In November, Almo Pro AV announced the formation of its Hospitality Leadership Team. The division is led by the newly appointed VP of hospitality, Almo Pro AV (and SCN The Nine 2023 alum) Karen Castaño. Under her direction, the hospitality division is focused on expanding Almo’s market presence in the growing vertical.
[Almo Pro AV's Parent Company Rebrands as Nexora]
Per Castaño, the timing is right for a dedicated hospitality team because the entire sector is experiencing a rapid technology transformation, perhaps faster than any other in recent memory. "AV, IT, AI, and cloud solutions are converging, and integrators need a partner who truly understands all the unique demands of this vertical," she said, adding that they have seen a dramatic shift in guest expectations where personalization, automation, and seamless connectivity aren’t differentiators but expected norms.
"At the same time, hotels are investing more heavily in technology to navigate ongoing labor challenges and to stay competitive," Castaño added. "This requires a partner who can offer deeper insight into property-level workflows, procurement patterns, and brand-specific requirements. That’s exactly why we’ve built a verticalized team devoted to hospitality."
In her new role, Castaño guides the overall sales strategy for the hospitality division while also empowering the team. Working alongside Ashley Parrent, director of sales, and Greg Kokorda, director of furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E), she is focused on aligning Almo Pro AV's vision, strengthening the internal and external partnerships, and being strategic about where the company grows next.
"As someone who loves to travel, I know firsthand how meaningful it is when a space, a service, or a moment makes you feel cared for, and I’m energized by the opportunity to help create that through the technology our industry delivers," she said. "I’ve spent almost nine years in the AV industry, and what keeps me inspired is the constant opportunity to learn, adapt, and build solutions that genuinely improve how people experience the world around them. Focusing on hospitality feels like a natural next step. It’s a vertical where my passion for service, my commitment to partnership, and my belief in the impact of thoughtful experiences all come together."
So, as the vertical continues to evolve and expand, where can integrators capitalize? Castaño sat down with SCN and offered four opportunities for the coming year.
4 Opportunities in 2026 for Pro AV Integrators in Hospitality
- Smart Rooms & IoT-Enabled Guest Rooms: Hotels are accelerating their investment in smart-room features (IoT sensors for lighting, HVAC, occupancy, energy optimization). Integrators can deliver unified control platforms that bring together lighting, AV, window treatments, climate systems, and guest entertainment through a centralized control platform or mobile app. Retrofit demand is also rising, as many properties move to replace aging analog infrastructure with modern, networked systems.
- AI-Driven and Personalized Guest Experiences: AI is rapidly reshaping hospitality through personalization, predictive maintenance, and operational intelligence. For integrators, opportunities include adaptive lighting, audio, and ambience in public spaces, lobby or digital signage that adjusts content to guest profiles, and even in-room voice assistants tied directly to AV and environmental controls. Hotels are prioritizing immersive, high-impact experiences with dvLED projection and other AV equipment to differentiate their brand. Integrators who position themselves as “experience designers,” not just technical installers, will lead this wave.
- Cloud-Managed AV and Remote Service Models: Cloud-managed AV is becoming essential for hotels with large footprints and multiple event spaces. Integrators can deliver platforms that allow centralized monitoring, troubleshooting, scheduling, and firmware updates for ballrooms and meeting rooms, lobby and public-area displays, and back-of-house AV systems. This remote-management approach significantly reduces on-site service costs and improves uptime. It also aligns with the push toward unified technology stacks, integrating AV with PMS, CRM, POS, and analytics engines for deeper operational insights.
- Upsell Technology and New Revenue Streams: Hotels are expanding revenue beyond room booking and into day-use offerings, curated experiences, event packages, and premium guest engagement, for example. AV enables many of these initiatives, including interactive in-room and lobby displays, digital signage that promotes services or upgrades, and branded entertainment experiences. For integrators, this opens the door to designing solutions that directly contribute to the hotel’s overall growth.
