A Trade Show Veteran’s First-Time Experience at ISE & Z-Wave Alliance Summit: Key Insights and Takeaways

After attending trade shows such as CES, InfoComm, ISC West, IFA, MWC and others for over two decades, I was excited to experience a new-to-me trade show…ISE in Barcelona!

Returning to the beautiful city of Barcelona is always a treat – with its incredible food, rich history and welcoming people. But this time, my visit was for work, and a total whirlwind. In just 72 hours, I made the most of the local cuisine and culture where I could, but my main focus was on two big firsts: attending the ISE trade show and experiencing the EMEA Z-Wave Alliance Summit & Unplug Fest.

I ventured into the halls of ISE with no preconceived expectations, only scheduled meetings and an overall sense of the floor plan. Attendees and exhibitors alike continuously commented on how huge the show was this year, but for someone who goes to CES every January, ISE felt big, yet manageable. That quickly changed as I began walking from hall to hall (and packed in over 15,000 steps in just one afternoon).

A major factor that made ISE feel smaller compared to CES is because the entire show is held in the Fira, whereas CES takes over the entire city of Las Vegas. It was nice not to have to jump in a cab to get to another hall, I enjoyed being able to sit down and have engaging meetings and was impressed with the line-up of exhibitors and set-up of booths. Following the show, they announced a record-breaking attendance with a 15% increase over 2024, a drastic uptick.

On the heals of ISE, the Z-Wave Alliance held their Summit & Unplug Fest EMEA for the first time since pre-COVID. An event of this caliber was requested by EMEA-based members, and the Z-Wave Alliance didn’t hold back. Despite being deeply intrenched in the planning process for several months for this event, it was my first time attending in person.

My top highlights include finally being able to meet so many of our Alliance members in person (a sentiment shared by the full roster of attendees, 65 strong), watching the wheels turn from the networking and collaborating that took place, and receiving feedback from everyone who attended saying how impressed they were with the full scope of the Summit (session topics, panelists, attendees, venue, etc.) All of our hard work paid off and the Z-Wave Alliance is already in the early stages of planning a 2026 event. While it will be difficult to top this one, with the pool of experts we have access to, including members, media, Z-Wave installers and more, I expect nothing less than another successful Summit.

Following this “new” experience, I have a few key takeaways to share. First, don’t ever take for granted opportunities for in-person meetings with both new and old colleagues. These meetings feel they have less of an agenda or time constraint than any video or phone call, yet are very productive and encourage a deeper engagement, introductions to new people, and build up professional relationships.

Second, don’t forget to ask for constructive feedback following any event from attendees, co-workers and business partners. Then be sure to discuss it with your internal team, dissect it, and make necessary changes going forward. After planning and managing events for over 25 years of my career, there’s always something new to learn and every event and trade show is different. Be sure to ask yourself how you can do things better, more efficiently, cost-effectively, and of course more successfully.

Additionally, don’t be afraid to “trim the fat” off how you’ve done things in the past. Focus on hitting and exceeding goals from the last event, securing more in-person meetings, forging new business partnerships, and always strive for something greater. Work smarter, not harder.

Looking ahead, the Caster team and the Z-Wave Alliance are already full-speed ahead on planning for both our US Summit & Unplug Fest in California in late October, as well as our next EMEA Summit & Unplug Fest in 2026. Thanks to all of the feedback we’ve received from our members and attendees, these next two Summits will be our best yet. Interested in learning more? Feel free to drop me an email at jen@castercomm.com.