And The Winner Is…

With ProLight+Sound now officially over for Frankfurt, it appears the winners are ISE and Barcelona. The 2026 iteration of ISE that ran 3 to 6 February cemented the show as home of lighting, audio and live production, with Robe bringing their ‘Excalibur – The Lights of the Round Table’ live show, complete with acrobat and robot.

ISE 2026 broke all of its own records, with 92,170 visitors, 1,751 exhibitors (including 323 making their debut at the event) and all eight halls of the Fira de Barcelona Gran Via filled, making the show’s footprint a staggering 101,000 square metres.

ISE is one of three major show that run at the Fira that have hit the capacity of the venue. The new two-storey Hall Zero was originally set to open late in 2026, but has been delayed until 2028, meaning any new exhibitors may have to wait to get into the show.

With ISE dwarfing other major international AV and production tech events such as the USA’s InfoComm, it is now clear that it is the global industry’s annual gathering place.

Aussie Winners!

Australian distributor Audio Logistics had a cracking show, being named Distributor of the Year – APAC by Void Acoustics as part of the brand’s annual global partner awards programme.

The award recognises outstanding distribution performance, market development and brand growth across the Asia-Pacific region. Over the past year, Audio Logistics has expanded Void’s regional presence through focused channel development, technical support and high-impact project delivery across hospitality and entertainment sectors.

“Being recognised by Void is a testament to the strength of our partnership and the dedication of our team and dealer network,” said Adam Dullens, Managing Director at Audio Logistics “We’re proud to represent a brand known worldwide for design-led, high-performance audio.”

After Adam collected his award, he then went on to announce a new brand partnership, live from the show; SOWA, which is a Danish company redefining professional audio through wireless simplicity and Scandinavian design.

SOWA creates precision-engineered loudspeaker solutions designed for professional events, corporate spaces, and live productions. Built with high-quality components, sustainably sourced materials, and award-winning industrial design, SOWA systems are built for flexibility, modularity, and durability, designed to deliver professional sound that is effortless to set up, uncompromising in performance, and responsible by design.

“We’re thrilled to bring SOWA to the Australian market,” said Adam. “Their combination of design, performance, and reliability aligns perfectly with our company philosophy. We’re excited to introduce them to the local market.”

SOWA CTO, Andreas Ranch, added: “Audio Logistics shares our commitment to quality and service. This partnership allows us to deliver our products to the Australian market with confidence and reliability.”

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“Being recognised by Void is a testament to the strength of our partnership and the dedication of our team and dealer network. We’re proud to represent a brand known worldwide for design-led, high-performance audio.”

– Adam Dullens

Managing Director at Audio Logistics

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Meanwhile, after their first full year of trading with the brand, Melbourne’s own NAS was awarded AtlasIED’s APAC Distributor of the year for 2025. “We are thrilled to accept this recognition and extend our gratitude to the team at AtlasIED,” said Brad Kivela, Business and Products Manager at NAS. “I’d also like to thank everyone at NAS, and of course, our customers!”

Media Award Winners

While CX does not indulge in the practice of handing out awards at trade shows, many of our international peers do. There’s a bewildering range of ‘ISE Best in Show’ awards handed out, often by multiple publications that have the same ownership. In no particular order, here’s a rundown of who took home some tasteful Perspex trophies to sit in their foyers:

The HARMAN group took three awards, all handed out by Future Publishing-owned mastheads. These included an AV Technology award for the JBL Professional SRX900 Series powered line array, a Sound & Video Contractor award for the refreshed JBL Professional Control 400 Series and a Mix award for the new AKG C Series condenser mics.

Top New Technology (TNT) Awards, presented by several publications at ISE that are all ultimately owned by Emerald X, went to the Renkus-Heinz ICLX-48S subwoofer, Netgear’s network management solutions and M4350 series switch, and WyreStorm’s CAM-0402-NDI-BRG compact 4K multi-camera video bridge.

WolfVision’s new Cynap Pure wireless presentation and collaboration system was named a ‘Best of Show’ winner by Future Publishing’s AV Technology Magazine, marking the debut for the first model in their next-generation Cynap systems.

Sonance was recognised with four product awards, all handed out by various brands under the Future Publishing banner, including their newly unveiled VX Ultra Thin-Line speaker, the wedge-shaped (naturally) Wedge X Series loudspeakers, the updated PowerPipe X Series subwoofers, and the Professional High Output Series installation loudspeakers.

EAW’s NT206L compact active line array loudspeakers won multiple awards at ISE, including Best in Show from Future Publishing brands Installation and Sound & Video Contractor. Also in the EAW trophy cabinet, the Commercial Integrator (owned by Emerald X) Top New Technology Awards for best line array speaker.

Astera’s new QuikBeam luminaire, launched at the show, took home the ISE Best of Show Award from TVBEurope, yet another Future Publishing brand.

And next, on with the all the new product announcements from the show…

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Main Pic: ROBE’S EXCALIBUR – PHOTO CREDIT MARKO POLASEK