AVT Question: Please share insights into the trends and solutions shaping the modern workplace and collaboration spaces.
Thought Leader: Irene Kondos, Global Inside Sales and Customer Success Manager at Ampetronic | Listen Technologies
Audio has always played a role in how people experience shared spaces, but I think we are starting to look at it differently. Assistive listening is still very much needed, yet the conversation around it is expanding. We are beginning to recognize that these systems support more than a single group, and that how sound is delivered can shape who feels comfortable, engaged, and included.
For people who are hearing impaired, access to clear, reliable audio makes it possible to fully participate in classrooms, workplaces, houses of worship, cultural spaces, healthcare settings, and public venues. That foundation matters, and it always will. At the same time, there is growing awareness that sound affects far more people than we once acknowledged. In environments where background noise, echo, or competing audio are simply part of the space, listening can become tiring or overwhelming, especially for those with sound sensitivity, sensory overload, or different ways of processing audio.
For people who are hearing impaired, access to clear, reliable audio makes it possible to fully participate in classrooms, workplaces, houses of worship, cultural spaces, healthcare settings, and public venues.
Irene Kondos, Global Inside Sales and Customer Success Manager at Ampetronic | Listen Technologies
What excites me about where technology is headed is the flexibility we now have. Traditional assistive listening solutions such as hearing loops, RF, and IR systems continue to play an important role, while newer approaches, including networked audio and broadcast options like Auracast, offer additional ways to deliver sound directly to personal devices.
Across education, transportation, corporate environments, museums, healthcare, and large venues, this shift gives people more control over their own experience. It also allows designers and AV teams to support a broader range of needs without treating accessibility as an afterthought.
We are widening the lens of inclusivity. When we design audio with intention and empathy, we create spaces where more people can listen, process, and participate in ways that respect their individual needs.
