Megatrends

Created as a wake-up call to the ISE audience, the Megatrends programme aims to highlight the real-world implications of the pressing topics that surround the AV industry today. The programme spans six 90-minute sessions on key megatrends: AI, Cybersecurity, Robotics, Smart Spaces, Sustainability, plus the TradeScape megatrend, which examines the navigation of complex regulatory frameworks and fluctuating tariffs affecting supply chains. 

A single ticket grants access to all of the Megatrends sessions from Tuesday to Thursday during ISE, plus networking opportunities and exclusive access to online content for two weeks after the show. 

AI Megatrend Sponsor:

Smart Spaces Megatrend Sponsor:

MEGATRENDS PROGRAMME

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10:30
  1. Welcome to ISE Megatrends Programme and introduction to Smart Spaces opening sessions
    CC5.3
    10 mins
    • Smart Spaces Megatrend
    • AI Megatrend
    Welcome to the ISE Megatrend Programme. Your host, Hannah Shellswell, will provide an overview for the next three days of Megatrend sessions and introduce Byron Tarry, Founder of NEXX Hannah will provide a general overview for the three day programme before introducing the first Megatrend - Smart Spaces: Resetting the playbook for industry innovation and transformation, and handing over to Byron Tarry who will set the stage for a keynote from professional disruption catalyst Richard Mulholland.
10:40
  1. CC5.3
    40 mins
    • Smart Spaces Megatrend
    • AI Megatrend
    Rich Mulholland delivers a bold rethink of today’s disruptive technologies and our response to them. He challenges legacy thinking, shows why playing offence beats defence, and exposes the lies we’ve been told about AI –arming audiences with a sharper, more empowered outlook on the future.
11:20
  1. CC5.3
    40 mins
    • Smart Spaces Megatrend
    • AI Megatrend
    This panel session is where we apply the keynote mindset to the industry. Byron Tarry chairs a dynamic and focused discussion with Julian Phillips, Jon Sidwick, and Brennan Reynolds (Microsoft Places) on how value is shifting in why and how we equip the Smart Spaces that will power the human + digital collaborative partnerships of the future.  From product to workflow, delivery to accountability, and room installs to recurring outcomes, expect clear talk on what future offers.
12:00
  1. CC5.3
    20 mins
    • Smart Spaces Megatrend
    • AI Megatrend
    Cloud and AI-driven solutions will be positioned as key enablers of Collaboration Quotient (CQ)—a metric that reflects how effectively teams collaborate across technology ecosystems. By reinforcing the equation Technology + Process + People = ROI, Susy and Irina will demonstrate how intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and seamless interoperability reduce friction, accelerate decision-making, and elevate user experience, ultimately driving measurable business outcomes.
13:25
  1. Introduction to Cybersecurity Megatrend sessions
    CC5.3
    5 mins
    • Cybersecurity Megatrend
    Welcome and introduction to the Cybersecurity Megatrend sessions. These sessions will explore the role of cybersecurity in ProAV, delving into topics like safeguarding your business and data from the threat of quantum computing and strategies to safeguard public spaces from hackers.
13:30
  1. CC5.3
    30 mins
    • Cybersecurity Megatrend
    Quantum advances threaten today’s encryption, putting sensitive data and IP at risk. Shaun Reardon outlines the implications of post-quantum computing for the AV industry and shares practical steps to safeguard assets. Learn how to prepare now to mitigate future risks in a rapidly evolving security landscape.
14:00
  1. CC5.3
    40 mins
    • Cybersecurity Megatrend
    Amid rising cyberattacks on airports and public spaces, this panel explores strategies to protect European infrastructure. Experts examine major threats, from opportunistic hackers to state-sponsored attacks, and discuss best practices, technologies, and actionable solutions for building resilient cyber defences in an increasingly connected and unstable world.
14:40
  1. CC5.3
    20 mins
    • Cybersecurity Megatrend
15:29
  1. Welcome to the AI Megatrend sessions
    CC5.3
    1 mins
    • AI Megatrend
    • Smart Spaces Megatrend
    • Cybersecurity Megatrend
    Welcome to the AI Megatrends sessions with your host, Hannah Shellswell. We'll explore AI's rapid transformation of the ProAV and related industries, its impact on conferencing and collaboration, and discuss successes and challenges. We'll also preview future advancements and explore whether AI is a true force for good or potentially misleading.
16:00
  1. CC5.3
    30 mins
    • AI Megatrend
    Moderated by AVIXA Executive Tech Leader and CIO, Irina Dymarsky, this session features panelists from Microsoft and Wolfram Research debating AI integration in products and services. We'll discuss where AI is best integrated, how to begin your AI journey, finding reliable suppliers, the status of AI certification, and who you can trust to provide your AI solution.
16:30
  1. CC5.3
    30 mins
    • AI Megatrend
    LLMs promise rapid automation but often “hallucinate” facts, undermining reliability. This session explores why, and how combining generative models with symbolic AI improves accuracy, explainability, and safe use of private knowledge. A demo AI research assistant highlights the hybrid approach on a high-precision task.
17:15
  1. Welcome to a Megatrend Masterclass in Robotics
    CC5.3
    0 mins
    • Robotics Megatrend
    Welcome and introduction to the Robotics Megatrend from your host, Hannah Shellswell.
  2. CC5.3
    45 mins
    • Robotics Megatrend
    This emerging field revolutionises our interaction with technology and creativity by blending robotics' precision with audiovisual power, creating new avenues for innovation. From interactive museum exhibits to film productions using precision robotics, and dynamic concert scenographies, this fusion is reshaping entertainment and visual communication. The session will showcase video case studies to highlight the use of robots across these mediums.
14:55
  1. Welcome to Day Two and Sustainability and TradeScape Megatrend sessions
    CC5.3
    5 mins
    • Sustainability Megatrend
    • TradeScape Megatrend
    Welcome to Day Two and an afternoon of Sustainability and TradeScape Megatrends.
15:00
  1. CC5.3
    20 mins
    • Sustainability Megatrend
    Marjolein explains why sustainable transformation doesn’t happen automatically: true change arises when people experience sustainability and engage with it. She shows how organizations can break barriers, build momentum, and turn ESG into shared practice, as demonstrated at AVEX, delivering clear, tangible results with impact.
15:20
  1. CC5.3
    40 mins
    • Sustainability Megatrend
    To fight climate change, businesses must cut carbon and rethink operations. This session unites leaders to explore how to run global companies without travel. Instead, leveraging virtual events, remote work, and new tools like telepresence robots to spark collaboration while eliminating the need for flights.
16:00
  1. CC5.3
    20 mins
    • Sustainability Megatrend
16:39
  1. Welcome to TradeScape Megatrend
    CC5.3
    1 mins
    • TradeScape Megatrend
    Welcome and introductions to the TradeScape Megatrend sessions from your host, Hannah Shellswell.
16:40
  1. CC5.3
    20 mins
    • TradeScape Megatrend
    Who's doing what: Industry insights and observations on how regulatory issues and tariffs are being handled by global manufacturers and niche product and solution providers.
17:00
  1. CC5.3
    40 mins
    • TradeScape Megatrend
    A diverse panel of industry leaders examines the effects of Trump-era tariffs and regulations on manufacturing. Panellists share how their sectors are adapting, highlighting best practices, global responses, and collaborative strategies to stay resilient and competitive in a shifting regulatory landscape.
17:40
  1. CC5.3
    20 mins
    • TradeScape Megatrend
    How the players big and small are handling regulatory and tariff challenges
10:55
  1. CC5.3
    5 mins
    • Robotics Megatrend
    • Smart Spaces Megatrend
    • AI Megatrend
    • Sustainability Megatrend
    Today marks the final day of the ISE Megatrends, featuring sessions on Smart Spaces, Sustainability, Robots, and Physical AI.
11:00
  1. CC5.3
    40 mins
    • Smart Spaces Megatrend
    This panel explores how Immersive Digital Experiences and Retail Media Networks amplify each other’s impact. With moderator Brad Koerner, speakers reveal why immersive projects stay in “art budgets” and retail media in “price tags,” and how integrating the two can unlock far greater commercial and experiential value.
11:50
  1. CC5.3
    30 mins
    • Smart Spaces Megatrend
    The launch of a white paper on the future of video conferencing utilising a game-changing technology.
12:30
  1. CC5.3
    30 mins
    • Sustainability Megatrend
    In this session, we'll explore how drone shows are transforming into digital signage, presenting a sustainable solution for future fixed installations. We'll start with examples that highlight their potential and the surprisingly simple setup process. As the next generation of drones emerges, executing these shows will become even easier. We'll also discuss the sustainable advantages of drones and explain why they are poised to become permanent installations.
13:59
  1. CC5.3
    1 mins
    • Robotics Megatrend
    • Smart Spaces Megatrend
    • AI Megatrend
    This afternoon's final sessions will cover integrating an Agentic AI strategy into your business, Europe's position in robotics research and development, and how robots are transforming healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, distribution, and live entertainment.
14:00
  1. CC5.3
    30 mins
    • AI Megatrend
    AI is experiencing rapid growth, but with it comes a surge of buzzwords, tools, and unrealistic promises, creating a distraction that leads enterprises to adopt AI hastily without turning pilots into meaningful outcomes. This often results in wasted resources on unscalable pilots, as AI is seen as magical rather than a skill to be mastered. In this keynote, we cut through the noise and share valuable insights from building Agentic AI systems in enterprises.
14:40
  1. CC5.3
    30 mins
    • Robotics Megatrend
    Social robotics is advancing from experimentation to providing tangible value in real settings. In this keynote, Jordi Cabau, CTIO of Group Saltó, will discuss how large-scale social robotics projects are translating vision into real-world impact by integrating technology, innovation systems, and human-centered design to transform care environments and enhance quality of life.
15:20
  1. CC5.3
    30 mins
    • AI Megatrend
    • Robotics Megatrend
    This keynote examines how Physical AI—the melding of AI with robotics and advanced physical systems—is creating new opportunities for European innovation. It outlines where EU industry can gain advantage while tackling the technological, economic, and social challenges of developing and deploying these transformative technologies.
16:00
  1. CC5.3
    40 mins
    • Robotics Megatrend
    With special guest Robots in discussion about what they do, why they do it and what they want to do next.
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