Going To ISE For First Time? Here’s a Useful Primer …

January 21, 2025 by Dave Haynes

My friends at German language content partner invidis have put together a useful primer for anyone heading over, down, up to or whatever to Integrated Systems Europe, which opens its exhibit halls two weeks from today.

I am there all week, getting in Saturday if flights and weather cooperate, and starting ISE week off Monday with the annual Sixteen:Nine Networking Mixer, which is very sold out.

If this is the first time you are going to ISE and Barcelona, this primer should prove helpful.

From invidis:

ISE is coming to Barcelona for the fourth time. Over the years, the largest ProAV trade fair has merged with the location and has now expanded to eight halls with numerous special zones. This year there will be new exhibition space and some rearrangements have also been made within the halls. Here you will find everything you need to know about the exhibition grounds, the halls, how to get there and the opening times.

Which halls are there?

ME – Almost all of the big display companies – the Samsungs, Sonys, LGs and LED guys – are in Hall 3. The CMS software companies are going to mostly be in Hall 4. With both the display and software folks, bear in mind that they may be in other halls because that’s where space was bookable, or perhaps because they are co-located with another vendor. Or they are in a hall that suits the vertical market – like Appspace being set up in the Unified Communications hall.

What will be new in the halls in 2025?

Some areas have grown, others have moved and others have been added: In Hall 1, where the Lighting & Staging area was located last year, UC & Education Tech has now expanded further. Lighting & Staging is moving to Hall 6.

This is good news for the digital signage industry: it is moving from Hall 6 to the more central Hall 4 and thus closer to the two main entrances – South and East.

The hall plan of ISE 2025 (Image: Integrated Systems Events)

Hall 8.1 is completely new this year.

Me – The map above suggests Hall 8 is just a zig, a zag and another zig down a hall from 6 and 7. It’s a big walk, thinking like 300-400 meters (might be imaginiation). Whatever the case, you will get your steps in. And you might want to look at the exhibitor list for that area to determine if there are vendors and technologies you want to see there.

This is an aerial photo that shows the separate building for Hall 8.

Pro tip – There is an upper concourse that runs much of the length of the giant convention center that has maybe 10% of the foot traffic of the exhibit hall level, and it has access to some outside seating (though some are for private functions). If you need to get to hall 6 from hall 2 and don’t want to fight your way through the crowds, that’s the faster, easier way. And it has moving sidewalks.

In addition to exhibitors from various areas, there are also four special zones here:

When is the fair open?

The ISE is fully open during these times:

Full exhibition halls during ISE 2025 (Photo: ISE)
Full exhibition halls during ISE 2025 (Photo: ISE)

Where do I get my badge?

Anyone who registers for ISE 2025 will receive a confirmation email with a link to the badge in PDF format. ISE recommends that you take the badge with you in printed form. If necessary, there is a badge printing service at the entrance areas and also directly at the airport.

Me – If you have a color printer at the office or at home, print your badge off before you leave. If you have a B&W laser printer like me, print it off anyway so you have it, then when you go to the Fira get a better one on proper stock (and in color) printed off. The B&W ones look kinda terrible, and the color-coding of badges for different access privileges doesn’t (or course) work.

Where is the Fira Gran Via Barcelona?

The Fira Gran Via exhibition center is located southwest of Barcelona. Officially, the site is located in L’Hospitalet del Llobregat, the second largest city in Catalonia. Barcelona itself is 3 kilometers away, and it is a 20-minute taxi ride from El Prat International Airport.

Address of the Fira Gran Via

Gran Vía Venue
Av. Joan Carles I, 64
08908, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat
Barcelona
Spain

Entrances & Arrival

For the ISE, the Fira opens three entrances: the south entrance at Hall 1, the east entrance at Hall 3 and the north entrance at Hall 8.1. 

ME – Ride the subway. It’s good and safe, albeit crowded if you time your rides for right around opening and closing times. Taxis are good, but there’s lotsa traffic. Uber/rideshare is terrible. Don’t even try that. 

All ISE 2025 attendees and exhibitors can get a free five-day travel pass for the Barcelona train, metro and bus systems. 

Passes are valid for 120 hours from first use. They are also valid for a round-trip from the airport into the city.

You can pick up your pass:

Show your ISE badge, either printed or in the app.

If you travel by metro, there are three different stops to choose from:

With L9: FIRA at the south entrance, EUROPE | FIRA at the east entrance
With L10: FOC at the north entrance

The ISE offers free shuttle buses that run between the exhibition center and Plaça Espanya and between the north and south entrances:

Food

Me – It a convention center. The food prices are nuttily-high, as is almost always the case. But there are at least many options, including some outside the halls in the open-air areas between buildings. An Asian meal box like below will set you back $25 USD, but I’d take that over the LVCC, which during DSE mostly offered  Dunkin Donuts as the go-to dining option.

I bring protein bars and frequent the press lounge, which happily has food and lifesaving items like coffee, and end of day beer.

Free ISE admission with invidis

As an invidis reader, you will receive a free ticket for the ISE 2025 exhibition area. Simply use the code  ISE2025invidis  when registering.

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