SCN: How long have you been with this company, and what are your responsibilities?
Curtis Heath: I have been with Guitar Center for almost five years. My responsibility is to lead our B2B platform, which includes Audio Visual Design Group (AVDG), Guitar Center Professional (GC Pro), and Custom House at Guitar Center, bringing together Pro AV, pro audio, systems integration, managed services, and high-end music solutions for corporate, education, hospitality, houses of worship, venue, stadium, and entertainment clients.
SCN: Does your integrator business, AVDG, have any overlap with your music-based brands?
CH: Yes, but the overlap is strategic rather than transactional. AVDG is a true Pro AV integrator focused on complex systems integration, corporate AV, higher education, healthcare, stadiums, and large-scale environments. GC Pro and Custom House are more rooted in pro audio, music gear, studios, venues, artist relations (artists, engineers, producers, etc.), and entertainment spaces. Where the overlap becomes powerful is when a client needs more than one capability. A stadium, for example, may need integrated AV infrastructure from AVDG, musical instruments and backline from Guitar Center, and high-end audio or artist-facing support from Custom House. That combination is very unique in the marketplace.
SCN: As an integrator, how do you find that sweet spot between technology and simplicity for corporate AV?
CH: The sweet spot starts with people. In my opinion, talent and culture are the real differentiators in any AV company. The gear matters, but the gear is secondary to the people designing it, engineering it, installing it, programming it, supporting it, and helping the client understand how to use it. In corporate AV, the goal is not to impress the client with complexity. The goal is to create rooms, systems, and experiences that feel intuitive, reliable, and consistent. The best corporate AV environments are often the ones where the technology almost disappears. That only happens when you have a team culture that is focused on listening first to the client's needs and goals, solving the actual business problem, and thinking through the experience from the client’s point of view.
SCN: Which markets are showing the most growth?
CH: We are seeing strong momentum in corporate, higher education, healthcare, legal, stadiums and venue work, and AI-related clients. Corporate AV continues to evolve as companies rethink collaboration spaces, executive briefing centers, hybrid meeting environments, and return-to-office expectations. Higher education remains a strong vertical because campuses are continuously modernizing. Stadiums and entertainment venues are also showing real growth because venues are no longer just designed around one primary event. The AI vertical (our largest) is especially interesting. They need AV environments that can keep pace with their growth, and they often value partners who can move with urgency while still maintaining discipline and quality.
In Pro AV, I think the near-term value of AI is less about a futuristic concept and more about solving real problems.
SCN: How important is AVaaS to AVDG, and is demand increasing for managed services?
CH: AVaaS is important, and I do believe it will continue to become more relevant in our industry. That said, the reality is that many clients still budget and operate through a traditional CapEx model, especially when it comes to larger AV investments. That makes AVaaS a real opportunity, but also one that will take time to fully mature. We are seeing momentum, but education is still a big part of the process. For AVDG, the direction is clear: We want AVaaS to work, and we believe it can create value for both the client and the integrator. But we also have to meet clients where they are today.
SCN: How is AVDG helping its clients with cybersecurity?
CH: Cybersecurity has become critical. AV systems are no longer isolated pieces of hardware sitting in a room. They are networked systems, often connected to enterprise infrastructure, cloud platforms, user devices, cameras, microphones, control systems, and remote management tools. That means AV integrators have to think more like technology partners. We need to work closely with the client’s IT and security teams, follow network standards, document systems properly, and make sure the solutions we deploy do not create unnecessary risk. AVDG helps clients by designing with security in mind from the beginning. The best cybersecurity approach is not something added at the end of a project. It has to be part of the design, deployment, and support model.
SCN: Do AVDG’s customers have a clear vision for how they want to use AI in their projects?
CH: Some do, but many are still trying to define what practical AI means inside their environments. There is a lot of excitement around AI, but the clearest use cases right now tend to be around productivity, automation, analytics, meeting intelligence, support, and better user experiences. In Pro AV, I think the near-term value of AI is less about a futuristic concept and more about solving real problems. Can AI help improve meeting summaries? Can it optimize room usage? Can it support predictive maintenance? The customers who are most advanced are not asking for AI just to say they have AI. They are asking how it can improve workflow, reduce friction, increase uptime, and create better experiences. That is where the conversation becomes much more meaningful.
SCN: You recently held your inaugural Resonate technology expo in Nashville. What made you decide to produce the show?
CH: We created Resonate because we saw an opportunity to bring the full Guitar Center Business Solutions ecosystem to life in one place. Nashville was the right place to do it. It is Music City, but it is also a growing business, entertainment, hospitality, education, and technology market. We wanted clients, vendors, consultants, educators, artists, and internal teams to experience how these worlds connect. The goal was not just to create a trade show. The goal was to create a platform for connection, education, technology, music, and business development.
SCN: Was Resonate a success, and can we expect to see more tech expos in the future?
CH: For a first-time event, it validated the idea that there is real value in bringing Pro AV, pro audio, music, vendors, clients, and thought leadership together under one roof. What made it successful was not only the attendance or vendor participation, but the conversations it created. It helped clients better understand the depth of Guitar Center Business Solutions. I do expect Resonate to continue. We will keep learning, refining the format, and making sure it delivers value. The opportunity is to build it into a recurring platform that supports the industry, our clients, our partners, and the broader Guitar Center mission.
