How to resolve AdBlock issue? leat con 26 kicks off next week
Picture: leat / Manfred H. Vogel
Next Tuesday, 6 October, leat con 26 will open its doors. What began in 2021 as a small networking event and took place for the first time at Hamburg Messe a year later with 80 exhibitors is reaching a whole new scale in 2026: the industry is coming together in Hamburg for the fifth time – and for the first time, leat con will span three halls.
Under the slogan “Ignite. Together.”, leat con brings together five areas of experience technology under one roof: live tech, stage tech, broadcast, install and communicate. In particular, stage tech will be added as a new area in 2026, integrating stage construction, control systems and scenic technology more closely into the platform.
In terms of content, too, leat con 26 is the most comprehensive edition to date. Seven stages, workshops, masterclasses, live training sessions, demonstration rooms, guided tours and side events transform the exhibition into a platform where technologies are not merely presented, but can be experienced through practical applications, workflows and discussions. The range of topics extends from audio, lighting and video, through stage and theatre technology, AV system integration and broadcast, to AI, new production workflows, business communication, security and current issues relating to business and leadership.
In this regard, leat con deliberately focuses on fostering dialogue between the various trades. After all, it is precisely where previously separate disciplines come together that new perspectives and solutions emerge. Marcel Courth, Managing Director of the leat unit at the Ebner Media Group, sums up this idea for leat con 26 as follows:
“You can’t simply sit out change. Our industry has shown that it is resilient, constantly evolving and connects people as well as technologies. For the past five years, leat con has been a platform for technology, knowledge transfer and, above all, interdisciplinary exchange. My wish for these three days is this: don’t just stay in your own hall. Visit the stand you might otherwise walk past. Listen to the panel discussion that seems to have nothing to do with your job – or perhaps it has more to do with it than you realise. Because change doesn’t happen within your own comfort zone, but where different disciplines come together.”
With such a wide range of sessions and formats, the official leat con event app will, for the first time in 2026, help visitors plan their visit. Visitors can use it to explore the programme, find exhibitors and put together their own personalised timetable. In addition, attendees can discover other visitors, network and chat directly with one another. This makes the app your digital companion throughout the three days of leat con – from preparation and finding your way around the venue to networking.
With its new structure, leat con is positioning itself as a horizontal platform for an industry whose technologies and fields of work are becoming increasingly intertwined. The five hubs operate independently within their respective markets, but are deliberately linked together at the convention. Or, as Marcel Courth puts it: “Particularly in times of change, it is not enough to think solely within one’s own field. The most exciting ideas emerge where different disciplines, perspectives and technologies come together.” On Tuesday, this will become a reality.