connectivity.
The missing link — Small Medium Business (SMB)-focused solutions
Although ISE maintained its position as the industry’s largest exhibition, it failed to address critical trends. Reports from Markets and Markets highlighted SMB-adoption fueling digital signage growth, while studies from Mordor Intelligence and Digital Signage Connection emphasized increasing demand for simplified, cloud-based solutions that require lower technical expertise. These indicators pointed to a shifting landscape where SMB needs would carry more weight.
However, the reality of ISE 2025 painted a different picture. The show remained focused on enterprise-level implementations and complex solutions, overlooking SMB’s inclination for cost-effective, easy-to-deploy systems. Instead of addressing the growing SMB segment’s need for accessible solutions, vendors continued to showcase higher-end, technically complex products requiring specialized IT knowledge and significant capital investment. This misalignment with customer needs was particularly disappointing given the industry forecasts that had emphasized the rising importance of affordable, user-friendly digital signage solutions capable of seamless business integration.
The Amazon Signage Stick directly addresses this gap by offering a plug-and-play solution in an affordable media player, enabling SMBs to deploy professional digital signage without technical expertise or significant upfront investment. Its seamless integration with existing business tools and emphasis on user-friendly operation makes it the exact type of solution that was conspicuously absent from ISE’s showcase.