InfoComm is first and foremost a product and solutions show.
That is not a criticism. It is part of its value. Hundreds of exhibitors will arrive ready to showcase what they have built, what they believe differentiates them, and why their platform, feature set, product, or service today is better than the next.
But for end-user technology managers, that familiar rhythm also creates a challenge.
In an AI era, walking the show floor only through the lens of product comparison is not enough. Speeds and feeds, performance, product capability, etc., still matter. But the bigger question is whether those products, platforms, vendors, and partners are helping you prepare for a future that is changing faster than traditional technology lifecycles were ever designed to absorb.
So, my challenge to the end-user community at InfoComm 2026 is: do not just attend the show looking for better technology. Attend, looking for better questions, better signals, and better partners for what comes next.
Remember this: the industry exists today and will evolve tomorrow to serve YOU, not the other way around. Every investment made, every solution built, every platform developed, every service model refined, every financial model constructed is ultimately intended to help end-user organizations solve real problems and deliver real value. So, in a moment where the entire industry is looking for answers, your perspective has more power to activate change and innovation than perhaps you recognize. So, take this moment to lead, to be more proactive than you have ever been.
Tarry’s Recommendations for End-User Technology Managers Attending InfoComm
With that perspective in mind, here are some recommendations for you to consider as you prepare for the show.
Let’s start with the bigger picture. “Collaboration” technology is no longer just an island underneath IT. In many organizations, every aspect of the “office” now exists first and foremost because of the proposition of collaboration enablement. People come together physically to connect, create, align, decide, learn, and innovate—better than they could remotely. That means the meeting room can no longer be viewed solely as a tactical technology environment. It sits within a much larger conversation about workplace culture, productivity, and business performance.
As you walk the show, think beyond the room. Ask how the collaborative office should work. Ask how your role now potentially enables the outcomes your C-suite actually cares about. Because what they want is not more technology. They want better innovation and ideation, better collaboration, better human engagement, better use of space, better decisions, and better business outcomes.
Try to enter the show with a clear understanding of the real foundational frictions you face in that objective today. Not only technology frictions, but financial and procurement frictions, infrastructure and lifecycle challenges, sustainability concerns, support burdens, user adoption gaps, and the limitations of your legacy deployment model.
Then look at those challenges through a different question: could AI change this?
Could AI help with support? Could it improve room utilization? Could it personalize collaboration experiences? Could it help users choose the right space for the right task? Could it reduce waste, improve lifecycle planning, or help you manage complexity at scale?
Then change your approach. Don’t wait for vendors to tell you what AI means. Bring your own questions and use the show to seek and test who is thinking seriously about the same problems you are.
That means listening less and driving more!
Most of us recognise that yesterday’s business models, rigid product architectures, and limited accountability models were not built for tomorrow’s realities. So be vocal about what YOU need to manage the risks, uncertainty, and opportunity ahead. Challenge the industry as to how it can better serve the actual complexity of your organization.
In doing so, the responses you receive will likely tell you a lot. The value of today’s product capability has never meant less on its own. What matters more is whether the vendor, product, and platform show signs of being agile, progressive, and capable of evolving with you. In the answers you receive, ask yourself who gives you confidence—not just in what they sell today, but in how they think about tomorrow. If they don’t inspire you, if their front-line sellers can’t articulate this, then that tells you about where they are on that journey.
Tarry's Two Challenges
My suggestion: Try to come out of the show with at least two signals.
First, identify a mainstream vendor whose answers give you the confidence that they can overcome the natural inertia of their size and scale.
Second, try to find an emerging vendor, perhaps in a small booth far from the center of gravity, whose thinking challenges you. Their product may not yet meet every enterprise requirement, but their perspective may help you rethink the bets you make.
Additionally, I’ll challenge you to look for opportunities and pathways for “collaborative experimentation.”
The future of collaboration will not be built by one vendor, one integrator, one consultant, or one technology manager alone. It will be shaped through ideation, exploration, testing, and application by diverse teams with different expertise. So, try to leave InfoComm with some new collaborators, not just new brochures. Consciously seek out people and organizations willing to invest time WITH YOU in labs, pilots, shared learning, and open exploration. Certainly, that’s a part of what I’ll be looking for, so feel free to make me your first Conversation!
Finally, I’d propose you focus on looking for the “how.” There is no shortage of armchair expertise around WHY AI matters. But conviction in that is no longer the problem for most. The greater need is practical application. Who has tested something? Who has learned something? Who can explain what worked, what failed, what changed, and what they would do differently next time? All to help provide you a roadmap for tomorrow's approach and next steps, what it will take to eventually get to that future potential.
So let’s all try to enter the show with a different mindset. We know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The future will not be found by walking the same aisles, asking the same questions, and expecting different outcomes. It will belong to those who use the show not just to see what is new, but to imagine, test, and shape what is next.
