Artificial intelligence has taken over Pro AV. At least, it feels that way. New products tout “AI this” or “AI that.” Some folks brag how AI is simplifying their inbox or streamlining their reports, while others fear for their jobs. Every professional conversation somehow seems to wind its way back to AI.

Once we get past summaries that reduce hourlong meetings into bullet points and Instagram videos that trample on intellectual properties for comedic effect, what does it all mean? From machine learning to large language models (LLMs), how is AI truly impacting the Pro AV industry today, and what can we expect in the coming years?

To find the answers, SCN reached out to industry futurists and technologists to collect their thoughts on the current state of AI in Pro AV—and explore potential roadmaps into our industry's next chapters.

Accentuate the Positive

Julian Phillips, SVP and managing director of XTG, the AVI-SPL Experience Technology Group, has spoken extensively about AI and last year released LevAIthan: A Brief History of Humanity and AI, a book co-authored with Athena, his AI assistant. In his book, he argued that we should stop calling it “artificial intelligence” and start calling it “augmented intelligence.” His point is that AI’s greatest value is in strengthening people, not replacing them.

“If we call it artificial intelligence, we think substitution. If we call it augmented intelligence, we think amplification,” he explained. “The wording matters because language shapes strategy. The best AI does not remove the human being from the experience; it makes the human more capable within it.”

According to Phillips, AI is most powerful when it helps designers, technicians, support teams, and end users work faster, smarter, and with greater confidence. “At AVI-SPL, for example, Symphony helps organizations monitor and manage assets across the network, identify issues earlier, and support users more proactively,” Phillips said. “That is a practical example of intelligence improving both operational performance and the user experience.”

In his role at Midwich, Chris Neto, head of emerging markets, revealed that AI is changing the conversation both internally at and with external vendor partners. “'Emerging markets' used to mean geography. Now it also means capability,” he said. “AI is accelerating that shift. Markets and verticals that may have lagged in the traditional sense now have the opportunity to leapfrog through software-driven, AI-enabled solutions.”

And that’s where Neto’s role is evolving. “It’s no longer just about identifying where growth might happen,” he said, “it’s about helping our teams within Midwich understand what’s possible and then extending that insight to our vendors and manufacturer partners so we can move together, faster and more strategically. AI doesn’t replace strategy, but it absolutely sharpens it.”

Of course, the willingness to integrate AI with AV systems depends entirely on the client, said Rich Green, president and CEO of Rich Green Design. "We’re still very early in the AI journey," he said, "so what my clients demand is superb audio, superb video, and flawless connectivity. Our job as integrators is to help them understand how AI fits into their broader digital transformation strategy. If AI can improve speech intelligibility or automate presentation connectivity, hooray! If it gets in the way, VC partners get ornery."

Perceptions and Realities

So, is AI being perceived in Pro AV as a godsend or a job killer? If you ask Neto, it's following a very familiar pattern.

“Every major shift, from DSP to networked AV to the cloud, came with the same fear cycle,” he said. “AI is just the latest iteration. The difference now is the speed and accessibility. The people who see it as a job killer are usually thinking about tasks. The people who see it as a tool are thinking about outcomes.”

"The Pro AV industry has always relied heavily on automated workflows, and AI represents a new era for efficiency," added David Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA. "Adopting AI requires thoughtful consideration of how it fits into current systems and processes. In some cases, it may accelerate tasks or simplify programming, but the fundamentals remain the same: Professionals are still defining the goals, guiding the system, and validating the outcomes."

AVIXA maintained a pragmatic view of AI in its education program at InfoComm 2026. "AVIXA is focused on what’s actually happening with AI today," Labuskes said. "We’ve moved past the phases of 'AI will do everything' and 'AI isn’t doing most of those things.' Instead, we’re now in a phase where practical applications are emerging and adoption is steadily growing. Rather than focusing on fears of widespread job loss, the emphasis is on how people are actually using AI in their day-to-day roles to work more efficiently and effectively."

Phillips warned that AI literacy is vital in today's Pro AV workplace, because AI is entering the workplace—whether people are ready for it or not. "In modern Pro AV, understanding AI is becoming as important as understanding signal flow," he said. "AI literacy matters because it helps people separate real capability from hype. It helps them ask better questions, apply the tools responsibly, and have more credible conversations with customers who are already looking at how AI fits into their workplace strategies. This is not about keeping up, it's about staying ahead."

Joe Andrulis, EVP of corporate development for Biamp, expects AI will empower productivity gains, because it eliminates training barriers and helps workers come up to speed more rapidly. "With AI, products get easier to implement because the products themselves incorporate artificial intelligence to make setup more dependable and to handle situations dynamically," he explained. "However, I don’t know the net effect, positive or negative. I think the effect of AI will be varied by sector and by application area. Some jobs are going to be greatly enhanced, and AI will be a big boost to AV, while others might be negatively impacted."

For example, Andrulis acknowledged that one of the big challenges in the dealer community has been finding qualified people. "The more that AV systems can incorporate intelligence natively, the more easily integrators can install systems with less specialized workers, which can make it easier to hire while also ensuring a more standardized outcome across geographies," he said. "In the past, customers were often willing to pay for high-value installation services, but that was very difficult for dealers to scale as the pool of qualified experts is very limited. With AI, they are giving up some of that high-value work, but in return they get scale. Scale is how dealers can win with AI."

Aim Higher

"On the design and pre-construction side, AI tools are meaningfully accelerating how integrators work," Green observed. "AI can help parse complex RFPs, draft system narratives, cross-reference equipment specifications, and even generate first-pass signal flow documentation. Work that used to take days can now take an hour. That's not a small thing because it frees up real time for the higher-value, higher-judgment work that actually requires a human expert."

That expertise is an indispensable part of equation. "We dare not underestimate the human in the loop," Green warned. "Nurturing talented and competent professional humans is the most important path to sustained success and prosperity. The liability and the craft are still ours to own."

AV has always been built on relationships, trust, and experience, which Neto said AI can’t replace. Instead, AI removes friction. “It handles the repeatable, the predictable, and the scalable, which frees us up to focus on what actually matters: creativity, customer experience, and quality service,” he said. “So no, it’s not killing jobs, but it is going to expose complacency.”

Based on discussions with clients and other integrators, Dave Van Hoy, president of Advanced Systems Group, said defining what AI is for Pro AV really depends on who you ask. “AI is a buzzword. AI is an initiative. AI is an actual functional tool. We're at the evolution of these tools, where all these things are true,” he offered. “It’s in many applications. It's a management initiative with no clear definition. It's being used today in everything from camera tracking to closed captioning, graphics generation, and many other things."

AVIXA research shows a shift toward practical adoption. According to Labuskes, studies of AI use in the Pro AV workplace show significant growth in implementation, along with increased recognition of its benefits, particularly since the rise of GenAI. "While AI continues to evolve, it is clearly becoming more deeply embedded within organizations," he said, "and as adoption matures, its business impact will be increasingly measurable."

But Phillips believes too many organizations are treating AI as a productivity hack, rather than as a "partner in exploration" that can help teams model possibilities, test ideas faster, identify patterns, and solve problems. "If we're implementing AI just to make us faster," he argued, "we're aiming too low."

Present Practicalities

In the real world, AI features have gone from nice-to-have to expected faster than most people realize. “Walk into any modern meeting space, and AI is already there—whether people call it that or not,” Neto offered. “Auto-framing, speaker tracking, noise cancellation, transcription, translation. These aren’t futuristic features anymore, they’re baseline expectations.”

However, when it comes to AI and UCC, Neto thinks the industry needs a reality check. “AI is only as good as the environment it’s operating in,” he explained. “We can’t talk about AI-driven transcription and translation, arguably two of the most in-demand features from end users, without talking about acoustics. If the room sounds bad, the AI performs badly. It’s that simple.”

Shure is already integrating AI into its products to provide intelligent noise suppression and voice focus. "AI is only as effective as the data it ingests," agreed Christine Schyvinck, president and CEO of Shure, "so pristine audio is paramount for AI to do its job and for end users to experience greater productivity."

In other words, speech intelligibility should now be considered foundational for meeting spaces. Poor acoustics lead to poor data, which leads to poor outcomes.

“So, while AI is raising the bar for what these systems can do, it’s also raising the bar for how we design spaces,” Neto advised. “Integrators and designers need to think beyond the camera and the codec and start with the room itself. Because at the end of the day, if the AI can’t clearly understand what’s being said, everything else falls apart.”

Improving Products

Schyvinck believes AI can be a game changer when it comes to product development—with the right governance, policies, and planning. At her company, AI is not only assisting with the process, it's making product development more effective and efficient.

"AI has definitely helped accelerate many tasks, which can help us bring products to market faster," Schyvinck noted. "It is especially well suited for rapid prototyping. AI assists with learning and acquiring user feedback earlier in the development process, which is something we value a great deal at Shure because of our focus on customer input."

Schyvinck said Shure has been leveraging AI in its products for years, and it serves a critical role in today's UCC products. " AI helps with hybrid work pain points," she explained. "It enhances meeting intelligence, workflow automation, personalization, and analytics."

AI is certainly improving Biamp products—for example, cameras include auto zoom and focus as well as tilting capabilities, while AI noise reduction is helping to improve voice intelligibility in ways that users may not even realize. "Thinking broadly, AI is enabling products to become easier to use while also becoming more flexible," Andrulis said. "AI software, such as Biamp Launch, is now embedded into system programming, including auto setup and auto tuning.

"This is useful beyond just installation, as it can adapt to changes in the environment. As a result, the end user is getting a much more polished experience in a wider set of use cases," Andrulis added. "It’s all happening more efficiently and at lower cost, with overall better performance and without any overt action from individuals."

Predictions and Next Steps

AI has already made some pretty impressive technological strides. As Labuskes said, "While our eyes are on how AI is being used in practical AV applications, we're also tracking its potential to make huge shifts across the industry."

Coming soon, look for continued growth in Edge AI, which is the practice of running AI locally on AV devices instead of sending it to the cloud. And beyond that is Physical AI, which combines sensors and control systems with AI to create meeting rooms that essentially run themselves.

Van Hoy said the best is yet to come. "Today, AI can take care of many mundane tasks," he said. "As we go forward, it will be able to do more sophisticated things, including technical direct productions and allow voice control of AV systems for unattended use. The applications will continue to evolve, particularly in the routine applications where humans provide the least creative value."

Schyvinck has already seen the shift from static hardware to adaptive learning systems. "End users want meetings that automatically generate, track, and facilitate action items and tasks," she explained. "They want rooms that self-diagnose issues and trigger support workflows or even self-heal."

Green agreed that platforms that can flag anomalies in system behavior before a client even notices a problem are a "genuine operational win" for integrators and end users. "AI-enhanced knowledge management systems for system integrators and support technicians will be a game changer," he predicted.

Voice control in professional environments needs attention, Green said, mostly because consumer voice AI tech can't be used due to cybersecurity and privacy concerns. However, he expects agentic AI, which makes its own decisions and takes action, to have a significant impact on system interoperability. "It’s a wild frontier fraught with hazards but improving exponentially," he added. "That’s the space to watch right now."

A Word of Warning

For Neto, the future of AI in Pro AV is about better overall experiences, not features. The industry is heading toward environments that are context-aware spaces that "understand who’s in the room, what they’re trying to do, and adjust in real time without manual intervention."

However, that kind of AI integration should probably come with a warning sticker. "Just because we can automate everything doesn’t mean we should," Neto said. "There’s a balance between intelligent and intrusive. The winners won’t be the ones who cram in the most AI; they’ll be the ones who use it with purpose thoughtfully, transparently, and in ways that actually make human interaction better, not more complicated."

For Green, the IT manager is often the integrator's point of contact, and they are "extremely cautious" about introducing AI. "Cybersecurity is top of mind in these firms. AI poses new threats, often cleverly disguised," he explained. "It’s best to defer to predictable reliability and hold off on AI tricks in these environments. Sophisticated clients can see right through them."

While AI-driven diagnostics and remote monitoring are maturing, Green said the interoperability and standardization layer still needs improvement. "Integrated systems can be sourced from a dozen different manufacturers, and the AI features often live in proprietary ecosystems that don't talk to each other elegantly," he noted. "The industry needs either stronger open standards or deeper partnerships at the platform level before AI can reach its full potential in a fully integrated system."

Andrulis had his own warning—about unintended consequences. "As the systems become smarter, we need to recognize that our industry is about audio and video sensors," he said, "and as they become more widely used and data is processed more intelligently, there are valid concerns about surveillance or the misuse of personal information. Users may not even be aware it’s happening.

"The good news is that as we get more information, we can do even more wonderful things with that information, but that is assuming good intentions," he continued. "Bad actors can use that information in ways that do not benefit end users. There is a potential dark side to this paradigm and as an industry we need to be cognizant of that."

While Las Vegas turned up temperatures for InfoComm 2026, the show made its own heat. There was serious energy on the show floor, with plenty of exhibitors, presentations, and experiences to keep attendees engaged. The completed renovations to the Las Vegas Convention Center helped traffic flow between the Work (Central Hall) and Play (North Hall) areas, with free session spaces and other attractions positioned between the two.

[What's the Buzz? How InfoComm Has Changed in Five Years]

First, let's talk about those show numbers. I said it on the show floor and I'll stand by my assessment: Attendance was fine. Not record-breaking, not a disaster. Fine. Normal. Within acceptable parameters.

The official numbers back me up. According to AVIXA, there were 28,132 verified attendees (35,707 total registrants). International attendance accounted for 20% of attendees, with representation from 94 countries. There were also 807 exhibitors.

How does that compare to last year's effort in Orlando, FL? InfoComm 2025 attracted 817 exhibitors, which was down from 833 in 2024. So, yes, there's a small downward trend, but 807 still gave attendees plenty to experience.

Orlando attendance was 30,998, and InfoComm 2024 in Las Vegas was 30,271, which reported 23% international attendance. That little nugget of data is important. Based on these numbers, a quick bit of math shows me the show lost about 1,300 international attendees from the last time we all gathered in Las Vegas, which represents roughly 60% of the attendee loss.

What kept them away? Was it outrageous travel costs? International unrest? The growing popularity of ISE in Barcelona? Methinks it's all of the above.

Speaking of numbers, Michael Sullivan-Trainor, AVIXA’s senior industry analyst, reported during the show that growth in the Pro AV industry has slowed from 5.4% to 3.9%, but it's still ahead of GDP in most countries. Even more encouraging: Pro AV buyers are increasing budget growth expectation this year. Here are a couple of other things I noticed on the show floor.

Don't sleep on virtual production.

If you haven't heard, there's a buzzword gaining momentum in Pro AV: broadcast AV. (You can get some insights from our recent ebook, AV for Broadcast.) During a presentation for media covering the show, Sullivan-Trainor said the growing broadcast AV market is changing the way the industry is looking at delivering AV. In fact, broadcast production rooms that deliver high production values are being adopted across other verticals, including corporate, government, healthcare, education, and more.

According to Trainor, the core principles of broadcast AV include workflows that offer repeatable execution, not just ad hoc operations, with enterprise-first designs that are focused on business teams and are aligned with IT requirements. And virtual production is a "very important" part of the growing broadcast AV market segment. He mentioned one company that embraced virtual production and was producing content 30% faster as well as 40% more content. That kind of ROI is hard to ignore.

Sony gets it. The company has developed a comprehensive virtual production ecosystem, and partnered with Vū Tampa Bay to demonstrate a setup designed for corporate users during the show. The solution featured Sony's CAPRI modular dvLED display, which can be upgraded to a VERONA display with a lower pixel pitch and deeper blacks. Both are purpose-built Sony Crystal LEDs for virtual production. The demo also had a BRC-AM7 PTZ camera with AI integration for tracking and facial recognition.

Jaime Raffone, senior sales manager, virtual production, Sony, said the demand for virtual production at the corporate level is "growing exponentially," because it offers a "very easy point of entry." Many financial and Fortune 500 companies have already adopted virtual production workflows and are now building out their facilities for more complex productions. "Content is still king," Raffone offered, adding that virtual production provides an "easier, more immersive way to build their brand."

A virtual production set was also part of the Smart Workplace, which was powered by FORTÉ and showcased modern office technologies. It was one of three new immersive experiences at the show; there was also the Pitch, powered by Diversified, which provided a look at the modern fan experience, while the Retail Experience demonstrated how Pro AV technologies are influencing consumer engagement in physical retail environments.

Stop trying to bury the projector business.

Yes, the projector business is not en fuego. Robert Ambrose, CEO and co-founder of Caretta Research, took a quick look at the numbers for me. The market is not showing a positive trend; in fact, it's on the decline at a roughly 5% drop annually. But it ain't dead yet.

According to Petro Shimonishi, director of new business development and business transformation for Panasonic Projector & Display Americas, the market oscillates between flat and declining, depending on the year. Except this year—because sales are up. She's seeing customers "boomerang" from dvLED solutions due to the cost and complexities of maintenance issues.

Panasonic is also investing in a new projector technology. VIVID PRIME is a RGB laser light source technology that's designed to eliminate the "rainbow effect" without introducing new imaging issues. The new PT-HTQ20 4K projector is the company's first to feature VIVID PRIME, and is designed to appeal to museums, themed entertainment, and immersive experiences. Shimonishi said the company is also seeing new interest from golf simulation systems that rely on projectors. Obviously, you can't launch a golf ball at a dvLED display—or at least not more than once.

Joel St-Denis, director of project management at Christie, admitted concerts and live events have been "taken over" by LED. However, he said, "There's still growth in certain areas." Fixed installations are a bright spot, particularly with projectors in the 8,000-12,000 lumen market space. St-Denis said these models, including Christie's new Korus Series, are bright enough to punch through ambient light while providing competitive price points.

And then there's projection mapping. Scalable Display Technologies had a patriotic demonstration of projection mapping on a scaled version of Mount Rushmore at its booth. From monuments to historic structures, projection mapping brings existing spaces to life. "I think it's reinvigorating production," said James Pietsch, director of global accounts, Scalable Display Technologies.

ViewSonic launched its LSD Series of laser projectors in May and had three models on display at InfoComm. Jeff Muto, business line director, ViewSonic, said the lumens-per-dollar ratio has improved with the company's third-generation laser technology, so ViewSonic can deliver a more viable product for schools and small businesses. (And yes, they have a dedicated Golf Mode, too. I sense another trend.)

Muto also admitted the professional projector market is "slowing," but with relatively few projector manufacturers in the industry, there's no reason to abandon the technology. And slowing doesn't mean stopped; globally, this is still a multi-billion dollar industry. So, plenty of sales, new technological developments, new products, and new potential markets and applications. Sure doesn't sound like a dead market segment to me.

InfoComm 2026 brought together the global pro AV industry for a week of innovation, education, networking, and business development. The show welcomed 28,132 verified attendees from 94 countries, with international attendance representing 20% of attendees, and end users representing 37%. Total registrants totaled 35,707.

[What's the Buzz? How InfoComm Has Changed in Five Years]

“This year's InfoComm was the most interactive and engaging event we've ever produced," said Jenn Heinold, SVP, Expositions, Americas, AVIXA, producer of InfoComm. "From keynotes with live demos and hands-on learning to immersive activations like Smart Workplace, The Pitch, Retail Experience, and AVIXA TV, attendees weren't just hearing about the future of AV, IT, broadcast, and AI. They experienced it firsthand.”

At first glance, the attendance was roughly 7% down from the previous Las Vegas show in 2024, which set post-COVID records. However, with global uncertainty due to tariffs and the Iran war, international travel was slowed. The 2024 iteration welcomed 125 countries, which dropped to 94 in 2026. It is very easy to pinpoint the reasons why the numbers lagged and even easier to remain positive that the show will bounce back to its record-setting momentum in Orlando next year.

That doesn't mean records weren't set. The 37% of end users was up from 29% at the last Las Vegas show, and broke the 35% mark set last year in Orlando. The industry is expanding its reach, and that was evident on the show floor.

InfoComm 2026 hosted 807 exhibitors and 395,500 net square feet of show floor space across the Las Vegas Convention Center, showcasing the latest technologies in audiovisual solutions, collaboration, retail, broadcast, digital signage, AI-driven systems, workplace innovation, immersive experiences, and more.

The show featured four immersive show floor activations that brought these trends to life:

• Smart Workplace, powered by FORTÉ, demonstrated how integrated technologies, AI-enabled collaboration, workplace analytics, and enterprise communications systems are creating more intelligent and connected work environments.
• The Pitch, powered by Diversified, showcased the convergence of sports, broadcast, live events, and fan engagement technologies through a dynamic environment featuring production workflows, collaboration spaces, premium hospitality experiences, and interactive audience engagement. 
• Retail Experience, in collaboration with Bluesound Professional, BrightSign, Poppulo, and Samsung, explored how AI, digital signage, content strategy, and connected systems are transforming customer engagement and in-store experiences by how brands are leveraging immersive experiences, personalized content and engaging customer journeys.
• AVIXA TV transformed the show floor into a working broadcast studio, showcasing live production workflows, content creation, and industry conversations while providing attendees with a hands-on look at the technologies and techniques driving today's broadcast and media environments.

InfoComm 2026 also served as the launchpad for RESIDE, a new event focused on the residential integration market that will debut alongside Lightapalooza at InfoComm 2027. Developed through a partnership between AVIXA, HTSA, and ProSource, the event underscores the increasing convergence of residential and commercial AV technologies and the growing opportunities across both markets.

Before the show floor opened Thursday morning, a sold-out crowd of over 300 attendees filled the Keynote Theater for the 11^th annual AVIXA Women’s Breakfast. Sarah Joyce, chief global officer, AVIXA kicked off the event, welcoming the packed house to celebrate the global community committed to supporting and empowering women who work in technology and the AV industry. Founded in 2015, the AVIXA Women’s Council now has more than 1,200 members worldwide.

[What's the Buzz? How InfoComm Has Changed in Five Years]

Before they handed things over to Mariana Atencio for a highly emotional and interactive keynote, Heather Best of Diversified introduced Women Without Boundaries, an industry-wide recognition program created to celebrate the women driving progress across AV, media, and technology. WAVIT founder and owner of BAM Marketing, Brandy Alvarado-Miranda, then introduced Emily Cieslak and Alexa Johnson as the 2026 Mary Cook Empowerment Award: Designing the Future scholarship. Jeanne Lewis, senior manager, channel and events, Sony, also came to the stage with some eye-opening numbers from the event’s sponsor. Lewis shared that 36% of Sony North America employees are women; 37% of Sony Pro Display Solutions employees are women; and 42% of Sony Pro Display Solutions leadership positions are held by women.

Atencio, a Peabody Award-winning journalist, bestselling author, media entrepreneur, inspiring storyteller, and host/moderator, then took attendees on a journey from an uncertain future to becoming a widely recognized personality and leader in her keynote, Real Matters: Building Trust in an Unreal World. She discussed how trust has become one of the most valuable assets leaders and organizations can cultivate. It is more so true today, in the AI Era as she called it, as the world is continuously changing with emerging technologies from the very AV professionals sitting in front of her.

Her journey began at the age of 23 in her home country of Venezuela. Atencio, she recollected, went to her “happy place,” a mountain hike where plenty of others had trekked. On her descent, she shared a terrifying tale of how she was held at gunpoint, asked to give up her valuables and then count to 100. As she counted, not knowing if she would reach 100, the culprit fled, and while Atencio survived the attack, she was left a changed woman.

The experience made her lose trust; trust in everything, from the people she passed on the street to what would become her calling card, the media. It was then that she moved to America and not only changed the course of her career, but her outlook on what makes a successful leader.

Trust in a New Era

“It’s the AI Era,” Atencio said. “ChatGPT can write the quote. Every bid looks the same. The experts are leaving. Uncertainty is the weather.”

Trust, she added, is what drives it all. Shifting from her own experience to the world of Pro AV, she pointed out that nobody leaves a concert talking about the cabling or even what the subwoofers looked like. Pro AV work is meant to be invisible. Customers have high expectations, ones that need to be 100% certain that when the lights go down, the technology all has to work with the flip of a switch. But there is no way to know that will happen… until it happens. It is trust that continues to make the uncertainty more certain, especially in Pro AV.

“Courage is what gets you there, but trust is what keeps you alive,” Atencio said. She shared video of some of her weather reporting, often in hurricane or dangerous flood conditions. And every time, she wasn’t alone. A crew followed her, and she constantly reminded the audience that it was not because of her title, it wasn’t because of her stature in the industry; it was because they trusted her.

When nothing you see can be trusted, Atencio said, there’s only one thing left to do. Trust yourself.

The Eye: Infinite Resolutions, No Update Required

Trust, she said, is built at eye level. For the remainder of her time on the stage, she explored the architecture of trust. The three-tiered architecture included seeing yourself, seeing each other, and finally, being seen. She had several interactive portions of the speech, all relating to the eye as the beholder of truth. One such activity required attendees to look their neighbor in the eyes for 60-straight seconds. Why? People always have their head in their phones in 2026, and Atencio shared that a recent report showed that fewer than 4% of people lock eyes in a conversation. If trust starts in the eye, holding a person’s gaze makes them feel seen and allows them to see through your eyes.

She shared one last story of Paul. Her team of four was trapped in a hurricane and Paul, who was well-prepared and boarded up for the storm, not only took her team in, but wound up becoming part of the team, traveling with them on their storm coverage. Paul, who was not necessarily trustworthy of the media, found something that made him feel comfortable with Atencio and her team. “People don’t follow leaders,” she said. “They follow their why. Let them see your why and trust follows.”

She concluded imploring the audience to use what we learned about trust and eye contact on the show floor because after all, Atencio concluded, everyone on the show floor is a connection waiting to happen.

Ilya Bukshteyn, corporate vice president, Microsoft Teams Calling, Meetings, and Devices–Microsoft, took to the stage Wednesday afternoon to present the Microsoft keynote
Exploring the Future of AI-Powered Collaboration and Connected Workplaces. David Labuskus, CEO, AVIXA, introduced Bukshteyn, and while he pointed out that Microsoft is reshaping the future of work, he asked the many in attendance: what’s next for meetings and communication as we face this transformation from AI?

[What's the Buzz? How InfoComm Has Changed in Five Years]

“I think you would agree with me that we are in a time of so much change, and whenever there is so much change, we tend to get polarized,” Bukshteyn said. Everything is a non-event or the end of the world. But the truth is the future lies somewhere in the middle. Right now, that is the evolving AI‑powered workplace, where communication and collaboration become intelligent, seamless experiences across both digital and physical spaces.

Over the next hour, Bukshteyn dove into AI enhancements to Microsoft Teams that will help teams move from discussion to action faster than ever. AI is becoming both a tool and a collaborator. No longer is AI simply inside hardware, like auto-framing, noise cancellation, and dictation. Instead of enhancing collaboration between humans, AI has become agentic colleagues, having conversations and collaborating between humans.

Bukshteyn feels the future of work is not sitting heads down at work while AI agents collaborate. AI will do work on our behalf, he said, and AI will allow for more work together that will create an unimagined innovation. He pointed to the work trend index in which two of three users using AI currently spend more time on high-value work, while 58% of those polled are producing work they couldn’t a year ago. As far as creative innovation, 86% treat AI output as a starting point, not an answer.

The future of work, for Bukshteyn, is centered around Microsoft Copilot. Work IQ is the intelligent layer that personalizes Copilot to an organization. Teams contributes to Work IQ through three ways: communication, collaboration, and work.

Bukshteyn then introduced multi-line for Teams Phone users. Communication is on the verge of being overwhelming. AI can help to streamline that communication, not just to free up more time effectively for us, but for the customers and end users we are helping. Multi-line for Teams Phone users allows up to 10 phone lines and can separate calls by department or subject area to come into one place where there is memory and knowledge. The Queues app was also introduced, which is a shared history of calls and voicemails. With Teams Phone Agent, an AI-powered auto attendant that can screen calls, take information, and even schedule meetings, enables agents to call other agents.

Collaboration is still very important to the future of work. Humans meeting other humans is vital, but these experiences need to be more seamless, more inclusive, and agent powered, making the meeting experience better. Bukshteyn introduced newly redesigned meeting and sharing controls that protect Teams Meetings against external bots. Microsoft will continue to invest in making Teams meetings more secure and simple to manage to make Teams meetings inclusive.

Bukshteyn added that the most used AI feature is recaps. Now there is a recap for everyone and every style, whether you like a transcript or video, and one tab allows you to find meetings you were mentioned in, you missed or weren’t able to make. There is a recap for everyone and every style.

While Bukshteyn also introduced a new Teams events app that becomes a one-stop shop to create and manage events, he also introduced a new training partnership with AVIXA. With more than 1.5 million Teams Rooms active licenses, AVIXA and Microsoft have partnered to have always on, always available training to get the most out of Microsoft Teams and an AI-empowered workplace. He called out several new devices that have also partnered with Microsoft Teams, bringing the CISCO G2 board, which is running on Android, and the MAXHUB all-in-one display, which runs on Windows, as well as the new Q-SYS Windows-powered bar. Whether it is a bar, board, or display, form factor shouldn’t determine your platform, Bukshteyn said.

Before he concluded, Bukshteyn introduced Teams Facilitator, which is now available on every Teams Room. Facilitator can help find rooms if you have more people and warn you if your room was left messy. It can start taking notes, share third-party (Zoom, Google Meet) meetings from Teams, and take all the friction out of meeting rooms. For us to move to a truly AI-powered future, Bukshteyn said the four key steps are: enroll the Frontier Program; enable voice and face enrollment; set up Teams phone agent and custom voice agent; and add facilitator to your meetings.

“This is just the beginning,” concluded Bukshteyn. “Having Ambient AI opens up boundless opportunities for us because literally, the entire world is at our fingertips.”

At Wednesday’s AVIXA Press Lunch, Mike Sullivan-Trainor, industry analyst, AVIXA, delivered the State of Pro AV: AI, Convergence, and the Next Phase of Growth. While he admitted that Pro AV, much like all industries, is facing global challenges, the industry is alive and well, with continued growth expected to continue well into the future.

[InfoComm 2026: Booths We Love... So Far]

Sullivan-Trainor referenced the book The Experience Economy. While the authors of the book, Joseph Pine and James H. Gilmore, took an economic approach, Sullivan-Trainor said there was plenty to take away for the Pro AV industry as an enabler of experiences, not just in corporate and education verticals, but events as well. Sullivan-Trainor turned his attention to three aspects of the new experience economy: what he called shock-proof growth from consumer demand, the convergence of Pro AV and Broadcast, and operational AI.

Resiliency Prevails in Challenging Times

The resiliency of the industry was something Sullivan-Trainor would reference throughout his near-hour long talk. “Pro AV buyers remain resilient, enabling suppliers and integrators to continue to grow revenue,” he said. “While the pace has slowed down from 5.4% to 3.9%, the growth remains ahead of GDP in most countries.”

There has been sustained and steady growth, albeit slower, despite macroeconomic shocks. He pointed out that the percentage of Pro AV buyers who expect a budget increase in Q3 this year remains high at 56.9%, but that should be unsurprising as the cost of products are also on the rise. While tariffs have calmed, an average of 10.4% tariff remains, and the current administration is exploring other means to increase tariffs with no path to a refund in sight. Additionally, the Iran War shut down oil and increased transportation costs from Europe and Asia, which gets passed on to goods and services to the consumer. Lastly, the semiconductor industry is facing a significant shortage of chips due to unprecedented demand driven by the AI boom. The shortage is expected to persist through 2027. Again, Sullivan-Trainor pointed to resiliency that Pro AV continues to persevere.

“Consumers and enterprises will continue to sustain spending on audio and visual despite economic fluctuations,” Sullivan-Trainor concluded. “Users are looking to differentiate experiences and experiences are driven by Pro AV.”

Every Enterprise Is a Broadcaster

What used to be the CEO and C-level executives is no longer the case, as every department wants to have production quality available not just for sales and marketing, but internal communications. He showed that corporate (34.5%) and government (32.3%) led the way in broadcast production room adoption, with education pulling up the rear at 19%. It is a time where we need to increase the quality of experience with such things as real-time graphics, virtual sets, XR layers, and augmented reality integration. He turned to a focus on AV over IP as standardizing IP video democratizes production and broadcast of content while maintaining reliability and signal integrity.

Broadcast brought attributes of the creator economy — such as storytelling, editorial discipline, and reliability engineering — to the corporate world, while software-defined workflows that easily integrate AI allow a greater return on investments in intelligent automation. Sullivan-Trainor shared Broadcast AV’s four core principles that need to be part of the adoption process: measured performance replaces vague quality claims through the use of standards; workflow replaces ad hoc operations with designed, rehearsed, repeatable execution; reliability with less complexity; and enterprise-first design that focuses on business teams. “As enterprises mature in adopting Pro AV, broadcast production as a discipline will become widely adopted,” Sullivan-Trainor said.

An Agentic Shift

Lastly, Sullivan-Trainor shifted to the hottest buzzword on the show floor: AI. While users are quickly adopting to AI, there is still a long way to go. From meeting rooms to classrooms to even stages, AI is clearly adding value. In AVIXA’s Business Index Pool, 65% of Pro AV users said they use AI at work, with 27.7 % using it at least weekly and 37% using it occasionally. When it comes to what type of AI is being used, 70% are using Generative AI. However, Sullivan-Trainor pointed out, the Agentic AI revolution is upon us, and there is certainly a lag in Pro AV.

Part of that is the lack of governance as Pro AV companies are in the early days of figuring out what that means. Risk grows as AI shifts from assistive to autonomous execution, so governance is vital. Companies that have some sort of AI policy jumped from 31% to 47% in the past year, while those that have no policy at all decreased from 48% to 36% over the same span. There is no AI-specific AV security framework, though frameworks like NIST are being used in the interim but provide incomplete coverage leading to several challenges including limited guidance for integrators. However, in the last year, company funding of AI for employees increased more than 60%, showing that productivity benefits are gradually beginning to outweigh the risks of deploying AI. “Pro AV providers are adopting AI, but governance, security, and behavior changes are required to fully leverage it,” he added.

AI has the biggest impact on business’s operations efficiency. “End users will expect AI to be fully embedded to enable automated, adaptive, on-demand, personalized experience,” Sullivan-Trainor concluded.

AVIXA has partnered with technology research firm Caretta Research to produce the broadest understanding of the pro AV market through a forecast driven by comprehensive analysis of industry data and market trends. Replacing the previous Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) report, the new Pro AV Industry Outlook (PAVIO) will be published twice a year and be made available free of charge to AVIXA Gold member companies, who will also have exclusive access to an accompanying online dashboard.

[By the Numbers: May We Live in Interesting Times]

Global in scope, the Pro AV Industry Outlook will cover a wide range of technologies and provide data needed to benchmark business, identify areas of growth, and reveal key trends. Additionally, the Outlook will support organizations making merger and acquisition decisions and inform outside investment into the Pro AV industry.

“AVIXA has been the ‘go-to’ source of data and trends analysis for the AV industry for more than two decades,” comments Dan Goldstein, Chief Product Officer, AVIXA. “Our new partnership with Caretta Research reflects our desire not just to maintain that reputation but to enhance the value we offer to stakeholders by taking an ‘end-to-end’ view of the complete AV industry value chain, from hardware manufacturers and software vendors all the way through to use cases across the full spectrum of vertical markets.”

Known for providing expert research to guide buying and selling decisions across broadcast, media, AV, and information technology, Caretta Research combines decades of industry experience with continuous hands-on research. The company's extensive network of technology buyers and decision-makers helps vendors understand and target potential markets, while supporting buyers in identifying the most suitable solutions.

“This partnership represents a powerful new direction for the pro AV industry. We’re moving beyond the spreadsheet to provide data and insights that drive real business strategy,” said Robert Ambrose, co-founder and CEO at Caretta Research. “By taking a demand-side, 'customer-up' view, we focus on specific industry verticals and what buyers actually need, rather than just listing technology categories. We deliver those insights by combining human expertise with advanced AI to truly understand the market.”

The first Pro AV Industry Outlook will be published in Q2 of 2027, with initial findings being released at ISE 2027 in Barcelona and the full outlook being revealed to the media and wider industry at InfoComm 2027 in Orlando.

At InfoComm 2026, AVIXA and Caretta Research will present the session “Pro AV Outlook 2026: Data & Dialogue” as part of the AVIXA Xchange LIVE program. They’ll discuss the forces transforming pro AV value, such as the shift from manual labor and hardware to AI automation, software, and cloud.

Take a moment to consider all the disruptions we are facing in the broader context of the global economy—changing trade policies through tariffs, supply chain challenges linked to conflict in the Middle East, rising energy costs due to the same, climate change, aging workforces, and of course AI.

The last is perhaps the one that the Pro AV industry is contemplating the most. A quick review of the news coming out of NAB provides a firehose of announcements of the next wave of use cases for AI. In fact, there is a good amount to talk about there, as the exact applications within AV solution sets crystalize. We’ll get to that, but first let’s back up a moment. What exactly is the context?

Optimism or Pessimism?

Coming out of a muted 2025, which saw lower growth rates for GDP and Pro AV specifically, has everyone wondering how 2026 might fare. Starting with GDP, IMF estimates show some challenges, particularly once the Iranian conflict is factored in. Growth rates for the Middle East were cut fairly substantially, creating a ripple effect around the rest of the world.

Estimates now show GDP in 2026 growing 3.1%, down from 3.4% last year. This means a weaker context for Pro AV, as arguably there is less capital to be invested overall, even if technology may win a disproportionate share, as it often does.

The counterpoints to a pessimistic outlook aren’t hard to find. A quick search reveals continued growth in corporate profits, historically low jobless claims, low unemployment rates, and robust consumer spending. Each of those provides a good fundamental for Pro AV investment generally speaking.

Economists continue to talk about an experience economy, in which consumers’ discretionary spending shifts to "micro-luxuries." Witness travel, entertainment, and dining related outlays here. The challenging news is that data shows a slower rate of growth in normalized consumer spending since the peak of the pandemic recovery.

The U.S. World Bank estimates for global household consumption numbers are growing at a slower rate over the past several years and into 2026 once the data is normalized to 2015, rising only 2.7% in 2025. As an early indicator of downstream investment in technology, this could portend softness ahead.

Fortunately, since corporate profits are up, even if consumer spending weakens over the near term, there is room for investment, assuming executives do not also become cautious in light of rising costs. One indicator suggesting the contrary is the Purchase Manager’s Index, a gauge of corporate buying intent. As with any similar diffusion index, scores above 50 indicate growth; the Q1 result shows 52.5, a slight increase from last year.

With consumer spending growth down and corporate plans improving, economists suggest we are entering a late-stage economy wherein growth comes from corporate investments to improve operations and gain efficiencies, instead of one driven by consumers. This is perhaps a good sign for Pro AV, though with many projects being driven more by experiences, this is only partially positive.

Evaluating the Outlooks

With context in mind, let’s turn to the actual outlooks. According to AVIXA, 2025 was a low watermark for growth and 2026 will rebound a bit. Caretta Research shows similar, though with a bit more conservativeness. Both put overall Pro AV spending growth closer to 4%. Based on past differences between GDP and Pro AV, these figures may appear a bit low, but not out of keeping with a general climate of concern. A tepid year of growth, with perhaps an upside more toward 5% is reasonable.

Multi-source data from Q1 helps shed light on the trajectory so far. AVIXA’s AV Business Index, a diffusion index based on surveys submitted by AV professionals, shows a slight uptick in March to near 60. Those paying close attention will immediately notice that March is typically the highwater mark for a given year and should be taken with a grain of salt. Though one month doesn’t make the year, the tone that signal sets is a bit of a cautionary tale. Respondents did indicate rising costs as a chief concern, which echo in other data indicating that the impact of tariffs may be finally showing up in the data.

Turning to the Jetbuilt project management platform for AV dealers and installers offers another signal of a strong start to 2026. The total value of projects created on Jetbuilt increased 38% over the same period last year. While some of this is due to just the increasing usage of the platform, that is well above the baseline growth of 15% in project value for 2025. Thus, it is a clear sign of more projects in the pipeline at a higher value.

Here’s the bigger issue—while the average project values are increasing, the percentage of project costs from hardware is on the rise. While it hovered around 40% over the past few years, it shot up more than 50% in late 2025. This puts pressure on integrators from a margin perspective, as more of the revenue is consumed by hardware rather than markups or service. Once again, we have a potential signal of tariff impacts.

Two examples of the hardware cost increases felt by integrators can be found in data from PMA Research, a market research company focused on the display market. While a bit bouncy, the average prices in the Pro AV channel for both flat-panel displays and projectors have shown 10-20% spikes over the past several months. In the case of FPD and dvLED, this occurred in December with slight improvement since.

Projector prices have risen more steadily both for integrators and at the distributor level with increases more in the 25% range. Given that display prices had been dropping over the past several years due to a surge in inventories, this further supports the theory that inventory has diminished to the point where tariff impacts can be felt.

So where does this leave us as we come together at InfoComm to get a renewed pulse on the evolutions in AI? Here’s what we know: The volume and value of projects in the AV pipeline are showing good growth over last year. But project work may be less profitable for the channel as rising hardware costs eat up the budget. This will further require integrators to be creative in how they gain efficiencies to maintain margin.

Fortunately, AI may be poised to help provide process improvements. AI-powered design recommendation tools coming from project management platforms are emerging to help integrators create and deploy reference designs in a more efficient way.

Developed by InfoComm as part of its new "AV in Action" show floor strategy, three all-new immersive experiences will demonstrate how Pro AV technologies are transforming modern workplaces, retail environments, live events, and entertainment experiences through hands-on, real-world applications.

Located in the North Hall, The Pitch is powered by Diversified and illustrates the modern fan experience. Stephen Glancey, digital practice leader for Diversified, said technology has changed sporting events from something fans simply watch into something they actively experience.

“Today, the game is only one part of the overall environment,” he explained. “Fans expect real-time content, dynamic visuals, interactive displays, social moments, mobile integration, premium viewing, and personalized experiences that keep them connected before, during, and after the event. For The Pitch, that means showing how technology can bring the energy of the match into the physical space around it, creating a shared experience that feels live, social, and impossible to replicate at home.”

In the Central Hall, the Retail Experience will showcase how integrated AV, digital signage, audio and content technologies are transforming customer engagement and physical retail environments. The experience includes technology contributions from Bluesound Professional, BrightSign, Poppulo, and Samsung. According to Sam Phenix, CEO and founder of Phenix Consulting, in-person retail has one major advantage over online: experience.

“Pro AV technology plays an increasingly important role in making that experience more engaging, more informative, and ultimately more memorable,” she said. “The most effective retail environments use AV tech intentionally to support storytelling, improve navigation, personalize content, reduce friction, and/or create moments of discovery. But ultimately, the technology should support the retail aka business objective, not distract from it.”

The Smart Workplace, powered by FORTÉ, will bring the modern workplace to life in the Central Hall. Jason Roberts, VP of workplace strategy at FORTÉ, believes AI should improve the workplace experience without becoming the experience itself.

“Within the Smart Workplace, AI becomes part of the operational fabric of the environment,” he explained. “The goal is not to build a workplace that feels more technical. The goal is to build one that feels more natural, more connected, and ultimately more effective for the people using it every day.”

Executive broadcast studios are another part of today’s corporate world, as company leaders are speaking to distributed teams across locations and often time zones. “A simple video call is no longer enough for many of those moments,” Roberts offered. “In the Smart Workplace, the executive broadcast environment demonstrates how organizations can elevate leadership communication without making it overly complex or intimidating.”

As Cisco’s VP and general manager for collaboration devices, Espen Løberg is focused on connected, AI-powered workplaces. His keynote address on Thursday, June 18, at 11 a.m. in Room N249, will focus on “Connected Intelligence,” the company’s approach to unifying networks, collaboration platforms, devices, and AI for better workplace experiences.

“Here's what it looks like in practice,” he explained. “A worker walks into a room. The system recognizes the meeting and enables people to start the call with the touch of a button. During the meeting, cameras and microphones work together to ensure the focus is on the right person—everyone in the room and joining remotely can see, be seen, hear and be heard, all without touching a button. If something changes in the room, the system detects it and resolves it proactively. A facility manager sees space utilization across every floor from one dashboard. The IT team sees device and network health across every space in the building from one place.

“That's only possible when devices, network, and management are built to share information rather than operate in isolation,” he added. “For organizations still running those systems separately, that level of coherence isn't achievable by integration alone. It requires a common foundation.”

Current return-to-office strategies have exposed how much work is still left to do. “People came back, but with different work patterns, and they found rooms that looked great but didn't perform the same way they did with the apps they'd become used to,” he observed. “The bar has moved, and the people in those rooms know it better than anyone.”

Løberg also believes there is a significant amount of untapped analytics information being generated by devices in today’s workplace. “Most of that data sits in silos and never informs a single decision. When you bring that data together in one place, you stop guessing about what your workforce needs and start knowing,” he said.

Intelligent collaboration doesn't have to be expensive, according to Løberg, but it must be right. “The organizations I talk to aren't asking whether they can afford it,” he noted. “They're asking how to justify it internally. My answer is always the same: Look at what you're already spending on systems that don't work together.”

Løberg is looking forward to interacting with InfoComm attendees. “I'm excited to share what we've learned,” he said, “and to hear what this community is seeing on the ground. There's no better room to have that conversation.”

The AV Sales Index (AVI-S) for April dropped 7.3 points to 52.2, with 21% of survey respondents reporting they saw a decrease in sales for the month. This most likely means buyers are still active but are moderating spend, leading to softer revenue outcomes despite continued deployment activity. Companies are stating they have a good pipeline through 2026.

Tariff uncertainty, geopolitical conflict, and economic instability are the dominant concerns, making it difficult to forecast, price projects, and close sales. However, seasonal patterns in education and a few other vertical markets provide optimism for the coming months.

“Constantly changing tariff add-ons make it difficult to provide clients with accurate cost assessment for projects. In addition, frustration with paying tariffs to vendors knowing they'll be the ones to collect any refunds instead of giving them back makes one question the legality of vendors even being allowed to charge them to us in the first place,” shared an end user in North America.

The March AV Employment Index (AVI-E) remained steady at 54.2 in April. The U.S. job growth rebounded but at a slower pace than last year’s norms. Some are finding it hard to hire skilled employees while others are freezing hiring.

The Pro AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. The report comprises two diffusion indexes: the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) and the AV Employment Index (AVI-E). In each case, an index above 50 indicates an increase in sales or employment activity.

Visit www.avixa.org/AVindex to access the free monthly Pro-AV Business Index reports and learn more about the methodology. For more information about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

Ilya Bukshteyn, corporate VP for Microsoft Teams Calling, Meetings and Devices, is inviting attendees to step into the AI-powered workplace during his InfoComm 2026 keynote address on Wednesday, June 17, at 1:30 p.m. Before his presentation, we asked him about AI, Microsoft Teams, and more.

Show Daily: In the Pro AV industry, should we see AI as a tool or a collaborator?

Ilya Bukshteyn: It is quickly becoming both. For years, we treated AI as a tool that lived inside applications: dictation, noise suppression, smart framing. We are now entering an era of agentic co-workers, AI that supports people by taking on tasks alongside us, reasons about context, and helps people multiply their impact. For collaboration and workspaces, the implication is profound. The spaces, devices, and signal flows we design are no longer just carrying meetings between humans; they are carrying conversations between humans and the AI agents that increasingly work with them.

SD: There’s been a return-to-office push, but videoconferencing is not going away, right?

IB: People are coming back to the office, but work itself remains distributed across geographies, time zones, and partner organizations. Hybrid is the new permanent normal, and the bar has gone up. The expectation today is that anyone joining remotely should be able to see and be seen, hear and be heard, and contribute on equal footing with the people in the room. That is a higher bar than we had three years ago, and it is exactly the inclusivity gap that AI in Microsoft Teams Rooms is designed to close.

SD: How is AI already impacting today’s workspaces?

IB: Visibly, AI is delivering experiences like Cloud IntelliFrame, which uses smart per-person framing so every remote participant can clearly see everyone in the room. What may not be as obvious is how AI improves audio, removes noise, and helps IT teams keep thousands of rooms healthy through the Teams Rooms Pro Management portal. Add Microsoft Places on top, and organizations are starting to use intelligence to shape strategic decisions about their real estate footprint.

SD: How important is AI to the future of Microsoft Teams?

IB: AI and agents are becoming foundational to the future of work, and work happens in Teams. Our view is that the power of Teams is realized when it becomes the place where you collaborate not only with your human coworkers, but with your AI coworkers as well. AI is being woven into every part of the experience—channels, meetings, calls, and chats—and into every Teams Room, so the intelligence travels with the conversation regardless of where you join from.

What a busy week it was in Pro AV. People were on the move, HARMAN opened a new Experience Center, Crestron announced a huge partnership, and we had a pair of acquisitions you may have missed.

There were two big acquisitions that went down on the same day last week. First, Panasonic Projector & Display Corporation started Tuesday morning bright and early, announcing it had acquired U.K.-based media technology company Hive Media Control (HIVE), strengthening its capabilities in media playback and control for immersive and fixed-installation environments. We had all the details, so CLICK HERE to continue reading.

Later in the day, CTI announced its THIRD acquisition of 2026, acquiring Valley Communications Systems of Chicopee, MA. The acquisition expands CTI’s coverage throughout the Connecticut River Valley, including the Boston, Hartford, and Albany markets, and adds Valley’s 80-year legacy of audiovisual innovation and client service to CTI’s growing national footprint. Find out more by CLICKING HERE.

Now, get caught up on the rest of the week's action.

People News

Audio-Technica Strengthens Leadership Team

Audio-Technica has announced key leadership appointments designed to further strengthen its sales organization and drive continued growth across the Americas. Mark Humrichouser has been promoted to VP, sales, U.S headquarters and System Solutions Group Americas. In this expanded role, he oversees brick and mortar sales, e-commerce, System Solutions Group (SSG) Americas Sales, broadcast sales, SSG Marketing and regional SSG initiatives.

Jim Schanz joined the company as executive director, System Solutions Sales, effective March 23, reporting to Humrichouser. He leads initiatives to strengthen pro audio channels, deepen customer relationships, and identify growth opportunities.

Brompton Technology Appoints New Regional Sales Manager for Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau

Brompton Technology has appointed Jude Lam as regional sales manager for Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. In her new role, Lam supports Brompton’s customers and partners across her territory, helping to deepen the company’s presence in the market and build on its existing relationships across the region.

Lam joins Brompton with strong industry experience spanning international LED sales, virtual production, and customer engagement across multiple territories. She spent time at AOTO, where she supported broadcasting and control room projects across the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and more recently PIXREAL, where she worked on a number of key international projects.

Daktronics Welcomes Steffan Piolet to European Sales Team

Daktronics has expanded its international sales team with the hiring of Steffan Piolet to expand the company’s indoor and stadium projects in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe. His focus is on ensuring the market understands how our indoor offerings differ from the outdoor business.

Previous experience for Piolet has been in multiple phases, including a digital signage integrator in the retail and hospitality industries, in sports technology for launching and monetizing direct-to-consumer streaming services, and playing sports as a professional cricket player.

Korbyt Appoints Andrew Robson as Chief Executive Officer

Korbyt has appointed Andrew Robson as chief executive officer. Robson brings a distinguished track record as a chief executive and revenue leader in the financial services technology sector and is uniquely positioned to lead the company into its next chapter of growth. Robson joins Korbyt from Verity, a provider of research management software, data, and analytics serving more than 350 financial services firms globally, where he served as CEO from 2021 until the company's acquisition by TMX Group in 2025.

As CEO, Robson is focused on accelerating Korbyt’s product innovation, strengthening customer engagement, expanding global market opportunities, and further scaling the Korbyt Anywhere platform. In corresponding moves, Travis Kemp has been appointed chief product officer, leading the strategic direction and continued evolution of the Korbyt Anywhere platform, including AI-powered digital signage and space management innovations, and Nathan Fullington has been appointed chief customer officer.

PlexusAV Strengthens US Team

PlexusAV appointed Seth Warner as U.S. sales manager, based just outside Cleveland, OH. After serving six years in the US Air Force and five years in law enforcement, Warner brings a disciplined, solutions-focused mindset to his role. He has spent the last decade working within the AV industry, alongside extensive experience implementing EHR and EMR systems across hospitals, giving him a strong understanding of complex, mission-critical environments and customer needs.

PPDS Welcomes Nicole Rutherford as New Event Marketing Specialist in North America

PPDS has appointed Nicole Rutherford as new event marketing specialist. An accomplished business owner, leader, and marketing professional of over 10 years, Rutherford supports PPDS day-to-day marketing efforts with a strong focus on events, partner engagement, and sales enablement.

These responsibilities incorporate coordinating logistics for trade shows and regional events, managing marketing assets, supporting digital and social content, and working with both national and regional partners to help drive brand awareness and engagement.

Re-Sauce Welcomes Beth Warren as Global Consultancy Partner

Re-Sauce welcomed Beth Warren as its global consultancy partner, leading growth and transformation across key regions. An enterprise marketing executive with more than 20 years’ experience, Warren brings a proven track record in driving revenue growth, brand transformation and scalable go-to-market strategy for both publicly listed and high-growth B2B technology companies. She is recognized within the digital signage sector, with deep expertise as a retail SME, spanning connected store experiences that keep CMS, retail media and ad-tech platforms at the center of the ecosystem.

The partnership marks a significant step in Re-Sauce’s international growth strategy, strengthening its presence in the North American market and beyond, and enhancing its ability to support clients operating across multiple regions. In her new role, Warren focuses on positioning marketing as a core growth driver for B2B organisations, helping clients differentiate more effectively, sharpen their brand positioning and translate full-funnel strategy into measurable commercial outcomes.

Company News

AVIXA Unveils New AVIXA.org to Enhance Content Discovery for AV Professionals

AVIXA launched its new AVIXA.org, designed to enhance the discovery of professional AV resources for AVIXA members and the broader AV community, including training, certification, and thought leadership.

“Our goal was to move the website to its next phase by removing any sense of disconnection between users and the valuable content they consistently tell us they need,” said Steven Guzi, director of digital product, AVIXA. “Much like our trade shows, we want everything we provide to be easy to discover and useful, whether you’re an experienced Pro AV professional or exploring your future in AV.”

The evolution of the new website reflects extensive stakeholder and user feedback gathered through interviews at trade shows, surveys, and analysis of user behavior from the previous version of the site. This research process highlighted that many users were missing pathways to both new and essential resources that can support their growth through the Pro AV industry. In response, AVIXA introduced new features designed to improve content discovery as users navigate education resources, industry insights, and additional offerings.

Adder Releases AIM 6 Software Upgrade

Adder Technology launched its latest release of AIM, its IP KVM matrix management software, introducing an enriched user experience for both system administrators and desktop operators. Rebuilt with a focus on visibility, control and usability, AIM 6 simplifies the management of complex ADDERLink INFINITY matrix environments while enabling fast and intuitive switching at the desktop.

AIM 6 has been redesigned from the ground up. A new, intuitive interface provides clearer system insight, streamlined navigation, and more efficient day-to-day control. From monitoring system health to managing users, devices and connections, administrators can now interact with their entire IP KVM matrix more quickly and with greater confidence.

The update delivers improved system visibility and control across the IP KVM matrix; simplifies management workflows for faster configuration and operation; redefines the user experience with a more intuitive, accessible interface; and strengthens system security with enhanced protection and access control.

Coastal Source Launches Nationwide 2026 Road Tour 

Coastal Source will take its latest innovations on the road this spring and summer with a nationwide 2026 Road Tour, bringing hands-on demonstrations, new product introductions, and interactive system design tools directly to dealers across the country.

Running from May through July in key markets nationwide, the tour will highlight major additions across the Coastal Source ecosystem, including new EVO and VIA lighting solutions, the 1000 Series Bollards, expanded outdoor audio offerings, and the introduction of PowerSource, a plug-and-play outdoor power distribution system designed to simplify installation and improve system performance. The tour will also introduce the Coastal Source Design Studio, an interactive platform that streamlines system design and presentation for dealers. Visit the Road Tour webpage here for dates.

EPOS Powers-Up Battery Replacement Strategy

EPOS is ’charging-up’ a battery replacement program to simplify a more sustainable future ahead of new legislation coming into force across parts of the world. Going forward all new product launches will provide the option to replace batteries with a simple paperclip or similar tool, rather than any complex or complicated procedures.

Søren Holm Printz, VP corporate strategy and product management, said EPOS is committed to extending the lifespan of its products by offering user-friendly battery replacement solutions. The EPOS IMPACT 500 on-ear Bluetooth headset is the newest member of the product range, and part of the enhanced sustainability strategy, where just a paperclip is required. Furthermore, original equipment replacement batteries will remain available through EPOS and its partners for five years after a product is discontinued.

Samsung and AOPEN Partner to Unify Multi-OS Classrooms

AOPEN, known for its commercial and industrial computing solutions, and Samsung Electronics America announced a strategic collaboration that seamlessly pairs AOPEN Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) models, based on Intel Core processors, with Samsung Interactive Displays. This partnership delivers a plug-and-play computing experience on large-format interactive flat panels, designed to bridge the gap between personal devices and front-of-room classroom technology.

By integrating AOPEN’s WB5116-W and Chromebox OPS models with Samsung’s Interactive Display lineup, the collaboration brings an elegant, modular solution to modern education: centralized device management across multiple operating systems.

VIVID Studios Joins Stage Precision's Global Service Network as an Authorized Service Partner

Stage Precision has welcomed VIVID Studios to its Service Partner Program as an Authorized Service Partner (ASP). Specialists in creative technology and immersive experiences, VIVID Studios will support the delivery of Stage Precision solutions across complex, experience-led projects.

Launched in 2023, Stage Precision’s Service Partner Program was created to build a trusted network of technical partners across the live-event, virtual production, and AV sectors. Dubai-based creative technology specialist, VIVID Studios, has integrated Stage Precision's SP Grid platform into its wider ecosystem of system design and digital experience tools. Using digital content design, AV technology, and artificial intelligence, VIVID transforms venues and attractions into living, interactive environments.

Pro AV Around the World

Bluesound Professional announced a new sales representative agreement with Generation AV. Lenbrook Asia will continue to serve as the official distributor, while the new representative partnership with Generation AV will accelerate the brand’s growth in the Asia region, bringing their innovative audio solutions to a broader audience. Specializing in the professional, commercial, and residential markets, the company is well suited to ensure Bluesound Professional’s scalable audio streaming solutions reach the right installations, enhancing audio experiences across a wide range of commercial spaces.

Crestron Electronics has been named the Official Smart Hospitality Systems of Espai Barça, a project redefining Spotify Camp Nou and its surrounding district into a next-generation, always-on destination. Espai Barça is FC Barcelona’s landmark initiative to modernize and expand its stadium and campus, reimagining one of the sports venues as a year-round destination for sport, business, hospitality, and community engagement. As part of a multi-year collaboration, Crestron has already and will continue to deliver the underlying technology infrastructure across Spotify Camp Nou, providing an integrated ecosystem of content, collaboration, and control solutions.

HARMAN Professional Solutions officially opened its newly revamped Experience Center in Singapore. Designed as a purpose‑built business Experience Center, the space demonstrates how HARMAN Professional solutions address customer needs across multiple vertical markets through real‑world applications and collaborative engagement. More than a traditional showroom, the space has been reimagined as a platform for solution exploration, co‑creation, and executive engagement, reflecting the evolving ways B2B organizations navigate technology amid increasing complexity in today’s business environment.

PPDS has formed a new strategic partnership with leading Italian AV distributor, Prase, a Midwich Group company. Founded in 1993, and a Midwich Group Company since 2019, Noventa di Piave (Venice)-based Prase distributes an extensive range of AV and IT solutions with corporate, education, and retail among its core target verticals. PPDS recently joined Prase at MIR 2026, Italy’s largest AV event, which included the official launch and availability of the foldable and height-adjustable 135-inch Philips Unite LED 6000 Series AIO.

InfoComm 2026 will spotlight the technologies transforming live events, sports, and entertainment, where production, performance, and audience engagement converge. The event will showcase how AV innovation is powering the next generation of live experiences.

[SCN's InfoComm 2026 Impulses]

To bring these innovations to life, InfoComm 2026 will feature The Pitch, powered by Diversified (Booth N8063), an all-new, immersive show floor experience inspired by the worlds of sports, broadcast, and live entertainment. From broadcast control rooms and draft room strategy spaces to premium viewing lounges and fan engagement activations, The Pitch showcases how integrated AV technologies work together to power today’s most dynamic venues, campuses, and entertainment destinations. Attendees can step into the action and experience firsthand how connected systems capture, manage, and amplify moments that engage audiences, support decision-making, and deliver unforgettable live experiences.

“Live events today are no longer just about what happens on stage or on the field, they’re about creating shared, immersive experiences that extend far beyond the physical venue,” said Jenn Heinold, SVP, Expositions, Americas, AVIXA, producer of InfoComm. “As demand grows for more connected, scalable, and engaging experiences, organizations are blending broadcast workflows, real-time data, and interactive technologies to reach audiences both in-venue and beyond. InfoComm 2026 brings together the technologies and expertise that make those experiences possible from broadcast and production to lighting, audio, and real-time audience engagement.”

From Stadiums to Live Media Ecosystems

The Pitch experience will showcase a fully integrated technology stack, working together to power dynamic sports, entertainment, and live event environments. Attendees will explore how modern venues and media spaces support everything from live matchday production to high-stakes decision-making and premium audience engagement.

Highlights include broadcast control environments that manage live feeds, graphics, and real-time production workflows; draft room strategy spaces designed for collaboration, data visualization, and rapid decision-making; premium viewing lounges that flex between hospitality, presentations, and live event experiences; and fan engagement activations that turn audiences into participants through interactive, branded moments. Together, these elements reflect a broader shift toward environments that are not only connected, but agile, immersive and built to perform in real time.

The Convergence of Broadcast, AV, and Live Production

The lines between broadcast, AV, and live production continue to blur as organizations adopt more sophisticated, studio-quality workflows. InfoComm will explore this crossover with sessions, such as “Brands as Broadcasters: The New Rules of Enterprise Media Production” and “Live Streaming in Action.” They will examine how organizations across industries are building in-house production capabilities and delivering high-quality content at scale.

Attendees will also gain insight into how broadcast tools – once limited to traditional media environments – are now being deployed across corporate communications, live events, and experiential marketing.

The AVIXA TV Studio (Booth N6845) will demonstrate a fully operational broadcast studio designed for both enterprise and entertainment applications. Attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look at the studio to see how productions come to life and meet with the technology partners to learn about the solutions that powers the studio, from cameras and control systems to audio, lighting, collaboration, and production workflows.

Immersive Experiences, Audio and Lighting, and Learning Across the Show Floor

As audiences expect more personalized and interactive experiences, AV technologies are evolving to support real-time engagement at scale. From dynamic LED environments and synchronized lighting to mobile-driven audience interaction and live data overlays, organizations are transforming spectators into active participants.

At InfoComm 2026, attendees will see how integrated systems enable real-time content adaptation, audience participation, and data-driven storytelling, creating experiences that are more engaging, measurable, and memorable.

In the North Hall, attendees will experience the creative side of AV, where sound, light, and visual storytelling come together to shape live environments. Innovations in spatial audio, intelligent lighting systems, and automated staging are enabling production teams to design more responsive and immersive experiences. From large-scale concerts and sporting events to corporate productions and immersive installations, these technologies are redefining how environments are designed, controlled, and experienced.

The Spotlight Stage (Booth N6668) will feature sessions focused on broadcast AV, live production, and event design, including “Let’s Get Phygital: The New Playbook for Connected, Fan-First Experiences” and “Designing Collective Wonder: Light, Art & the Future of Immersive Placemaking.”

In addition, the Integrated Experience Tour: Circa AV Systems Tour will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the audiovisual infrastructure powering one of the most technology-driven entertainment destinations in Las Vegas, showcasing large-scale video environments, sportsbook and hospitality AV systems, and integrated platforms including Q-SYS, Crestron NVX, and RNWY control software.

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.

InfoComm 2026 will spotlight how the workplace is being redefined in real time as attendees will experience firsthand how technology, design, and data are coming together to shape what’s next. The show will spotlight the systems and strategies enabling more connected, intelligent, and human-centered work environments.

[InfoComm 2026 Previews: Adamson | ViewSonic | Crestron]

Across industries, organizations are moving beyond simply enabling hybrid work to creating workplaces that are responsive, personalized, and frictionless. From AI-powered collaboration tools to integrated workplace analytics and immersive communication environments, InfoComm 2026 will showcase how AV technology is helping teams work more effectively, wherever work happens.

At the center of this transformation is the Smart Workplace (Booth C5143), powered by FORTÉ. This immersive, end-to-end environment is designed to demonstrate how people, spaces, and technology come together to move work forward. Through a series of interconnected spaces, from arrival and social areas to meeting rooms, personal workspaces, and a broadcast center, attendees will experience how integrated systems reduce friction, support collaboration, and enable more seamless workplace experiences.

“Today’s workplace is no longer defined by a single space or platform – it’s an ecosystem,” said Jenn Heinold, SVP, expositions, Americas, AVIXA, producer of InfoComm. “InfoComm 2026 is designed to show how AV, IT, and AI come together in real environments to create workplaces that are more connected, more intelligent, and ultimately more effective for the people who use them.”

From Meeting Rooms to Intelligent Workplaces

The Smart Workplace experience will showcase a fully integrated technology stack—including control systems, collaboration platforms, audio, video, and analytics—working together to deliver consistent and scalable workplace solutions. Attendees will explore how modern environments support everything from focused individual work to global team collaboration and enterprise-wide communication.

Highlights include meeting environments designed for seamless in-room and remote participation; broadcast-ready communication spaces that elevate internal and external messaging; workplace intelligence systems that provide real-time visibility into space utilization and performance; and personalized workspaces.

Together, these elements reflect a broader shift toward workplaces that are not only connected, but context-aware and continuously optimized.

AI, Automation, and the Next Generation of Work

AI will play a central role in shaping the future workplace, enabling everything from intelligent meeting workflows to predictive workplace insights. At InfoComm 2026, Microsoft and Cisco will take the keynote stage to showcase how AI is redefining collaboration and the workplace experience. Attendees will see how these technologies are applied in real-world environments, transforming how organizations design, manage, and scale their workplace strategies.

Microsoft will highlight how AI-powered platforms—including Teams Phone, Teams Rooms, Teams Events, and Teams Premium—are shaping the future of communication across physical and digital workspaces, enabling more connected and inclusive collaboration at scale.

Cisco will explore its vision of Connected Intelligence, demonstrating how integrated AV, IT, and AI-driven infrastructure can unify workplace environments, simplify management, and deliver deeper insights into how spaces are used and how teams collaborate.

Learning What Works: Vision Stage Highlights

In addition to hands-on experiences, attendees can deepen their understanding at the Vision Stage (Booth C7872), a dynamic learning environment focused on practical applications and forward-looking insights. Programming will include trend forecasts on AI-powered workplaces and digital transformation; product demonstrations and real-world case studies; and expert-led sessions on designing immersive, human-centered environments.

Sessions such as “Zoom: AI-First, Human-Centered Workspaces” and “Vision Stage Showdown: Powering the Future Workplace” will explore how organizations are aligning technology, design, and strategy to create more effective and engaging work environments.

Attendees can also join Future Workplace, a guided show floor tour focused on the future of collaboration, offering a curated look at the technologies transforming today’s hybrid workplace. Designed to cut through the noise, the tour will highlight real-world solutions—from next-generation audio and intelligent video systems to cloud-based platforms and AI-enabled tools—demonstrating how organizations are creating more seamless, inclusive, and effective collaboration experiences. The tours are offered on Wednesday and Thursday morning of the show.

It was another busy week in Pro AV. Audio-Technica is now Crestron certified, the PowerHouse Alliance welcomed a new member, and Humly and Xyte collaborated on collaboration.

[ENTER TODAY: SCN Installation Product Awards 2026]

Get caught up in your weekly dose of Pro AV newsmakers.

Company News

Brad Sousa Impact Fund Now Accepting Applications for 2026 Grants

The Brad Sousa Impact Fund, organized by the AVIXA Foundation, is accepting applications for grants through May 25, 2026. Recipients will be announced at a special ceremony on Thursday, June 18, during InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The fund was established to honor the late Brad Sousa, chief technology officer of Forté (formerly AVI Systems) and a member of the AVIXA board of directors. It supports the AVIXA Foundation’s global mission through impact investing and strategic partnerships, with a primary focus on developing audiovisual and digital transformation professionals—and strengthening their understanding of each other’s interconnected needs. Through digital transformation, organizations and communities integrate technology into everyday life to drive meaningful impact and enable lasting change.

The Brad Sousa Impact Fund will award grants to people in pursuit of educational and vocational outcomes; programs that impact society, community, and culture; and partnerships that amplify missions of associations, community, and nonprofit organizations. In 2025, three grantees were selected from a diverse group of submissions and honored at InfoComm 2025 in Orlando, FL. Rosie Riveters, Tech25, and WorkSource Montgomery (WSM) were given financial support for their missions. Their efforts provide hands-on STEM-learning for young women, address the demand for skilled AV broadcast and event technicians, and provide a cohort for career exploration and pathways to employment in AV and IT.

Audio-Technica Solutions Now Certified for Use with Crestron Automate VX

The Audio-Technica ATND1061 ceiling array microphone and ATUC digital discussion systems have been certified by Crestron for use with its Automate VX voice-activated camera switching solution. The collaboration between Audio-Technica and Crestron offers seamless, scalable, high-performance solutions for professional environments, including corporate boardrooms, classrooms and government chambers, that demand both clarity and efficiency, without technical disruptions.

As official trigger sources for the Automate VX solution, ATND1061 and ATUC provide low-latency beam talker position data and discussion states for fast, precise camera switching. When paired with the Automate VX system, the ATND1061 delivers accurate, AI-driven camera switching based on voice detection from any angle, ensuring effortless tracking of meeting participants. In addition, the ATND1061DAN Dante® audio networking enabled array can leverage the capabilities for streamlined communication, elevating the video conferencing experience. When the ATUC is paired with Automate VX technology, the discussion system's push-to-talk functionality triggers the appropriate camera to instantly focus on the active participant, ensuring everyone is seen and heard clearly.

The Automate VX voice-activated camera switching solution receives input from the ATND1061 or ATUC to automatically trigger connected Crestron 1 Beyond cameras, bringing a multicamera studio experience to any collaboration space. Participants never lose sight of who’s speaking as the Automate VX system not only switches to the appropriate camera, but also autoframes the speaker to ensure that even nonverbal cues are captured so conversation can continue to flow naturally.

D-Tools Releases SI v24

D-Tools released System Integrator (SI) v24, the latest version of the company’s end-to-end business management platform, highlighted by a new multi-user project editing feature that enables real-time enhanced collaboration capabilities to integrators worldwide. This release addresses the real-world pressures integration firms face today, including tighter project timelines, more complex scopes of work, and the constant need to do more with leaner teams. SI v24 reflects D-Tools’ ongoing investment in practical capabilities that improve how integration teams work, from initial estimate through final installation, without adding complexity or compromising accuracy.

The centerpiece of SI v24 is multi-user project editing, a long-requested capability that changes how integration teams work together. For the first time, team members across sales, design, engineering and installation can work within the same project at the same time. SI v24 also improves how integrators coordinate with outside parties. A new Gantt chart export to Microsoft Project lets teams share detailed project timelines with architects, general contractors and other collaborators who do not use SI. Integration firms can present professional, accurate project plans to any stakeholder without workarounds, duplicate entry, or reformatting work.

Humly and Xyte Bring Workplace Devices and Room Intelligence into One Platform

Humly and Xyte Connect+ have partnered on a new integration, empowering seamless integration of Humly hardware products on Xyte’s cloud platform, bringing Humly Room Display and Humly Booking Devices into a single platform for monitoring, control, and management.

Xyte’s approach provides a consistent way to deploy, monitor, and manage devices from day one, strengthened through an open API to drive third-party development and integration with technology partners like Humly. The Humly devices automatically connect to Xyte’s cloud environment, where manufacturers, integrators and end users can access real-time system health data, monitor performance, execute remote commands, and manage devices at scale through a unified interface. Customers can also connect Humly devices through Xyte Edge, a new on-prem interface device that enables secure local connectivity to the cloud platform.

Through integration with Humly Sense, organizations can bring environmental data from built-in Humly sensors and other open networked devices into Xyte for centralized visibility and analysis. The initial rollout imports environmental data collected through sensors built into Humly hardware devices, enabling customers to adjust temperatures and address Co2 levels as conditions change. These and other continuous readings are presented within Xyte’s analytics environment, providing intelligence to optimize workplace conditions, improve space utilization, and fuel operational decisions.

The Xyte integration embodies Humly’s continued investment in open integrations and interoperable ecosystems following the release of a Q-SYS plug-in at ISE 2026 and the launch of Humly Sense last year. By joining the Xyte platform, Humly strengthens its position within the AV and workplace technology landscape while extending the value of its hardware and sensing capabilities. For Xyte, the integration welcomes its first dedicated workplace experience technology provider to the platform, and expands its offering with proven room booking, desk management, and workplace intelligence solutions. The addition of Humly sensors to gather data-driven insights also extends Xyte’s reach into building intelligence, with Humly Sense offering a direct route to third-party sensors in HVAC, lighting and other building systems.

Peavey Commercial Audio Appoints Streetwise Sales for Northeast US

Peavey Commercial Audio has announced the appointment of Streetwise Sales as its official sales partner in the United States. The partnership marks a significant step in Peavey Commercial Audio’s strategic growth plans, enabling closer engagement with integrators, consultants, and end users across key sectors including corporate, hospitality, education, and large public venues. By leveraging Streetwise Sales’ extensive industry relationships and regional expertise, Peavey aims to accelerate adoption of its comprehensive portfolio of networked audio, DSP, and loudspeaker solutions.

Streetwise Sales is known for its deep understanding of the professional and consumer audio landscape and its ability to drive meaningful market engagement for leading technology brands. Through this collaboration, customers across the United States will benefit from enhanced access to Peavey Commercial Audio’s solutions, backed by responsive, knowledgeable local support. With Streetwise Sales now representing Peavey Commercial Audio from Virginia to Maine, both organizations are aligned in their mission to deliver innovative, scalable, and user-friendly audio solutions that empower integrators and end users alike.

PowerHouse Alliance Announces AV Plus as New Member 

PowerHouse Alliance has added MDY Group, now doing business as AV Plus, as its newest member. The company will provide coverage across Southern California and Southern Nevada, strengthening the organization’s presence in these key markets.

AV Plus brings a strong presence across multiple locations, including Southern California and Southern Nevada, with plans for continued expansion. The company enhances PowerHouse Alliance’s network with additional regional strength and technical capabilities.

The addition of AV Plus reflects PowerHouse Alliance’s continued focus on strategic growth and maintaining comprehensive territory coverage across the U.S. The organization remains committed to its long-standing mission of combining national scale with localized service and expertise.

Pro AV around the World

Broadsign welcomed Manuel Ameneiros as head of Latin America (LATAM) media sales and service. The newly formed role is designed to provide additional support to customers and partners in LATAM and grow and scale the business. Working out of Mexico City, Ameneiros advances strategic relationships with agencies, advertisers, and media owners across LATAM. With programmatic digital OOH (pDOOH) still developing in the region, he also helps customers navigate the shift toward more automated, data-driven OOH buys that integrate seamlessly with omnichannel campaigns.

GUDE Systems is strengthening its sales network in Africa and the Middle East through a new partnership with Abcom Distribution and Abcom Digital Kenya. At the same time, GUDE has recruited Kumaran Kannan, an experienced industry expert, to further develop its AV business in these growth markets. Through this strategic collaboration, GUDE Systems aims to provide AV integrators and specialist planners in the region with direct access to its high-quality, IP-based power distribution units (PDU).

The AV Sales Index (AVI-S) for March increased slightly to 59.5, showing consistency with March 2025. This figure suggests that the underlying demand remains healthy despite the political situation and rising cost concerns.

The most common theme for March by far is increasing costs (21%), including higher prices for AV equipment, components, fuel, shipping, energy, and labor. Many survey respondents explicitly cite inflation, tariffs, and vendor price increases as directly squeezing margins, delaying purchases, or forcing project scaling and longer replacement cycles. Even organizations reporting stable demand note that profitability and budgeting are under pressure.

“Construction projects have dropped off significantly, which is greatly impacting potential projects. It has also resulted in a more competitive bidding space which is driving down potential project margins,” shared an AV integrator in North America.

“Economic conditions affecting our industry are experienced by all of us. Rising fuel costs impact shipping, fleet operation, and personal expense budgets. Equipment and material costs affected by tariffs remain in flux, while our distributors and manufacturers do all that they can to support business opportunities,” shared an AV integrator in Asia-Pacific.

The March AV Employment Index (AVI-E) increased from 52.5 to 55.1 in March. The U.S. labor market rebounded in March 2026, adding jobs at a pace well above expectations after a weak February. However, underlying conditions remain subdued, with slow hiring, easing wage growth, and a shrinking labor force signaling a low hire, low fire environment rather than renewed expansion.

The Pro AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. The report comprises two diffusion indexes: the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) and the AV Employment Index (AVI-E). In each case, an index above 50 indicates an increase in sales or employment activity.

Visit www.avixa.org/AVindex to access the free monthly Pro-AV Business Index reports and learn more about the methodology. For more information about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

Last week, AVIXA acquired Lightapalooza from HTSA, the Home Technology Specialists of America. The next edition of Lightapalooza will be co-located with InfoComm 2027 in Orlando, FL.

[AV Network's ISE, NAB Show, and InfoComm Coverage]

Lightapalooza is a conference and trade show focused on residential illumination, energy control, and natural light optimization. HTSA launched Lightapalooza in 2022 for custom electronics integrators, lighting manufacturers, lighting designers, specifiers, buying groups, architects, and designers to connect, share ideas, and establish new partnerships. It grew from 225 attendees in its first year to more than 1,600 in 2026, drawing manufacturers, integrators, and allied partners from across the industry. In that time, it became a catalyst for a broader shift: lighting has emerged as the fastest-growing category in residential custom integration, and Lightapalooza has been at the center of that conversation, connecting the people and brands driving it forward.

“HTSA saw a need for its community to connect in exploration of business growth opportunities. They created this space to bring the channel together to do that through product demonstrations, training, education, and professional networking,” said David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, chief executive officer of AVIXA. “As the trade association for the AV industry, one of AVIXA’s roles is to help facilitate the marketplace. We do this in many ways, most notably through our trade shows around the world—the premier forum for connection.”

“The acquisition places Lightapalooza inside an organization whose structure is designed to reinvest in the communities it serves,” said Tom Doherty, founder of Lightapalooza and director of new technology initiatives for HTSA. “As a non-profit trade association, the surplus from AVIXA’s events flows back into education, certification, research, and professional development for the industries it represents, which will further support the growth of Lightapalooza and the residential lighting community.”

With the geopolitical situation in the Middle East remaining unpredictable, AVIXA has revised its plans for AV industry engagement in the region. InfoComm EDGE, originally scheduled for October 2026 at the Festival Arena in Dubai, will now take place October 27-28, 2027, at the same location.

AVIXA will also host a highly curated, invitation-only EDGE Preview in Dubai, Q4 2026, with confirmed dates to come. Positioned as a focused working forum, EDGE Preview will bring together senior decision-makers and end users across key sectors—government and enterprise, leisure and entertainment, education, and retail—alongside AV industry stakeholders and international consultants.

“The positive response to our announcement of InfoComm EDGE earlier this year reinforced a clear market need for a different kind of event—one focused on how integrated AV delivers real-world outcomes,” said David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, CEO of AVIXA. “After close consultation with our partners in the region, we’ve taken a deliberate decision to move the full event to 2027 to ensure it lands with maximum impact—particularly at a time when government bodies are aligning investment decisions with long-term strategic priorities.”

Planning for InfoComm EDGE continues, with regional integration firms now beginning to submit design proposals for the event’s core activations—each focused on demonstrating how integrated AV performs in real-world environments and delivers measurable outcomes.

Central to this process is the InfoComm EDGE End User Council, a growing collective of regional organizations providing direct input into the design and evaluation of these activations through the lens of enterprise and operational impact. The Council now includes a dozen confirmed participants, including Emirates Airlines, du, Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, Sharjah Education Academy, Atlantis, Miral Asset Management, and Jollibee.

“Our commitment to AV in the Middle East remains clear, and this approach ensures we remain closely aligned with the needs and priorities of the region at a critical time,” added Labuskes. “The EDGE Preview this year is a deliberate step—bringing together the right stakeholders to focus on how AV can deliver meaningful impact now, while shaping the foundation for InfoComm EDGE 2027.”

The AV Sales Index (AVI-S) for February increased to 58.9 from 55.6. Even with inflation and the current instability of political situations, the Pro AV market remains strong and almost five points above February 2025.

Future pipelines are looking strong. Historically, February sees corporate Q1 technology rollouts, education sector RFP and procurement cycles beginning, and live events preparing for spring/summer peak seasons. These sectors were suppressed early in January and thus poised for an uptick.

While the U.S. Supreme Court overturned President Trump’s sweeping tariffs, most respondents to the February survey don't expect this to have any effect on their business. Prices that have been raised aren't expected to be lowered, but respondents are hoping there won’t be increases over the next year or two. With the back and forth on tariffs, many remain unsure of how the year will play out.

“Q1 is usually slower for our supply sales as everyone stocked before the holidays to ensure they have enough lamps, tape, etc. to get through seasonal shows and events; however Q1 is also where we do a lot of the install work that has been planned in Q2-4 of the previous year,” shared an AV provider in North America. “Tariffs continue to be concerning; it’s difficult to forecast pricing for future projects, and Chinese New Year closing all business in China means we have to pre-plan and pre-purchase what we think we may need for the rest of the quarter until they return to manufacturing and shipping.”

The January AV Employment Index (AVI-E) dropped again to 52.5 in February. U.S. and global labor markets both show cooling while employers struggle to find skilled workers. The U.S. employment market cut 92,000 jobs in February.

“Mostly, it's keeping up with demand and hiring enough qualified installers and technicians. We have more business than we can handle right now. It's a good problem to have except when you can't complete projects in the timeframe that the customer desires,” shared an AV integrator in North America.

The Pro AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. The report comprises two diffusion indexes: the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) and the AV Employment Index (AVI-E). In each case, an index above 50 indicates an increase in sales or employment activity.

Visit www.avixa.org/AVindex to access the free monthly Pro-AV Business Index reports and learn more about the methodology. For more information about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

InfoComm 2026 will showcase the technologies, strategies, and real-world deployments shaping the next era of conferencing and collaboration from June 13–19, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with exhibits June 17–19.

[The Best Trade Show Coverage in Pro AV]

As hybrid work evolves and AI becomes embedded in meeting platforms, enterprise organizations are rethinking everything from room design and interoperability to “Day 2” support and long-term ROI. At InfoComm 2026, attendees will hear directly from Microsoft, Google, Cisco, Logitech, Zoom, Lenovo, Visa, Capital Group, and other industry leaders driving that transformation.

“Conferencing and collaboration is no longer just about connecting people, it’s about creating intelligent, inclusive, and secure environments that support how modern organizations actually work,” said Jenn Heinold, SVP, expositions, Americas, AVIXA, producer of InfoComm. “InfoComm 2026 brings together the platforms, devices, enterprise case studies, and forward-looking discussions that define the future of integrated collaboration.”

AI and Intelligent Collaboration Take Center Stage

AI-powered collaboration will be a defining theme across the week. Sessions such as “AI Enhanced Meeting Spaces: Designing for Inclusivity, Efficiency, and Smart Automation” and “The ROI of Intelligent Collaboration Spaces” will feature leaders from Logitech, Microsoft, Lenovo, Huddly, and AstraZeneca exploring how AI is transforming meeting equity, automation, and measurable business impact.

Platform leaders will also spotlight the evolution of intelligent meeting experiences in sessions including “Unlock Meeting Equity with Google Meet AI and Logitech Room Solutions” and “AV as a Neural Network: The Architecture of Intelligent Space Design.”

Enterprise Deployment at Scale

Beyond innovation, InfoComm 2026 will focus on the operational realities of deploying and supporting collaboration environments across global enterprises. Highlights include: “Enterprise AV Deployment at Scale: Case Study” with NETGEAR AV and CTI; "Crafting Enterprise AV Standards for the Modern Workplace” featuring Logitech, AVI-SPL, Microsoft, Visa, and Steelcase; and “Day 2 Ops for Microsoft Teams Integration,” offering real-world insights into post-deployment support.

Sessions such as “Designing and Deploying AV Systems Globally at Scale–The Google Experience” will provide a look inside large-scale global collaboration strategies.

Collaboration from the Show Floor and Broadcast and Experience

As enterprise communications become more sophisticated, collaboration increasingly overlaps with broadcast-quality production. “Lessons Learned: Designing Corporate Studios” and “UC-Powered Broadcast Studios: How IT Teams Deliver Studio-Quality Production with Zoom and Microsoft” will explore how organizations are building studio-grade environments powered by unified communications platforms.

In Central Hall, attendees will find a broad range of conferencing and collaboration technologies including AI-powered meeting assistants, conferencing cameras, wireless presentation systems, room booking platforms, and unified communications solutions, demonstrating how modern workplaces are becoming more intelligent, interoperable, and human-centered.

The Smart Workplace, powered by FORTÉ, is an all-new immersive experience on the show floor that will provide a real-world view into how these technologies come together in practice, showcasing integrated environments that support AI-enabled collaboration, immersive meeting experiences, and enterprise communications workflows.

Two Future Workplace show floor tours will guide attendees through collaboration technologies in real-world applications, reinforcing InfoComm’s role as the place to see how integrated solutions perform at scale.

The AV Sales Index (AVI-S) for January registered 55.6, easing from December’s 56.6 and reflecting a typical start-of-year moderation in AV demand. The pullback is consistent with seasonal patterns, as education, corporate, and live events markets pause amid calendar resets, budget finalization, and slower project starts.

Despite the slight month-to-month softening, the index remains solidly in expansion territory, signaling continued growth in overall AV activity. Importantly, January’s AVI-S stands above year ago levels (51.5), reinforcing that underlying demand conditions entering 2026 are stronger than in early 2025.

January’s index reflects a combination of typical seasonal effects and broader macroeconomic conditions, including stable but still restrictive interest rates, cautious business investment, and soft non-residential construction activity early in the year. Education, corporate, and live events markets all experienced slower starts as budgets reset, project timelines extended, and cost pressures persisted.

The January AV Employment Index (AVI-E) dropped by one point to 54.4. January 2026 U.S. labor market conditions appear stable but soft, with low layoffs and subdued hiring momentum.

“Economic uncertainty on both a global and local scale is making a lot of our customers back off. Especially churches. Businesses and government and large-scale construction projects that were already planned for 2026-2027 are still moving forward, but the small day-to-day projects from local schools and churches have really fallen off because no one knows what is going to happen next,” shared a North American AV Integrator.

The Pro-AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. The report comprises two diffusion indexes: the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) and the AV Employment Index (AVI-E). In each case, an index above 50 indicates an increase in sales or employment activity.

Visit www.avixa.org/AVindex to access the free monthly Pro-AV Business Index reports and learn more about the methodology. For more information about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

I’ve been covering trade shows for a long time, and the energy on the ISE show floor never seems to disappoint. ISE 2026, which wrapped up its four-day exhibition on Feb. 6, was no different.

The Next Big Thing is still MIA in Pro AV, but technology is still moving and shaking. Driven by AI, which seemed to be an underlying theme for everything but the paella in Barcelona, there were plenty of points of interest to explore on the show floor.

This year’s theme, “Push Beyond,” could have easily been applied to the show itself, not just the industry. Co-owned by AVIXA and CEDIA, ISE 2026 broke its own records, with an 8% increase in total attendance over last year. According to show officials, there were a record 1,751 exhibitors, including 323 first timers, to welcome 92,170 visitors across the largest total show floor space in ISE history.

What fuels the energy at ISE? While the widespread availability of espresso on the show floor doesn’t hurt, the fact is Pro AV is a vibrant industry serving tons of vertical markets. And there’s plenty of business to be done once the show floor closes, from small, one-off projects to enterprise-wide retrofits.

During the show, I spoke with Tom Morrod, co-founder and research director at Caretta Research. While he agreed Pro AV is growing and it's a "very diverse industry," corporate meeting rooms are still the top draw, with a "huge transformation" taking place from simple audioconferencing to multimedia production.

To that end, the platforms to manage these transformations not only need to be bulletproof but must work for end users who are less proficient at using these types of tools. "Democratization of technology is a big driver," he noted.

Of course, Pro AV hasn't had the smoothest path in recent months. While tariffs have had a "broadly negligible impact on growth," there has been disruption—and integrators have had to bear the brunt of it. "It can be really difficult if you're in the middle of it," Morrod explained. "The channel has been dealing with the complexity of it."

InfoComm is getting even more international.

During the show, AVIXA officials announced the launch of InfoComm EDGE, which is scheduled for Oct. 27-28 at Dubai's Festival Arena. It was designed from the ground up as an experiential event designed to raise the profile of the Pro AV industry with stakeholders outside of the industry.

Why Dubai? From a Pro AV perspective, it’s booming. According to AVIXA research, roughly 85% of end user entities in the region plan to increase Pro AV spend this year, and the annual spend on Pro AV in the GCC region in 2026 will exceed $15 billion for the first time.

But they’ll be doing things a little differently at InfoComm EDGE. Instead of a grid, the floor plan is built around a center stage. There will also be four zones representing the priority verticals for the region, including government and enterprise, leisure and entertainment, education, and retail. The show will be curated for key buyers and influencers from the region, allowing them to experience Pro AV innovation through thought leadership, networking, and technology.

David Labuskes CEO, AVIXA, said initial expectations are about 4,000 attendees. Yes, that’s a lot smaller than ISE, but InfoComm EDGE will be intentionally compact, focused on quality, not quantity. Labuskes anticipates the event will “end up being about connections being made, not people through the door.”

There were reasons to celebrate.

Anniversaries certainly kept the mood festive in several booths on the show floor. First, the PSNI Global Alliance celebrated 40 years of global collaboration. The network of integrators, manufacturers, service providers, and technology partners provides coverage in more than 70 countries across six continents.

Meanwhile, the HDBaseT Alliance celebrated its 15th anniversary. The organization has come a long way since it was founded by LG, Samsung, Sony, and Valens Semiconductor. Today, there are almost 200 members, and a display at the booth showcased dozens of new products from more than 30 of those members. Effi Goldstein, president of the HDBaseT Alliance, told me the secret to the alliance's "connectivity backbone" success has been technological reliability and true partnerships between manufacturers.

Then there were the companies. Both Alfalite and SpinetiX marked their 20th anniversaries at ISE. SpinetiX used the occasion to launch "The Year of High Impact Experiences," while Alfalite showcased "20 years lighting the future." And Matrox Video and Symetrix celebrated their 50th anniversaries.

On the other end of the scale, the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) officially launched its Internet Protocol Media Experience (IPMX) as a fully developed, certifiable standard at the show. According to Andrew Starks, marketing working group chair and a member of the AIMS board of directors, the AV over IP standard was officially certified on Jan. 23 after years of development. Next up: more refinements, including multi-vendor HDCP and multi-vendor privacy encryption.

That's a lot to celebrate. Congratulations all around!

Was I right about e-paper?

After last year’s show, I was pretty high on e-paper. In fact, I predicted a breakthrough in two years. Well, it’s only been a year, but I checked with a few ISE exhibitors. Looks like I need to be more patient.

Vicky Fox at Philips (PPDS) tactfully admitted that, although the company has been involved in some big projects, it’s a “maturing” space. While the market works to catch up to the idea, the company is focused on improving the technology and delivering color accuracy.

So, what's the hold up? For Till Gotterbarm, VP of business development at AUO Display+, part of the problem behind the slow adoption is the learning curve. Users have to differentiate e-paper as “digital print” as opposed to a replacement for LCD. “We still have to educate the market,” he added. “I do see that starting to resonate.”

Finally, e-paper is not the only aspect of Pro AV that’s designed for sustainability. Any of us who have worked in live production know that AA and AAA batteries are wasted with some frequency. Are you going to trust your live mic to a used battery that may or may not have enough charge for the last show? Of course not. Toss out the old, install the new.

Klvr is trying to change that with the KLVR Charger Pro, a 1 RU battery charging station that made its ISE debut last year as a technology demo. The charger holds up to 48 AA or AAA batteries, and its 1.5V Li-ion batteries offer 30% more runtime than other commercial rechargeables. It's also easy to monitor charging progress. All they need now are some U.S. distributors—the company is scheduled to attend InfoComm, so that might be changing soon.

Hey, Dubai, get ready for a new kind of Pro AV trade show experience.

AVIXA officials took to the ISE show floor on Thursday afternoon to announce the launch of InfoComm EDGE, an experiential event designed to raise the profile of the Pro AV industry with stakeholders outside of the industry. Slated for Oct. 27-28 at Dubai’s Festival Arena, the show will be curated for key buyers and influencers from the region, allowing them to experience Pro AV innovation through thought leadership, networking, and technology.

Tobias Lang, CEO of LANG AG and chairman of AVIXA, said there is a high demand in the region for Pro AV solutions, which is why it makes sense for AVIXA to launch an event in Dubai. AVIXA research shared during the press conference showed that roughly 85% of end user entities in the region plan to increase Pro AV spend this year, and the annual spend on Pro AV in the GCC region in 2026 will exceed $15 billion will exceed for the first time.

What makes InfoComm EDGE unique? For starters, it’s not built on a grid; instead, the floor plan is built around a center stage. There will also be four zones representing the priority verticals for the region, including government and enterprise, leisure and entertainment, education, and retail.

According to David Labuskes CEO, AVIXA, initial expectations are about 4,000 attendees. While that may seem small compared to trade shows like ISE or InfoComm, InfoComm EDGE will be intentionally compact, focused on quality, not quantity. Labuskes anticipates the event will “end up being about connections being made, not people through the door.”

Sarah Joyce, chief global officer, AVIXA, said InfoComm EDGE is being supported and embraced by the Pro AV community. “It’s designed for the industry by the industry,” she added “The passion that’s come from the meeting we’ve had have emphasized that what we’re doing here is right for the region.”

The hope for InfoComm EDGE is to create a curated event that encourages connections and longer dwell times for leaders who shape complex projects across the region. Companies will need to apply to sponsor the event, while attendees will need to request an invitation to attend.

Joyce is intrigued by the opportunity to “deliver something quite exceptional and quite new. I’m very excited,” she added, “and now we build and deliver.”

The AV Sales Index (AVI-S) for December was 56.5, slightly down from 57.2 in November. Specific industries like education and live events are experiencing an expected seasonal slowdown. That said, 2025's AVI-S is 3.4 points higher than 2024.

Throughout the year, the Pro AV industry has contended with challenges such as supply chain disruptions and increased tariffs, which have influenced purchasing decisions and project timelines. Additionally, global economic uncertainties and fluctuating consumer confidence have created a complex business environment. Nevertheless, the industry's focus on innovation and adaptation, such as integrating AI-driven technologies and supporting hybrid work environments, continues to drive demand and sustain growth.

“December is a quieter time for us; we specialize in supporting the live events and themed attractions markets," shared an AV provider in North America. "Both are usually busy with holiday preparations and not looking to do major upgrades, just maintaining their current offerings. We tend to get busier first quarter as seasonal attractions are closed and more available for upgrades and ongoing maintenance.”

The AV Employment Index (AVI-E) decreased by 1.4 points to 55.4, which remains above the 2024 index of 51.6, indicating a stronger employment market compared to the previous year. The U.S. unemployment rate remained stable in December at 4.6%, consistent with November levels, suggesting a balanced job market. This stability reflects ongoing demand for skilled AV professionals, although broader economic factors like inflation and geopolitical tensions continue to influence hiring trends.

The Pro-AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. The report comprises two diffusion indexes: the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) and the AV Employment Index (AVI-E). In each case, an index above 50 indicates an increase in sales or employment activity.

Visit www.avixa.org/AVindex to access the free monthly Pro-AV Business Index reports and learn more about the methodology. For more information about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

ISE 2026 is coming, set to open its doors on Feb. 3 at Fira de Barcelona. To prepare you for the show, SCN is bringing you product showcases, featuring solutions to see on the show floor.

[ISE Insiders 2026: Blackmagic Design Dishes on Convergence, AVoIP, and SMPTE ST-2110 Standards]

Today, we take a look at the world of Pro AV and broadcast convergence with solutions from Telycam, Marshall, Follow-Me, Ross Video, MultiDyne, and Arkona for broadcast, live-events, and more, as well as a look at what AVIXA TV will be up to on the show floor.

Hybrid Broadcast Production Will Drive the AVIXA TV Studio at ISE 2026

The AVIXA TV Studio will showcase the latest broadcast AV solutions with livestreaming, podcast recordings, and hands-on demos. Using on-premises and cloud-based technologies, the studio provides a local control room at the show, and for the first time, remote camera switching from Ross Video’s North America office.

AVIXA TV demonstrates the possibilities for storytelling, virtual production, and collaboration within a high-end production environment. At ISE, the AVIXA TV Studio is bringing this award-winning content to the show, providing inspiration and education to the AV community. The AVIXA TV Studio is powered by Ross Video, AI Media, AWS, Barco, Crestron, CueScript, Diversified, Forecast, Ikan, ProCyc, PTZ Optics, Resi, Telestream, and Shure.

ISE attendees will have the opportunity to see the new and innovative AV tech all in one location. From cameras and audio equipment to AR graphics and immersive virtual environments, the studio brings it all together to reflect real-world broadcast scenarios. The space features virtual and green screen production and an anchor desk for lively discussions.

Beyond technology, the AVIXA TV Studio encourages collaboration and creativity. The studio will host workshops each day of the show at 13:00 (1 p.m. local time), where attendees can talk with industry experts from AVIXA, Ross Video, and other production partners to get up close with all the technology inside the AVIXA TV Studio.

Arkona to Showcase IT and Enterprise Deployment

Arkona technologies GmbH will demonstrate how its software-defined media infrastructure extends well beyond traditional broadcast environments at booth 5.K800. At the show, the team will present a range of case studies which highlight how the same core technologies trusted by broadcasters are increasingly being adopted by some IT-led, Pro AV, and enterprise technology companies.

One example will be that of a recent deployment at a client’s Los Angeles facility. There, arkona, together with technology partner manifold, delivered a highly complex IP system built around 24 AT300 Programmable Acceleration Cards, supporting extensive video and audio processing. The installation includes a manifold multiviewer and UDX processing with more than 250 unique input sources displayed across 54 UHD monitor outputs, alongside 64 simultaneous up, down and cross-conversion services.

Visitors to the stand will also be able to explore arkona’s full product range in person. This includes BLADE//runner, the company’s flagship software-defined platform for routing, processing and signal management across SDI and ST 2110 infrastructures. Also on display will be solutions from technology partner manifold, including manifold CLOUD, which extends ultra-low-latency multiviewing, conversion and processing into virtualized and distributed environments. Together, the two platforms demonstrate how broadcast-grade performance can be delivered in flexible architectures suited to enterprise, Pro AV, gaming, and IT-centric deployments.

Follow-Me to Showcase Latest Performer Tracking Innovations

Follow-Me will showcase its complete range of flexible performer tracking solutions that scale with venues and productions of any size in Hall 6 at booth 6P900. Its manual and auto-tracking systems enable seamless integration with any lighting console, video, sound, and automation system on the market.

The Follow-Me manual performer tracking system can track up to six performers. The system works independent from any fixture manufacturer and can control any lighting fixture capable of pan and tilt movements. Fixtures can be deployed as general lighting and dedicated follow spots. Lighting designers can merge and integrate with their choice of lighting console, or, via Posi Stage Net (PSN) and Open Sound Control (OSC), with immersive audio processors, media servers and stage automation.

The Follow-Me automated performer tracking system can track an unlimited number of performers. The system works as a hybrid with both manual and automated tracking. The innovative system utilizes RF tags placed on performers that communicate with antennas positioned across the performance area. By receiving accurate real-time positioning information, it creates a powerful auto-tracking system with access to all Follow-Me UI features

Marshall Electronics to Highlight CV355-27X-ND3 Camera

Marshall Electronics will showcase the CV355-27X-ND3 Optical Zoom NDI (NDI HX2, NDI HX3) Camera at booth 4N900. Designed for users seeking high-quality video with flexible integration into their existing workflows, this camera utilizes a professional-grade 8.5-megapixel sensor to capture crisp HD video up to 1920x1080 at 60fps with support for all HD formats. Its straightforward design, ease of use and NDI capabilities make this camera a valuable tool for a variety of professional A/V requirements.

The CV355-27X-ND3 features a 27X optical zoom block, providing a large zoom range from 5.56-150mm. Its horizontal angle-of-view starts at 60 degrees at the wide end to 3.2 degrees zoomed in, maintaining image crispness throughout this range.

The camera includes the NDI (NDI HX2, NDI HX3) video-over-IP protocol, allowing for high-quality, low-latency video to be transferred over a standard IP network. NDI preserves visual quality, frame accuracy and source synchronization. NDI also opens up a wide range of NDI Tools that are available to make this new camera easily discoverable, controllable, adjustable and consumable into NDI workflows. The camera offers the convenience of NDI HX2|HX3, 3G/HDSDI and HDMI simultaneous outputs with stereo audio embedding.

MultiDyne Crescendo Series Makes

MultiDyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems is preparing to ship its Crescendo Series, a new anchor in its next generation of audio and signal processing tools. MultiDyne’s latest in-house designed audio monitor, the C16-AM-12G is engineered to redefine embedded audio monitoring for all demanding production environments. MultiDyne will apply the C16-AM-12G’s modernized design and broadcast-quality feature set across future Crescendo Series monitors.

While engineered for broadcast precision, the unit directly answers growing demand in Pro AV environments—from corporate production suites to large-venue control rooms—where hybrid SDI/IP workflows are rapidly expanding. The base unit comes standard with 12G-SDI support, with optional add-ons for Dante or ST 2110-30 to support audio-over-IP workflows. MultiDyne will demonstrate the C16-AM-12G to AV audiences for the first time at ISE 2026 (Stand 5L150), and will be accepting pre-orders on the floor.

The C16-AM-12G’s modernized design represents optimized broadcast-quality audio monitoring for studios, trucks, and increasingly for ProAV integrators building advanced auditoriums, briefing centers, and flypacks. Its compact 1RU form factor delivers full dynamic range and exceptional clarity, supported through 16-channel audio monitoring. Customers are assured confidence monitoring in challenging acoustic spaces and high-noise machine rooms found in enterprise and event-production facilities.

Ross Video Launched Vertex and Expanded Solutions for Broadcast AV and Sports and Entertainment

Ross Video will debut Vertex and showcase new capabilities for the broadcast AV and sports and entertainment markets at booth 4K500.

Vertex became part of the Ross Video portfolio following the company’s acquisition of ioversal at the end of 2025, strengthening Ross Video’s expansion into experiential technologies and further supporting the needs of enterprise studios and large-venue environments. Demonstrations will illustrate how Vertex, together with tools like XPression Tessera, and Ultrix, enables: immersive, synchronized audience experiences; streamlined venue operations; advanced projection mapping and large-scale productions; greater creative flexibility and simplified control workflows.

Ross will also highlight how technologies such as Quorum, Media I/O, and Streamline Pro support scalable, multi-space production workflows; consistent branding and content delivery; reliable, broadcast-grade performance; and seamless integration with existing AV infrastructures.

Telycam to Introduce an All-in-One IP Video Switcher

Telycam will highlight Mix One, an all-in-one video production solution designed to expand and elevate its PTZ ecosystem, in booth 4K860. Purpose-built for PTZ-centric workflows, Mix One combines an encoder, decoder, monitor, video switcher, and PTZ controller within a single, compact unit, giving creators an intuitive tool for live streaming, podcasting, and professional content production.

Built on industry standards and modern AV over IP architecture, Mix One offers a scalable alternative to traditional hardware-heavy production setups. With native support for NDI®= HX, SRT, RTMP, and RTSP, users can work with low-latency IP video directly over the network with no external converters nor capture cards required. IP video routing, remote camera control, and automatic device discovery make scaling effortless. Expanding or redeploying a system is as simple as connecting new devices to the same network.

Find out more here.

David Labuskes is a key leader in the Pro AV industry, promoting innovation, global growth, and advancements in professional certification. However, the AVIXA CEO’s entry into the industry was far from typical.

“My pathway into AV was actually through IT, and working as a consultant led me to an architectural engineering firm where I built a consulting practice for the design of all low-voltage communications," he explained.

These experiences ultimately led him to InfoComm International, now AVIXA, where he has served as CEO for the past 13 years. “Randy Lemke, my predecessor, announced his retirement. A couple of people suggested that I put my name in the hat for the CEO position," he said. "And to make a long story short, here I am, 13 years later.”

During his tenure, Labuskes has expanded AVIXA from mainly a North American association into a global organization. AVIXA's initiatives and offerings include trade shows, training, certifications, standards, and grassroots industry networks like the AVIXA Women’s Council, the Diversity Council, and the Rising Professionals program.

“When I started at AVIXA, I think about 12% of our membership was outside of North America," he explained. "Today, over 50% of our revenue is generated outside of the U.S. Our fastest-growing membership is outside of North America.”

And this expansion isn’t accidental. It’s mission-driven—and as a nonprofit, AVIXA is able to prioritize its mission. “You are focused first on, does this serve our mission? Does this advance the industry?” Labuskes said.

He also emphasized the meaning he finds in AVIXA’s mission-driven model, and its purpose is what motivates him every day. “Somebody said it once … we get to do good business, for the good of humanity,” he noted.

Reflecting on his 13 years with AVIXA, it’s evident that technology is just one aspect of industry change; the AV professional is just as essential. “Technology has exploded and changed," Labuskes said. "The AV professional is needed to be a network professional, needs to be a cybersecurity expert, needs to be a user interface expert, a solution provider, a coder. I think that has led to a really exciting career path.”

But sometimes your greatest failures can lead to success, and that was the case for Labuskes. He didn’t hesitate to share a key story from early in his career, long before his time with AVIXA, when he was fired.

“I was terminated because I wasn't doing a good job as an executive. I wasn't a good leader," he recalled. "Out of that time frame, I really solidified my character around some specific values.”

The values he learned from the experience, including the importance of listening, maintaining a work-life balance, and relationship building, have solidified his approach to leading AVIXA and the incredible members he works with and for on a daily basis.

Labuskes believes the industry stands at an exciting intersection of science and art, creating a rich environment for ideas, opportunities, and exploration, one that nurtures an industry full of dedicated and passionate people. “People who don't love the industry, they kind of leave it pretty quickly," he observed. "And so, you end up with this industry of just really fantastically committed people that love what they do.”

Looking to the future, Labuskes is energized about what lies ahead for AVIXA, including its recent expansion into new markets, such as Mexico City. His excitement for the new initiatives is palpable, and he made one final confession: “I have the best job in the world.”

After leading a transformative era that began in 2012, David Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA, today announced he will retire at the end of the year.

Labuskes recognized and encouraged the evolution of the AV industry from one that offers products and systems toward an industry and profession that delivers integrated experiences that connect people to people and in so doing, transforms the world. During his tenure, the industry expanded to include experiential designers, content creators, IT companies, and users of AV solutions across a growing cross section of markets. This led to the rebrand of InfoComm International to AVIXA (the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association) in 2017.

"David not only helped redefine what our industry stands for, he also built an exceptional leadership team and a culture that is both value-driven and uniquely collaborative," aid Tobias Lang, chair of the AVIXA board of directors and CEO of LANG AG. “The AVIXA Board has already begun the search for his successor, and we are confident that this exciting, attractive, and demanding role will be filled in a way that reflects the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world."

Ensuring AVIXA represented the industry globally is key to Labuskes. Today, more than 50% of AVIXA’s revenue—from training, trade shows, certifications, and additional offerings—is generated outside of North America. The highest and most impactful rate of audience growth for the association is taking place outside of North America and reflects the transformation of AVIXA into a truly global community.

Labuskes championed diversity throughout the association’s many platforms to ensure an array of voices were represented. During his tenure, AVIXA’s Women’s Council and Diversity Council were established. With more than 1,100 members, the Women’s Council is the largest AVIXA council and draws hundreds of attendees year after year to its annual breakfast at InfoComm.

In addition, Labuskes led AVIXA through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. This included navigating the cancellation of live events globally, supporting a critical part of the AVIXA community through a monumental disruption to their business models, as well as supporting the wider AV industry through the transformation demanded by remote and hybrid workplaces. Before joining AVIXA in 2012, Labuskes spent nearly 14 years with RTKL Associates (now Arcadis), where he established the firm’s Technology Design practice.

“I would have never predicted the level of personal growth and fulfillment that accompanied these many years at the helm of AVIXA,” said Labuskes. “The audiovisual industry has been a part of human evolution since the use of signal fires in early civilization. The association now known as AVIXA was established in 1939, well before most of us were born. The responsibility and privilege inherent within the role I played for a tiny part of that timeline was one that could not have been fulfilled without the brilliance of the team of executives, industry volunteers, and dedicated AVIXA employees giving everything they have to deliver on our mission every day. I look forward to being in the stands watching the future successes of AVIXA and our industry around the world.”

The final two weeks of 2025 saw a barrage of moves across the Pro AV industry. Before the newsmakers of 2026 come rolling in, get caught up on people movers at WyreStorm, 3G Productions, and Humly, as well as partnerships and announcements from AVIXA, Extron, and many more.

[4 Opportunities in 2026 for Pro AV Integrators in Hospitality]

Before we start, if you are part of the broadcast convergence in Pro AV, don't forget to register for NAB Show 2026. The show will once again gather in Las Vegas to explore the ideas, tools, and technologies rewriting the rules of creation, distribution and monetization. This April, NAB Show returns with even more to discover, so register today.

People News

Todd Liedahl Joins 3G Productions as Chief Operating Officer

3G Productions has appointed Todd Liedahl to serve as its chief operating officer. Based at 3G’s Nashville location, Liedahl is now tasked with overseeing all company operations, with an emphasis on driving efficiency and scale as 3G continues to grow its presence into a national full-service provider.

Liedahl comes to 3G Productions’ newly-created COO position following a seven-year tenure with AV Stumpfl, where he served as the Austrian manufacturer’s president of U.S. operations. While there, he built the brand’s American business presence from the ground up and scaled operations to meet growing demand. Prior to that, he was with Encore Global—formerly PSAV—for more than two decades, where he progressed through leadership roles focused on sales, operations, and event technology. As a result, his experience spans touring, live corporate events, complex integration projects, virtual production, and equipment rentals, making him the ideal candidate for his current capacity with 3G.

Humly Promotes Jonathan Boutin to Head of Marketing

Humly has promoted Jonathan Boutin to head of marketing. Based in Stockholm, Boutin will lead all global marketing initiatives across strategy and communications, and ensure that all marketing activities align with the Humly brand. He reports to CEO Anders Karlsson.

Boutin joined Humly three years ago in a sales and marketing role that prioritized partner relations, business development, and market expansion, where he successfully established and grew the company’s channel partner network in North America. Many of his responsibilities required close collaboration with Humly’s sales operation, fueling his familiarity with customer challenges and how to address them through product line and sustained marketing efforts. Boutin has already been hard at work on a holistic rebranding initiative that will refine Humly’s marketing and messaging for the company’s next phase, better align Humly with ideal customer profiles, and extend the company’s brand presence. The latter includes expanding into new markets and verticals to increase brand value.

WyreStorm Appoints Paul Lee as VP of the Americas

WyreStorm Technologies welcomed Paul Lee as the new VP of the Americas. Lee brings with him a rich history in the Pro AV industry, with experience spanning sales leadership, business development, post-sales operations, and global partner engagement. From his early days in Southern California to supporting large-scale AV deployments around the world, Le has built a reputation for being a thoughtful leader who understands the industry from every angle.

In his new role, Lee leads the charge in shaping a customer-first organization, a core pillar of WyreStorm’s long-term growth strategy for the Americas. He will work closely with teams across sales, technical services, and marketing communications to ensure that every interaction with partners, integrators, and end users reflects WyreStorm’s commitment to service, simplicity, and long-term value.

Partnerships and Company News

529 Education Savings Plan Now Covers Expenses for AVIXA Certification Exams and Prep Resources

AVIXA certification exams and related education expenses are now eligible under the 529 education savings plan in the United States. Recent legislation expanded the scope of education and training costs covered by a 529 education savings plan, making professional development more accessible. This expansion can empower pro AV learners to pursue industry-recognized credentials using tax-advantaged funds.

Funds from a 529 savings plan cannot be used for AVIXA memberships, but eligible expenses include certification exam fees, prep courses, and related training materials. This includes expenses related to both in person and online prep courses to provide flexible learning for professionals seeking Certified Technology Specialist (CTS), CTS-D, CTS-I, and Audiovisual Network Professional (ANP) certifications. Eligible courses and fees include CTS Prep Pathway, CTS Prep Pathway Plus Exam, CTS-I Prep, CTS-D Prep, and ANP Prep. In addition, exam fees are covered for CTS, CTS-D, CTS-I, and ANP.

Bogen Communications Forms Partnership with Alertus

Bogen Communications announced a partnership with Alertus Technologies, a provider of mass notification and emergency communication solutions. The collaboration enables organizations to leverage Bogen Communications’ Nyquist IP-based paging platform with Alertus’ alerting tools for a more comprehensive, automated emergency communication across facilities.

Bogen Communications’ integration allows Alertus alert messages to play through Bogen Communications’ overhead speaker and paging systems, supporting both software-based and SIP phone system-based connections. Alertus can automatically trigger the Nyquist platform Routines API.Routines are powerful user-definable routines that can automatically launch a procedure, or sequence of actions that the Nyquist system executes in response to a defined “trigger” event. Through API-level communication, Alertus can automatically trigger these Nyquist Routines, share alert information for custom messaging and zoning, and display Nyquist system status directly within the Alertus console.

The integration between Bogen Communications and Alertus offers key benefits, including fully automated alert paging, software-driven routine activation, optional text-to-speech functionality through SIP Annunciators and deployment based on industry-standard tools without the need for custom development. Users can select software-level or SIP-based integration to accommodate varying network and system environments.

D-Tools Partners with AiN Group

D-Tools announced a new partnership with AiN Group, a national network of select security and AV dealers. As part of this collaboration, AiN members will receive special pricing and access to both D-Tools Cloud and System Integrator (SI), giving them the flexibility to adopt the platform that best supports their business model, project complexity, and growth strategy.

AiN Buying Group brings together independent businesses to leverage collective buying power and secure enhanced pricing, programs, and support from Pro AV brands. By adding the full D-Tools product suite to its member benefits, AiN is equipping dealers with solutions designed to streamline workflows, strengthen operations, improve margins, and elevate the customer experience.

Extron Joins PAVSC as Founding Level Partner

Extron is now a Founding Level Partner of the Professional Audio Visual Society of Canada (PAVSC), a newly established national organization committed to advancing the AV industry across Canada. Extron is uniquely positioned to contribute meaningfully to PAVSC's initiatives. The company looks forward to working alongside other industry leaders to support Canadian AV professionals at every stage of their careers.

“We’re honored to be a Founding Level Partner of PAVSC and to support its mission of building a stronger, more connected AV community in Canada,” said Casey Hall, chief marketing officer at Extron. “At Extron, we’ve always believed in the power of education, collaboration, and innovation to drive the industry forward. PAVSC’s focus on mentorship and professional development aligns perfectly with our core values and long-standing commitment to the AV industry.”

Mersive Management Invests for Controlling Interest in Mersive Technologies

The management team of Mersive Technologies announced an investment resulting in management owning the controlling interest in Mersive Technologies. The investment marks an exciting new chapter for the company.

Mersive has been majority owned by OpenGate Capital since 2017. Under OpenGate's ownership, Mersive expanded its global footprint, strengthened its channel relationships, and advanced its position as a category leader in enterprise collaboration technology. Mersive will continue to operate independently, with its leadership team and employees remaining in place.

Uniguest Opens New Nashville Headquarters

Uniguest officially opened its new corporate headquarters in Nashville, TN, on December 16, 2025, marking a major milestone in the company’s ongoing expansion. The move follows a period of significant growth over the past five years, during which Uniguest has strengthened its leadership position in digital signage, IPTV, and digital engagement software across multiple vertical markets worldwide.

After more than a decade on Kraft Drive, Uniguest’s new headquarters provides a modern, collaborative environment designed to foster innovation and connection. The facility includes a global testing lab, multiple partner certification and training rooms, flexible workspaces for employees, and a fully immersive customer experience center showcasing Uniguest’s full technology portfolio.

VITEC and Actelis Networks Announce Partnership to Bring IPTV to RF-Only Facilities  

VITEC and Actelis Networks, which designs cyber-hardened, rapid deployment networking solutions for IoT applications, announced a new partnership to deliver IPTV and digital signage to facilities operating on legacy RF coaxial infrastructure. This market-ready solution enables IP video distribution over existing coax cabling, eliminating the need for costly retrofits. By combining VITEC’s advanced IPTV platform with Actelis’ proven Gigaline technology, the collaboration opens new addressable markets and makes modern IPTV and digital signage accessible to venues and organizations with RF-only networks.

The joint solution utilizes Actelis’ aggregation and endpoint devices and software, enabling seamless conversion between Ethernet and RF protocols. The system ensures efficient, reliable video delivery to thousands of endpoints, while compatible with legacy infrastructure and requiring minimal network modifications, making it ideal for phased implementations and large environments where continuous operation is essential. The joint solution can be deployed as the primary IP video transmission option, or it can be deployed as a hybrid solution in existing IPTV environments that need to extend their IPTV and digital signage to non-upgraded facilities that have RF only infrastructure.

Pro AV Around the World

AtlasIED announced its new agreement with MMconcept, a Netherlands-based distribution partner that will assist in the expansion of AtlasIED’s European footprint. The MMconcept team prides itself on offering this exact quality, making this partnership lineup perfect. AtlasIED’s reputation for delivering top-tier microphone systems and stands has cemented its position as a preferred provider among professionals in the music and recording industry. By integrating MMconcept's distribution capabilities, AtlasIED will effectively leverage local insights and market trends to tailor its offerings to the specific needs of European customers.

AudioControl announced the appointment of Miantic AV as distributor of residential AV solutions in India. AudioControl joins RTI as part of the AVPro Global family of premium brands represented by Miantic in the region. Miantic AV is a specialist distributor of market-leading technologies, supplying professional AV installers with innovative, award-winning audio/video products and integrated whole home solutions. Founded in 2016, Miantic AV is based in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, where the company operates an experience center displaying the latest solutions, with a satellite corporate office in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The Miantic team has established a reputation for supporting integrators in the region with outstanding services and best-in-class solutions.

RTI appointed the Adeo Group as the distributor for RTI residential and commercial solutions in Italy. This collaboration strengthens RTI’s presence in a key European market, bringing its latest innovations even closer to Italian integrators. Founded in 2003 and based in Stazione di Lavis, Italy, Adeo Group is a distributor specializing in audio, video, automation, lighting control, security, home cinema, and networking solutions for professional integrators and AV specialists. Adeo Group has an experienced team covering all of Italy that supports the design, installation, and adoption of the most advanced technologies and automation platforms, both before and after deployment, ensuring the most efficient process as well as customer satisfaction.

WyreStorm Technologies announced a new distribution partnership with Trustech AV Solution to deliver WyreStorm’s extensive AV portfolio across India. With a broad footprint spanning tier-1, tier-2, and emerging cities throughout India, Trustech brings deep market expertise, proven logistics capability, and strong relationships across multiple verticals, including corporate, education, hospitality, government, and enterprise. The partnership is designed to support rapid deployment, local stock availability, and seamless access to WyreStorm solutions for partners and end users nationwide.

The AV Sales Index (AVI-S) was 56.3 in October, slightly down from September. Although not above 60 as in previous periods, this moderate growth suggests consistent market demand with potential for stabilization.

Tariffs, political instability, and inflation are key concerns affecting the AV industry. These factors contribute to uncertainty in business investments and lead to increased equipment and project costs, influencing client decisions and project scopes. Despite current challenges, some companies are strategically investing in talent and technology to prepare for expected market improvements and busy periods, such as end-of-year events and ongoing digital transformation demands.

“Summer is always our slowest season so fall-winter always is busier for us. Themed attractions we work on tend to be closed over the winter months, so this is when we do a lot of our installs,” shared a North American AV provider.

The AV Employment Index (AVI-E) increased to 56.9, indicating a stronger hiring environment. This aligns with the general positive trend in employment, though at a cautious pace given broader market uncertainty. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics has gone dark with the government shutdown (at press time), other reports outside the government data suggest the labor market just plodded along in September-October.

The Pro AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. The report comprises two diffusion indexes: the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) and the AV Employment Index (AVI-E). In each case, an index above 50 indicates an increase in sales or employment activity.

Visit www.avixa.org/AVindex to access the free monthly Pro-AV Business Index reports and learn more about the methodology. For more information about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

Every year, the Pro AV marketplace eagerly awaits the release of SCN Top 50. Not because it's the definitive take on the state of the channel, but because it represents a touchpoint on how integrators may be faring in the current climate and, of course, who is leading the charge.

We all know self-reported data has its caveats—bragging rights are a key takeaway. But in a market with so little data about how companies are performing, some key insights can be gleaned from the list, particularly when taken in combination with other sources of data.

So, how does the Top 50 fit into the global context of AV integration? Are these 50 companies representative of the greater whole? And what insights can be taken from the top 50 and applied more broadly? Let's check the numbers.

Collecting Key Stats

As we’ll see, while there is an expected large firm and positivity bias to the data, the Top 50 still provides a useful take on the market. The first data point you might be tempted to focus on is total revenues and then use that to derive a growth rate for benchmarking. Doing so would suggest a declining market, since the total reported revenues dropped from $13.8 billion in 2024 to $9.1 billion in 2025, a 34% decline!

The problem is the revenues are an artifact of who is in the list, so they don’t truly reveal a usable growth rate. A different methodology is needed to get a clearer sense of growth. The total revenue number is at least an indication of the Top 50 market share, once we derive a market total (coming soon).

A weighted average derived from the growth rates of the listed companies provides a much better view of overall growth rates. It starts with calculating growth for each company and then weighing by their revenue contribution to the whole. This reveals a growth rate of about 8% from 2024 to 2025. This may somewhat reflect growth from consolidation or a positivity bias, but it's a signal that the market did fairly well this year. As we’ll see, it’s also consistent with other sources.

The next and perhaps best data is the average value of an installation. Here, we first calculate the average number of installations per company (2,164) and then use that to derive the average installation value from the total revenues. The result is an average value of $76,385.

This is skewed by the inclusion of some of the largest firms in the industry, but it is a fair representation of an installation. We’ll see how it compares to other sources later. For now, having an average installation cost can help with deriving a total value of the channel, if you are able to get the number of projects completed and a count of companies.

Keep It in Context

For context, we’ll start with AVIXA’s Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) to gauge the size and growth of the larger industry. The study draws a very large circle around the industry and includes some new and emerging adjacencies. It also includes estimates for projects completed by embedded AV professionals, so it doesn’t focus only on the work done by integrators.

That said, it provides a usable sizing estimate and an indicator of growth. Specifically, AVIXA estimates that $332 billion in revenues were generated around the globe in 2025, growing at 3.5%. This means the 8% growth among the top 50 is very realistic, particularly given the greater growth reported in the IOTA for services provided by integrators.

It's also confirmed by AVIXA’s monthly business index, which shows slow but steady growth for solution providers. Digging into the IOTA, you could reasonably assume traditional AV integrators of the type listed in the Top 50 account for perhaps one third, or $110 billion. That's not an official estimate, but if it's true, the top 50 represents just under 10% of total channel revenues, which is reasonable given some concentration effects.

Project Platform Data

Now, let’s look at other sources. Project software platforms represent even more extensive samples of the work being done by integrators. Two of the most noted are Jetbuilt and D-Tools. Both have sizable integrator user bases who specified billions of dollars of commercial projects on them, with all the commensurate scoping details captured along the way.

Starting with D-Tools data, the average number of won projects went up significantly in 2025 (13.8%) and average commercial project value up slightly (3.8%). Combined, this results in an overall average growth of 18.1%. This is despite a lower average project size than shown in the Top 50, indicative of the more resimercial profile of the average dealer-user in the D-Tools community.

Jetbuilt data is next. Here, we see a dealer profile that more closely matches the Top 50. The average won project count increased even more substantially among the commercial integrators (16%), indicating volume increases. The average project value declined a bit and was also lower than the number in the Top 50, though less so.

The decline makes sense given a client base that is more likely to be hedging their bets in an environment of rising costs. Regardless, the math results in a 5.3% growth rate in average won revenues. Given that the data represents actual project work completed, it is free of any positivity bias and aligns well to the AVIXA data. Other biases like geographics may be at play here, but those align well with the Top 50.

The Big Finish

The last step of this journey is to use the data above in conjunction with an estimate of the number of integration firms to extrapolate a total market figure. Caretta Research is helpful here, as they have built out a sophisticated data stack and analytic process to help identify firms of certain types around the world.

Their research revealed an astounding 155,000 AV integration firms. This may come as a surprise to those who have their own databases and are used to figures closer to 15,000-20,000 globally. But given the small and cottage nature of AV around many parts of the world, we will take it as given. However, the large number means aligning to the right estimate for average project value, so average revenues will be an issue.

The fundamental problem for global roll-up is currency rates. All the data we've discussed is largely from U.S.-based companies, where project values are high. Similar projects in other parts of the world will have lower values when converted to U.S dollars. Thus, just using the averages from any of the sources above without modification would yield estimates for AV integration that would be in the realm of ridiculous.

To help this problem, we'll apply a discount rate of 10% as a starting point, and we'll apply this to the Jetbuilt data, since it's a realistic corollary to the Top 50. This results in a figure of $84 billion, which is not wildly different from the estimate using AVIXA’s IOTA.

Here's the thing—we can and should do better benchmarking the Pro AV industry. But we've at least determined a reasonable benchmark that puts the Top 50 into a larger market context and further supports an estimated 10% share.

A week has surprisingly passed without a Pro AV acquisition, but that doesn't mean there wasn't plenty of headliners to go around. AVIXA has some new board and LSC members, AVPros has a new name, and places like Sharp and Follow-Me had people on the move.

[SCN Installation Showcase 2025]

Get caught up on what you may have missed last week below.

PEOPLE NEWS

AVIXA Announces 2026 Board of Directors

AVIXA has named its 2026 AVIXA Board of Directors and Leadership Search Committee.

John Bailey, SVP, technology and innovation, AVI-SPL, has been elected as secretary-treasurer of the Board by AVIXA membership. AVIXA members also elected to the board Loubna Imenchal, managing director, Middle East, Turkey, Central Asia, and Africa (MEA) at Axis Communications; and Cristiano Mazza, CTS, partner, Grupo Discabos.

The AVIXA Leadership Search Committee (LSC) has appointed Ilya Bukshteyn, corporate VP for Microsoft Teams calling, devices, and premium experiences; John Joseph, co-founder and managing director, Blue Rhine Industries; and Christine Schyvinck, president and CEO, Shure, to AVIXA’s board of directors.

Carolina Sosa, CFO of Integración AV, has been elected by AVIXA members to the Leadership Search Committee. In addition, Jatan Shah, chair of the AVIXA board of directors, has appointed Faye Bennett, founder and managing director of Faye Bennett Consultancy Services, and Christine Rogers, VP of XTG, AVI-SPL, to the Leadership Search Committee (LSC).

A complete listing of the 2026 AVIXA Board of Directors appears below:

LSC chair: Jatan Shah, QSC
Chair of the board of directors: Tobias Lang, LANG AG
Vice chair: Mradul Sharma, 3CDN Workplace Tech
Secretary-treasurer: John Bailey, AVI-SPL
Directors: Kristin Bidwell, Audiovisual Consulting Team; Ilya Bukshteyn, Microsoft; Nicholas E. Cox, Sr., Mizuho Americas; Loubna Imenchal, Axis Communications; John Joseph, Blue Rhine Industries; Cristiano Mazza, Grupo Discabos; Christine Schyvinck, Shure; and Tom Shen, Shen Milsom & Wilke.

Follow-Me appoints Menno Appelhof as Technical Sales Specialist

Follow-Me has appointed Menno Appelhof to the role of technical sales specialist. With 35 years of experience spanning lighting design, operations, and sales across the live entertainment industry, Appelhof plays a pivotal role in expanding Follow-Me's global distribution and sales partner network while supporting both partners, designers, and end users with technical expertise. His focus is on streamlining operations for partners, designers, and end users to ensure Follow-Me continues to deliver its performer tracking technology and support in the industry.

Appelhof's extensive career began in the mid-1980s, when he started building shows and pushing flight cases at just 15 years old. His journey evolved through lighting design and programming to sales, where he established his own distribution company representing lighting brands. Throughout his career, he has worked with companies including Avolites and Elation, gaining deep expertise in control systems and lighting technology.

Neutrik Americas Appoints Stacy Kaskonas Director of Key Accounts and Systems Integration

Neutrik Americas has appointed Stacy Kaskon as director of key accounts and systems integration. In this newly defined role, Kaskon leads strategic partnerships and engagement initiatives with Neutrik Americas’ customers across the Americas, focusing on long-term collaboration, systems integration, and customized connectivity solutions within the professional AVL (Audio, Video, Lighting) market.

Kaskon joined Neutrik Americas in May 2011 and has since held several leadership positions in sales and business development. Throughout her tenure, she has played a pivotal role in building trusted relationships with key accounts, driving growth in core product lines, and supporting the company’s expansion into new solution areas.

Sharp Names Robert Davis VP of Services and Solutions

Robert Davis has joined Sharp's professional display business as VP of services and solutions. In his new role, he works across the professional display organization to drive Sharp's commitment to delivering an enhanced customer experience for end users and dealers. In addition, his leadership and experience is critical to scaling Sharp's LED business.

Throughout his career, he has focused on building high-performing teams and developing the next generation of key decision makers. Known for transforming service organizations into strategic growth engines, Davis brings a unique ability to align customer experience with long-term business value. His stewardship has supported innovation, operational efficiency, and recurring revenue growth across diverse industries, with companies such as Fifth Third Bank, Convergys Corporation, ADT, Johnson Controls, and Samsung.

COMPANY NEWS

AVPros Rebrand to Tecnetics

AVPros has rebranded to Tecnetics. The new name reflects the organization’s expanded capabilities beyond audiovisual integration, encompassing low voltage infrastructure, physical security, and managed IT field services designed to deliver complete, measurable outcomes across every layer of enterprise technology.

Under the leadership of two industry veterans, Ciaran Hamilton and Giovanni Agramonte's shared vision, complementary expertise, and passion for innovation, will define the company’s approach to technology integration. Hamilton leads with a consultative mindset—bridging engineering precision with strategic insight to help organizations adopt solutions that enhance the way they work. Agramonte, a seasoned AV and IT professional, brings extensive experience in system design, implementation, and operations management, ensuring each project is delivered seamlessly from planning to post-support.

The name “Tecnetics” encapsulates the company’s focus on technical precision, connectivity, and integrated delivery. While the company’s guiding vision, “Connecting Technology to Business Outcomes,” underscores its mission to deliver measurable, scalable, and secure technology ecosystems that directly support operational goals.

Sean Wargo, Lee Dodson Partner with Jetbuilt

Jetbuilt has partnered with industry veterans Sean Wargo and Lee Dodson of the newly formed Apogee Insight to advance its market intelligence initiatives and deliver insights to the professional audiovisual industry. The partnership combines Jetbuilt’s ecosystem with Wargo and Dodson’s decades of experience in research, analytics, and market strategy. Together, the team will develop a comprehensive data initiative designed to help industry professionals identify emerging trends, evaluate market potential and make more informed business decisions.

By applying advanced analytics to this real-world data, Jetbuilt’s new initiative will reveal how technologies are being specified, which markets are growing and where demand is shifting across verticals such as education, corporate, government and entertainment. Unlike traditional industry reports, which rely heavily on surveys or limited sampling, Jetbuilt’s dataset reflects verified project activity from professionals actively designing and delivering audiovisual systems. Jetbuilt’s direct connection to the market makes the data more accurate, current, and representative of actual industry movement.

The collaboration will extend beyond reporting statistics to interpreting the meaning behind those numbers. By combining Wargo’s background in data science and market methodology with Dodson’s operational experience as a manufacturer and marketing executive, Jetbuilt’s initiative will translate complex analytics into meaningful narratives.

Nanolumens, Noro Partner to Launch Portal for Human-Centered Hybrid Collaboration

Nanolumens and Noro, the company behind the Portal immersive communications system, announce a partnership to bring Portal to market, a platform designed to bridge the hybrid collaboration gap by making remote participation feel human, natural, and connected. Nanolumens and Noro will introduce Portal globally through existing Nanolumens and Noro integrator networks with configurations tailored for enterprise, education and command environments

Portal combines Nanolumens’ expertise in dvLED display technology with Noro’s leadership in life-size, immersive design and intelligent spatial camera systems, creating a seamless environment where remote collaboration feels natural, connected and truly in-person. Unlike traditional video walls or conferencing systems, Portal delivers full-scale, real-time presence with true-to-life proportions, spatial depth, and natural body language, no headsets, glasses, or complex interfaces required.

Salamander Designs Expands Partnership with NuTech Group across New York

Salamander Designs has expanded NuTech Group’s territories to now include New York Metro, Long Island, and Northern New Jersey to further support dealers with personalized support for Salamander products. As it has for over two decades, NuTech Group will continue to represent Salamander in Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

With this expansion, Salamander Designs continues to strengthen its commitment in training, technical support, and service for its line of residential media cabinets, seating, and technology furniture solutions across the East Coast.

Utelogy, Canon Forge Strategic Partnership to Enhance Smart Workspace Integration

Utelogy announced its partnership with Canon CR-N Series PTZ cameras, further strengthening its growing ecosystem of supported devices.

As part of this strategic partnership, Utelogy has added support to the Canon CR-N Series PTZ camera line, CR-N100, CR-N300, CR-N500, and CR-N700. This new integration, delivered through the Utelligence Partner Program, enables organizations to take full control of their camera environments directly within the Utelogy platform.

Users can benefit from a comprehensive range of remote management capabilities, enabling more efficient and scalable control across meeting rooms, classrooms, training spaces, and other environments.

With a score above 60, the AV sales index once again presents us with a question: Are we witnessing an improving market situation or just a one-month outlier? The last time the index topped 60 was back in March, with the last sustained period in early 2024. Whether outlier or not, the longer-term trend shows definite improvement from late 2024 and early 2025, indicating accelerated growth as we enter the final phase of the year.

The general upward trend may reflect a bit more certainty relating to the tariff situation. The data does show a decline in the percentage of providers who report the political environment as a challenge, though inflation and rising costs remain an issue.

This correlates with the broader inflation indicators, showing slight upticks in more recent readings. The U.S. federal government’s preferred indicator of inflation, the core PCE, ticked up to 2.9% in July, the highest rating since February, though only up 0.1 points from June. Still, these factors did not appear to blunt the sales results reported by the AV channel in August.

On the employment side, the AV Employment Index continues to show a slow and steady result, in alignment with the broader job market. The index dipped only 0.2 points to 55.5, showing marked consistency from month to month.

Broader employment data came in lower than expected for August, demonstrating a limited amount of hiring. The same could be said of the AV space, which continues to show hiring at a low pace of growth. Some comments suggest staffing levels remain conservatively low as a hedge against potential slowdowns, putting some strain on existing resources.

The Pro AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. The report comprises two diffusion indexes: the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) and the AV Employment Index (AVI-E). In each case, an index above 50 indicates an increase in sales or employment activity.

Visit www.avixa.org/AVindex to access the free monthly Pro-AV Business Index reports and learn more about the methodology. For more information about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

This article was provided by Richard Jonker, VP marketing and business development at NETGEAR AV.

You know the scenario: Every organization needs an AV system that can grow with them, adapt to new technologies, and work seamlessly with the IT infrastructure. Then you hit the wall. Proprietary hardware that’s expensive to upgrade, incompatible protocols, infrastructure that’s obsolete before it’s paid off. For decades, this was the cost of doing business in Pro AV.

Not anymore.

[AVIXA Remains Positive on Industry Forecast]

The global Pro AV market stands at $332 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $402 billion by 2030, according to AVIXA's IOTA Report. Driving this $70 billion expansion is a fundamental architectural shift: the migration from proprietary, hardware-locked systems to flexible, network-based AV-over-IP infrastructure. Whether you’re an enterprise buying these systems, an integrator deploying them, or a manufacturer building them, this transformation unlocks 10 distinct growth opportunities.

1. AV over IP Becomes the Default Architecture

Traditional signal routing built on HDMI, HDBaseT, and SDI is giving way to IP networks. The numbers tell the story: In 2025, roughly 38% of AV deployments use IP-based distribution. By 2030, that figure is expected to hit 65%. The implications are profound: Every new conference room, every classroom upgrade, every stadium expansion now starts with the network.

2. Broadcast Meets IT Infrastructure

Broadcasters are migrating from SDI baseband to IP networks running at 25GbE and 100GbE. These speeds are essential for handling uncompressed 4K and 8K video under SMPTE ST 2110 standards, which separate video, audio, and metadata into distinct network streams.

The opportunity lies in designing broadcast networks that balance performance and cost. Specialists who can architect resilient, precisely timed IP infrastructures while managing the total cost of ownership will capture premium margins in this demanding vertical.

3. The Pixel Explosion in Live Events

Arena LED walls are jumping from 25 million pixels in 2025 to approaching 1 billion pixels by 2030, a 190% compound annual growth rate. Traditional distribution methods can't handle this scale. AV over IP is the only viable path forward, routing massive video feeds across standard network infrastructure. For venues, this means investing in multi-gigabit switching. For integrators, it means an entirely new category of high-value installations where networking expertise meets visual spectacle.

4. Video Surveillance Becomes a Strategic Asset

The $38.4 billion surveillance segment is growing at 7.7% annually, driven by AI analytics and higher-resolution cameras. Organizations now use surveillance to optimize operations, tracking customer flow in retail, monitoring production lines, and enhancing safety. Integrators who position themselves as strategic advisors will command premium pricing and long-term relationships.

5. Residential AV Demands Enterprise-Grade Networks

The smart home is no longer a luxury niche. Residential integrators reported median revenues of $1.1 million in 2024, with projected growth of 6.1% in 2025. Homeowners now expect whole-home audio, 4K streaming in every room, automated lighting, security systems, and IoT devices, all running seamlessly on a single network.

[Pescatore: The Rise of Resimercial]

Today's high-end homes require structured wiring, PoE for devices like access points and cameras, and managed switches are now table stakes, creating recurring service revenue opportunities.

6. The Relentless March to Higher Bandwidth

Corporate environments are transitioning from 1Gb to multi-gig and 10Gb connections. Broadcast facilities are moving from 10Gb to 25Gb, 40Gb, and 100Gb. This creates a sustained revenue opportunity. While the cost per gigabit decreases over time, the total demand for capacity grows faster. A 10Gb switch that cost $5,000 three years ago might be $3,500 today, but organizations need four times as many ports to support new applications. Switches purpose-built for AV with features like IGMP snooping, PTP timing, and traffic prioritization command premium prices because they solve real problems that IT switches can't.

7. Cloud-Managed Digital Signage Takes Off

Digital signage has shed its reputation as static displays showing cafeteria menus. Modern deployments are cloud-managed, dynamically updated, and distributed across hundreds or thousands of endpoints in retail chains, hotel groups, and university campuses. The combination of 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 7, and cloud platforms is driving double-digit growth rates. For integrators, this represents recurring revenue through content management services, analytics subscriptions, and ongoing network optimization.

8. Ecosystem Partnerships Reduce Integration Risk

No single vendor can deliver every component of a modern AV over IP system. Success requires validated interoperability across cameras, encoders, decoders, switches, software platforms, and control systems.

Companies that invest in ecosystem partnerships—certification programs, co-branded solutions, joint testing—are building trust at scale. When an integrator sees that a switch has been validated with their preferred encoder and control system, it removes uncertainty. NETGEAR, for example, works with nearly 500 ecosystem partners to validate workflows. This collaborative approach accelerates adoption and reduces project risk.

9. Advanced Support and Managed Services Create Recurring Revenue

As AV systems become network-dependent, uptime becomes non-negotiable. Integrators are offering paid SLAs, remote monitoring, and proactive design support: high-margin services that guarantee performance. For many, managed services smooth out the feast-or-famine cycle of project work.

10. Emerging Markets Offer Above-Average Growth

While North America and Western Europe remain large markets, the highest growth rates are elsewhere. Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Central and Eastern Europe are projected to grow 3–5% faster than developed markets. Companies establishing credibility in these geographies early, through training programs, distributor relationships, and reference installations, will capture outsized market share as these regions mature.

These 10 opportunities share a common thread: AV is becoming inseparable from the network. Signal distribution, content management, device control, analytics, and security all depend on robust IP infrastructure.

The implications are clear. Technical mastery of networking protocols is now as important as understanding video formats. Ecosystem partnerships matter as much as product specifications. Global execution capabilities separate market leaders from the rest.

The $70 billion growth opportunity between now and 2030 will flow to organizations that recognize these realities. The architecture of the future is being built today. Make sure you're holding the blueprint.

September opened with a flurry of Pro AV moves. There were a lot of new people in new places, partnerships, and road shows announced. As always, let's start with a couple of acquisitions.

Just weeks after announcing the completion of the 26North Partners acquisition of AVI-SPL, the company has now acquired CCS Presentation Systems Southwest (CCS Southwest), an audiovisual design and systems integration firm headquartered in Mesa, AZ. CCS has a 34-year history of serving customers in the Arizona market with a focus on continuously optimizing communications and collaboration solutions for the modern workplace and campus. While CCS has capabilities and locations across the United States, AVI-SPL has only acquired CCS Southwest, the operating entity serving Arizona. Read the full details in our coverage here.

Following the sale of CCS Southwest and the retirement of founder John Godbout, the CCS Presentation Systems headquarters is moving to Houston, TX, and will be led by the new owners of the CCS brand, Ben and Elizabeth Pickrel.

One day later, Ross Video made headlines, acquiring LAMA, a developer of audio production software known for its innovative live mixing solutions. You can find out what you need to know in our coverage here.

Now, on with the show.

People Movers

People News

AVIXA Welcomes José Aragón as Chief Financial Officer

AVIXA appointed José Aragón as the chief financial officer. In this role, he will lead the association’s financial growth strategy.

Aragón most recently held the position of VP of finance, networks, and studios at A+E Global Media, a multinational media company. During his tenure, he led several transformative initiatives, including serving as a key finance partner for the company's digital growth strategy. Prior to his role at A+E Global Media, Aragón was the VP of finance for Sony Pictures Entertainment, TV Production. He has also held executive finance positions at Univision and NBCUniversal.

Christie Appoints Jim Hallas as VP, Product Management

Christie has appointed Jim Hallas as VP, product management. Hallas will lead the company’s display product strategy and display product lines while aligning customers’ needs with the company’s innovation and capabilities to support the company’s long-term strategic vision to maintain its position as a trusted partner worldwide.

Most recently, Hallas served as business and engineering manager for the DLP Cinema, Pro AV, and Industrial Group at TI, where his team pioneered the HEP pixel technology and holds five patents for various technology innovations.

DMF Lighting Appoints Charlie Derk as Senior Director of Product Strategy 

DMF Lighting has appointed Charlie Derk as senior director of product strategy. In this new role, Derk will lead DMF’s product roadmap and innovation strategy, driving the continued development of lighting solutions designed to elevate performance, aesthetics.

With more than 25 years of experience in the luxury residential and architectural lighting industries, Derk brings a blend of engineering expertise, market insight, and customer-driven innovation. He has held leadership positions at Legrand (where he was most recently VP of strategy for Legrand’s Building Control Systems division), Crestron Electronics, Doherty Design Group, and Lutron Electronics, where he was instrumental in shaping product portfolios and introducing advanced lighting control and automated shading solutions.

Telos Alliance Welcomes Jeff Williams as Director of Western US Sales

Telos Alliance welcomed Jeff Williams to the position of director of Western U.S. sales. Williams brings four decades of radio and broadcast experience, plus a family legacy in broadcast and pro audio, to support customers across the Western United States.

Williams began his career in broadcasting at age 16, working with Shotgun Tom Kelly, and followed with roles at San Diego’s KFMB, Boston’s WRKO, and leadership positions with Gannett, Jacor, Clear Channel, and Knight Broadcasting. Since 2015, he has been general manager and owner of Yellowtec USA.

Dante Partners

Dante Is Everywhere

There were several partnerships made with Audinate's Dante platform last week. Here is a quick rundown of who is now Dante-enabled.

AVer's Pro AV cameras will come with Dante Ready licensing. Dante Ready is a licensing program that allows manufacturers to ship their Pro AV products with Dante installed but not activated, so that Dante functionality, such as a channel of Dante AV-H video, can be activated on site whenever it’s needed, offering flexibility and scalability for AV over IP systems. With this integration, AVer’s professional AV cameras offer customers the ability to access Dante AV-H, which is a powerful technology that delivers smooth, high-quality, low-latency video over standard networks. Users simply enter a license key to unlock the functionality, with no hardware change required.

The Freedman Group, parent company of renowned professional audio brands RØDE, Mackie, and newly acquired Lectrosonics, has announced a new partnership with fellow Sydney-based technology leader Audinate. The agreement will see the integration of Audinate’s powerful Dante platform integrated into a suite of next-generation products across The Freedman Group’s portfolio, unlocking advanced networking capabilities for creators and professionals worldwide.

Grass Valley announced a new partnership with Audinate that brings native Dante audio integration into AMPP. With this update, production teams can manage Dante audio streams directly within AMPP without additional hardware. The integration supports up to 128x128 bidirectional channels with latency as low as 1ms, making it easier to scale professional IP audio across cloud, on-prem, or hybrid workflows. The move also introduces a flexible licensing model for Dante I/O, available hourly or monthly, giving broadcasters and event producers a cost-effective way to deploy professional audio networking for anything from short-term projects to enterprise-scale operations.

New Partnerships

Partnerships

Gotham Audio Custom Cables and Cable Stock Now Available in North and South America

Gotham Audio is now available throughout North and South America distributed by Audio Collective Group. Built for professional recording studios, live performance venues, broadcast facilities, post-production houses, and high-end home audio, Gotham Audio offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of premium cabling in the industry—spanning microphone, instrument, studio, digital audio, speaker, video, hybrid, and custom solutions.

Known for Swiss engineering and built upon Reussen Shielding Technology, Gotham cables are built for noise rejection, clarity, and signal transmission in every commercial and residential install.

PlayBox Neo U.S. Partners with AI-Media

PlayBox Neo has partnered with AI-Media to integrate advanced automated captioning, translation, and voice translation solutions directly into the PlayBox Neo broadcast playout ecosystem. Broadcasters, government organizations, universities, and corporate AV facilities now have access to cost-effective, broadcast-quality captioning and multi-lingual voice services, which expands their audience reach while staying compliant with accessibility regulations. They can easily deploy professional-grade captions and multilingual translation at broadcast quality without incurring additional staffing or infrastructure costs.

Through the U.S.-based partnership, PlayBox Neo customers gain access to AI-Media’s ALTA 2110 IP broadcast encoder and LEXI Text, an automated captioning solution that delivers same-language and translated captions with broadcast-grade accuracy and ultra-low latency. The solution also includes LEXI Recorded for pre-recorded content, enabling captions to be produced in less than half the program’s runtime. To ensure high accuracy, AI-Media applies its customized Topic Models, which recognize speakers’ names, industry terminology, and brand-specific language.

In addition to captioning, AI-Media’s new LEXI Voice adds real-time translated voice output. With LEXI Voice, PlayBox Neo customers can provide multilingual viewing experiences across both live and on-demand content. These solutions integrate seamlessly with all PlayBox Neo products, making them accessible to every organization using PlayBox Neo technology.

Pro AV Around the Globe

Pro AV Around the Globe

HARMAN Professional Solutions announced the appointment of Freevox as the distributor of its AMX video and control solutions in France. This new agreement builds on Freevox’s existing role distributing HARMAN Professional’s audio brands, including JBL Professional, BSS, Crown, Soundcraft, Lexicon, and dbx.

PPDS announced a new strategic distribution partnership with FVC, expanding its reach and strengthening its presence across the Middle East and parts of North Africa. Under this new agreement, FVC will represent and distribute the full PPDS portfolio of Philips Professional Displays, including the latest digital signage, direct view LED displays, and professional TVs, delivering world class AV solutions to customers across a wide range of verticals.

New Locations

New Digs

AV Stumpfl celebrated the opening of its new production hall at its headquarters in Wallern an der Trattnach, Austria, together with its entire team during this year’s summer family festival. The new facility adds 23,680 square feet (2,200 square meters) of production space, effectively doubling the company’s production capacity. Last year, AV Stumpfl invested in new equipment for a second production line and welcomed 20 new team members. Until now, this team was spread across various parts of the company building, which proved inefficient. With the new production hall, workflows can now be organized much more effectively.

USSI Global opened a new repair and logistics complex in Suntree, FL. The new facility is allowing the company to expand beyond its warranty business and add broadcast headend and production equipment to its catalog of repair services. Located about 15 miles north of the company’s Melbourne headquarters, the new repair complex is allowing USSI Global to consolidate three logistics centers into one. Anthony Morelli, president and CEO, USSI Global, said the company is already seeing improved operational efficiencies.

Road Shows

Hit the Road, Pro AV Style

JBL Professional launched its 2025 Installed Audio Roadshow, a coast-to-coast tour showcasing the brand’s most trusted commercial audio solutions in real-world environments. From September through November 2025, the roadshow will make 30 stops nationwide, offering AV integrators, consultants, system designers, and facility managers an opportunity to experience JBL sound in the region where they work with their customers. The JBL Installed Audio Roadshow will kick off in Los Angeles and visit major markets including San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Miami, among many others.

The JBL Installed Audio Roadshow delivers application-specific demonstrations that highlight clarity, coverage, and control across hospitality venues, retail spaces, schools, houses of worship, and entertainment environments. Each stop will feature the latest solutions, along with insights into system design best practices, guided walkthroughs, hands-on product exploration, and networking with industry professionals.

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Sennheiser announced the remaining dates for its 2025 Connect & Collaborate Roadshow, including events this fall and early winter. Following a spring and summer of successful stops, Sennheiser will continue its North American tour with visits to Washington, D.C. on September 9, Toronto, Ontario on September 16, and New York City on October 21.

The roadshow is designed for end users, distributors, consultants, integrators, and resellers, providing hands-on training for designing and deploying business communications solutions in meeting spaces and lecture halls. The events will feature live demonstrations of Sennheiser’s TeamConnect (TC) family of products, such as the TC Bars and the TC Ceiling Medium microphone with beamforming technology and TruVoiceLift. Sennheiser technical experts will be on hand to offer practical advice, while partners including Q-SYS, NETGEAR, Lightware, Planar, and Audinate will participate in select locations to highlight seamless integration. Attendees may also earn up to 5.5 AVIXA CTS RU credits by engaging in qualifying sessions.

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Sony Electronics’ Professional Display Solutions group is once again embarking on an interactive technology road show across North America from September 2025 through March 2026. Attendees to the AV Tech Expo will be immersed in the company’s range of Pro AV offerings, including professional BRAVIA displays, the direct view Crystal LED display, AI-enabled PTZ cameras, and device provisioning and management solutions. They will also get a first-hand glimpse at upcoming technology, before it comes to market. Additionally, the company’s knowledgeable product experts will be available to answer questions and demonstrate the latest innovations for a number of professional verticals and applications.

You can catch the show here:

• New York, NY | Sept. 24-25, 2025
• Boston, MA | Oct. 21, 2025
• Los Angeles, CA | Oct. 28 & 29, 2025 
• Fort Lauderdale, FL| Nov. 12, 2025
• Chicagoland Area, IL | Jan. 14, 2026
• Plano, TX | Jan. 21, 2026 
• Toronto, ON | Feb. 2026
• San Diego, CA | Mar. 2026

Welcome to the Alliance

Join the Club

Stage Precision has joined the OpenAV Cloud. The OpenAV Cloud fosters interoperability through open APIs and shared protocols, ensuring that AV systems, tools and platforms can communicate seamlessly across brands, disciplines and geographies. By becoming part of the OpenAV Cloud community, Stage Precision is reinforcing its long-standing mission of delivering customers true freedom of choice, flexibility and system integration without lock-in.

Telos Alliance, Jünger Audio, and TVU Networks unveiled a new collaboration to integrate Telos Alliance’s portfolio of cloud‑enabled audio solutions directly into TVU Networks’ MediaMesh platform, delivering next‑generation audio capabilities for broadcasters and content creators worldwide. In today’s ever-evolving broadcast landscape, audience expectations are rising, and cloud production is quickly becoming the new standard. With the integration of the Telos Alliance and Jünger Audio audio-handling tools with MediaMesh, TVU Network’s clients will gain the direct ability to automate complex audio workflows, ensure consistent, high‑quality audio, and leverage AI to ease manual workloads.

Hitomi Broadcast joined the Grass Valley Alliance, delivering native MatchBox Software solutions for the AMPP ecosystem. This strategic partnership addresses one of broadcasters' primary concerns about migrating to software-based production: maintaining precise timing and synchronization throughout complex virtualized workflows.

The integration brings Hitomi's trusted timing measurement capabilities directly into AMPP environments through MatchBox Software Analyser, MatchBox Probe, and MatchBox Renderer applications. MatchBox Software solutions operate entirely within AMPP's virtualized infrastructure, enabling engineers to position timing measurement probes throughout their broadcast chain without signal conversion or external routing. This provides true end-to-end visibility, allowing broadcasters to monitor timing at multiple points from a centralized web interface whilst maintaining the same millisecond-accurate measurements that broadcast professionals rely on worldwide.

It was another busy week in Pro AV. Audinate has a new chief platform officer, dBTechnologies and TAG Video Solutions welcomed new positions, and Shure microphones took the stage to Stand Up to Cancer.

That and more await in this week's newsmakers rundown.

[AVIXA Forecast: Will Pro AV Revenue Grow Through 2030?]

People News

TJ Adams Joins Audinate as Chief Platform Officer

Audinate appointed TJ Adams to the newly created position of chief platform officer. Adams joins Audinate from QSC, where he was SVP, Q-SYS product strategy and was instrumental in the development of the Q-SYS platform. He previously held engineering, sales, and product management roles at Biamp and SITA (formerly Com-Net Software).

In his new role, Adams will lead Audinate’s platform strategy to deliver an interoperable audio, video, control, and management platform. Building on an established and strong foundation across the millions of Dante-enabled devices in the field, Adams will lead Audinate’s initiatives to deliver cohesive platform software, products and service offerings for designers, integrators and users of AV systems across a wide spectrum of vertical markets & applications.

Bogen Communications Celebrates the Retirement of John Minnick

Bogen Communications celebrated the career of VP John Minnick on July 8, 2025, recognizing his lasting contributions to both the company and the broader audiovisual industry. As part of the celebration and in honor of his legacy of leadership and innovation the company announced the dedication of the John Minnick Engineering Center. The newly christened engineering center is based in the company’s Orlando office.

Minnick joined Bogen 12 years ago as VP of engineering. In his time with the company he initiated the development of new products that transformed Bogen’s technology portfolio and significantly enhanced its competitive position in the market. Under his leadership, Bogen’s Nyquist IP-based paging and intercom systems were developed and introduced. As a result of his efforts Nyquist grew rapidly, eventually outpacing legacy system sales and helping to establish Bogen Communications as a leader in IP-based audio solutions.

dBTechnologies Welcomes Scott Thompson

dBTechnologies USA has appointed Scott Thompson as Western U.S. regional sales manager, bringing more than two decades of experience in the pro audio and music industry to the role.

Thompson most recently served as VP of sales at The Music Link, where he managed more than $20M in worldwide sales across multiple channels, supported a global distributor network, and oversaw the successful launch of a European 3PL warehouse that expanded the company’s international footprint. He also held leadership roles at Córdoba Music Group, driving both domestic and international sales efforts for the Córdoba and Guild brands during a pivotal period of growth.

Before transitioning fully into sales leadership, Thompson worked as an independent audio engineer for nearly a decade, giving him hands-on insight into the technical demands of sound reinforcement. A lifelong musician, he has remained deeply connected to the creative side of the industry, a perspective that continues to shape his collaborative and solutions-focused approach to sales and client support.

TAG Strengthens Regional Presence with Appointment of Oliver Gappa

TAG Video Systems has named Oliver Gappa as sales director for DACH, MENA, and Eastern Europe. With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, Gappa will focus on supporting TAG’s customers and partners with solutions that deliver agility, reliability, and long-term value in their operations.

Gappa’s career spans both established enterprises and fast-growing startups, giving him a unique perspective on the evolving needs of the media landscape. Most recently, he served as sales director EMEA at Ateliere, leading SaaS-driven growth initiatives for live production and content delivery solutions. Under his previous leadership roles at LucidLink, Telestream, and Rohde & Schwarz, he expanded regional presence, built reseller networks, and managed multimillion-dollar revenues while cultivating long-term customer relationships.

Company News

AVIXA and IATSE Training Trust Fund Celebrate 15-year Partnership

AVIXA and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Training Trust Fund (IATSE TTF) are thrilled to celebrate 15 years of a remarkable partnership. This collaboration has been instrumental in driving the professionalism of the AV industry through consistent efforts and a shared belief in the power of education.

The IATSE Training Trust Fund facilitates training opportunities for IATSE workers to achieve and maintain the skills, ability, and knowledge necessary to meet the ever-changing technologies in the entertainment and exhibition industries.

Looking ahead, AVIXA and IATSE are committed to further enhancing their training programs. AVIXA will be introducing new courses that focus on emerging technologies and innovative practices, further supporting IATSE members by equipping them with innovative skills. Additionally, AVIXA plans to expand its reach by offering more accessible and flexible learning options, ensuring that all IATSE members have the opportunity to benefit from AVIXA’s comprehensive educational resources.

Shure Takes the Stage at Stand Up to Cancer Telecast

Stand Up to Cancer hosted its ninth annual telecast at The Pinnacle in Nashville on August 15. The event featured inspirational performances that helped secure millions of dollars in donations for cancer research. Audio engineers used Shure technology to deliver pristine audio and inspiring messages to more than four million viewers on ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX.

For this year's event, audio producer Tom Davis, known for his work on the CMA Awards and CMA Festival, sought product support from Shure. He specifically requested headset mics for the Nashville Community Gospel Choir, who were outfitted with Shure’s new SM39 Cardioid Singing Headset Microphone. Both Davis and Jason Spence, front of house engineer for the telecast, praised the microphones.

Shure microphones captured most of the evening's talent. CeCe Winans, Gavin DeGraw, Joe Jonas, Dan Smyers, Jon Pardi, Brothers Osborne, and Marcus King all used the reliable Shure SM58. Notably, Noah Cyrus performed an emotional duet with Gavin DeGraw on his song “Hero In Our House,” about his mother. Noah used a Nexadyne 8 Supercardioid Capsule while Gavin used an SM58. Marcus King used a Shure Nexadyne 5 for his guitar amplifier cabinet. Shay Mooney and the host microphone, used by Sheryl Crow and others, featured the Shure KSM9 Condenser Vocal Microphone Capsule. Drums were captured using Nexadyne 6 on toms, side snare, and under snare; Nexadyne 2 and Beta 91A on kick drum; and Beta 181/C on hi-hat.

Pro AV Around the Globe

XTEN-AV is set to launch for the Indian markets, at InfoComm India 2025. Known for transforming AV workflows worldwide, XTEN-AV is bringing its innovative platform and its AI agent, XAVIA, to one of the fastest-growing AV markets in the world. For its India debut, XTEN-AV is joining hands with Bisht Price. The distributor has a long track record of introducing new technologies to the market, and its presence across India makes it the right partner to speed up XTEN-AV’s adoption.

AVIXA’s Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) predicts Pro AV revenue will grow from $332 billion in 2025 to $402 billion by 2030. Previously, the IOTA predicted market growth to reach $325 billion in 2024, but growth was slower than previously predicted, reaching $321 billion instead. However, the Pro AV industry remains resilient, with a forecasted increase of $70 billion over the next five years.

[Pro AV Weather Report: Growth Remains Tepid]

The IOTA report is a comprehensive analysis of the Pro AV market, using data from the previous five years and input from various market stakeholders. By providing a snapshot of end user spending, the report presents data on the size of the Pro AV industry with a global perspective, segmented by geography, vertical markets, solution areas, and product categories.

Based on discussions with industry experts along with observations of macroeconomic pressures, the previous 5-year projection of a 5.3% growth was revised to 3.9%. Even with this notable decrease in the growth rate due to the dampening effect of uncertainty in tariffs, geopolitics, and high interest rates, Pro AV is expected to outpace the global GDP growth by 0.8 percentage points.

“The data highlights that the Pro AV industry remains well positioned for long-term success even as we navigate a more cautious growth environment. Strategic investment in emerging technologies, regional diversification, and cross-industry collaborations will be key to unlocking more opportunities in the future,” said Sean Wargo, VP of market insight, AVIXA. “While the sector continues to outperform global GDP, the pace of expansion has slowed, reflecting a shift from post-pandemic recovery to more stabilized, experience-driven markets, such as live events, retail, venues, and hospitality.”

Two forces continue to shape and drive demand in the Pro AV industry: the hybrid workplace and the experience economy. By investing in AV tech to enhance engagement and collaboration in and out of the office, businesses are fostering a symbiotic relationship between workplace transformation and entertainment-driven experiences.

Globally, India has emerged as the standout performer in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, which remains the engine of Pro AV growth. Previously a position led by China over last few years, India’s rise to the lead performer was formed from an increase in infrastructure investment and a growing need for immersive technology-enabled experiences. Other regions experiencing high growth are the Middle East and Latin America.

The Pro AV industry also continues to evolve through innovations in how audio and visual experiences are delivered. Key innovations are four technologies: AV over IP, software and cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), and extended reality (XR). Now a mainstream aspect of AV installations, AV over IP enables content distribution and system control via IP networks. Market drivers are operation efficiency, cost reduction, and immersive experiences.

Software and cloud are increasingly central to AV operations, enabling remote management and scalability. AI is enhancing system intelligence, aiding in design, programming, and labor augmentation, while XR is gaining traction in entertainment, retail, and education. For products, content management hardware and services dominate. Standalone software, especially AI-powered tools, is the fastest-growing category. This trend highlights a broader shift toward value-added services and intelligent infrastructure.

The corporate sector continues to be the largest buyer segment, although its growth is slowing while government, military and energy, and utilities are all accelerating. This reflects recession-resilient investment patterns.

From an AV solutions perspective, conferencing and collaboration tech still leads, but security/surveillance, and broadcast AV are rapidly climbing the ranks. Broadcast AV has now become the second largest solution area behind conferencing and collaboration technologies. This rise shows the growing interest among enterprises in developing video content creation capabilities. It also offers another facet of the experience economy in which audiences are engaged on both digital platforms and in-person, which leads to companies viewing corporate events as capturable and shareable content.

The story of a lower growth outlook continues to be supported by lackluster results from the business indices. Though still indicating growth, the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) remains locked in the high 50s.

Looking across the entire series of the index, most periods prior to 2023 showed scores over 60, other than at the peak of the pandemic in 2020. Thus, one could reasonably expect 2025 growth to come in below the averages of 5-6% for Pro AV at large, which is what the newly release forecasts from AVIXA’s Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) predict.

Challenges for AV providers still center around the macro context, including inflation, the U.S. political situation, and tariff uncertainties, all of which have softened the incoming pipeline of work. The silver lining is that survey comments suggest the impacts of each have seemed to lessen over the past month or two, even if project delays have surfaced. Despite the challenges, growth remains the norm as customers forge ahead with projects, often accepting the increased costs.

With sales growth moving at a slower pace, it is not surprising for the AV Employment Index (AVI-E) to also be tracking lower from a historical perspective. While scores below 60 are more common for the AVI-E, the new reading of 55.6 is still in the lower end of the range, even if it increased slightly from May.

Given the continued strength of the job market, hiring in any sector would remain fairly challenging, with Pro AV being no exception. However, comments suggest a mix of hiring and downsizing in alignment to budgets and project demand. One might reasonably expect the AVI-E to remain at lower levels as AV companies take a conservative approach to their staffing levels.

[AVIXA Remains Positive on Industry Forecast]

The Pro AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. The report comprises two diffusion indexes: the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) and the AV Employment Index (AVI-E). In each case, an index above 50 indicates an increase in sales or employment activity. For more information about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

InfoComm 2025 was a big hit in Orlando, FL, in June. I've been attending InfoComm for decades, and I can honestly say I haven't felt this kind of energy since before the pandemic. An uninterrupted show floor across the Orange County Convention Center certainly helped—I'm really hoping the Las Vegas Convention Center renovations will be done before the show returns there next June.

As has been the case as of late on Pro AV trade show floors both here and abroad, there was no paradigm shift moving the industry in a new direction. But that doesn't mean there wasn't plenty to explore at InfoComm 2025. Here are four lessons I learned from the show floor.

1) Don’t panic.

Policy fluidity breeds uncertainty, and the uncertainty surrounding tariffs is certainly impacting the Pro AV industry. However, despite all the talk of tariffs, slowed growth, and international concerns (Israel launched its retaliatory airstrikes in Iran during InfoComm), the Pro AV industry is doing just fine.

On the day before the InfoComm exhibit hall opened, AVIXA, which produces the show, hosted its annual Market Insights Lunch. The organization acknowledged the challenges facing the industry and predicted a lower overall growth rate. Still, that conservative forecast calls for a $402 billion Pro AV market by 2030, with an annual growth rate that outpaces GDP growth. I'm putting that in the "win" column.

Know who else seems unrattled? Panasonic Projector & Display Americas. Although projectors are expected to lose about 1.3% of market share in 2025, CEO Taka Uchida launched the company's new MEVIX brand for its projectors, dvLEDs, and flat panel displays. (MEVIX stands for Media, Entertainment & Visual Transformation.) And a little perspective: Even with the drop, the projector slice of the Pro AV pie is still close to $17 billion.

By the way, the InfoComm show itself is thriving on more than just positive vibes. According to AVIXA, this year's event featured 817 exhibitors, a small dip from 833 last year. It also attracted almost 31,000 verified attendees, up more than 700 from the Las Vegas show in 2024 and more than 1,600 from the last Orlando show in 2023. International attendance from 97 countries accounted for 18% of attendees, while 35% of verified attendees were end users, which set a show record. So, enough with the rumors: InfoComm attendance is solid, and the show will be alternating between Orlando and Las Vegas for years to come.

2) AI. Yeah. Still.

What did you expect? AI and machine learning continue to play a part in helping PTZ cameras track speakers, videobars follow conversations, and transcription tools create speech-to-text solutions for real-time translations, closed captions, and PA announcements spoken by lifelike synthetic voices. You could demo all that and more on the InfoComm show floor. Plus, there were plenty of sessions during the show addressing various aspects of AI technology.

Arguably the coolest AI demo on the show floor was a virtual assistant at the LG booth. Presented in collaboration with Invisible Arts, a 30-inch transparent OLED display served to connect attendees with a synthetic human interface. What can it do? Well, what do you need it to do? Developers see potential deployment as a virtual concierge, customer service agent, or even a virtual assistant. What we're seeing is already pretty spectacular, and we're still only on the ground floor of AI development.

3) Let's work together.

Gone are the days of trumpeting closed, proprietary systems as the best direction for many Pro AV solutions. These days, it's quite fashionable to show off your partners on your booth. RGB Spectrum was one of those companies proudly promoting its partners at InfoComm 2025. "It's great to show a full solution when there are a lot of parts that come together," explained Courtney Mamuscia, senior director of marketing.

PPDS announced a high-profile global alliance with Shure on the InfoComm 2025 show floor. The move integrates several Philips display models with Shure's IntelliMix Room Kits to create a certified conference room solution that can also save customers a few bucks. "The 'S' in PPDS is solutions," said Nick Begleries, commercial VP for North America. "Combining our displays with a top audio brand like Shure is a true partnership. This brings the audio and video together. It brings the customer a total solution."

Mark Wadsworth, CMO of VIOSO, went so far as to share booth space with Control Buddy. Known for automatic camera calibration and projection mapping solutions for multiple projectors, VIOSO was showcasing its new EXAPLAY media player software and how it integrates with Control Buddy’s control solution. "Our work with Control Buddy takes the mission of accessibility even further to make media playback and management easier for someone who isn't an engineer," Wadsworth explained.

Humly's approach for the show was less about partnerships and more about actively working to help customers get "more value from the equipment they already have," said Anders Karlsson, CEO. That's the idea behind Humly Sense, a new, cloud-based gateway that takes "meaningful" data from sensors or other third-party equipment—anything from light switches to the AC system—and brings that into the Humly Workplace Platform. Eventually, that data will provide analytics to help integrators provide their customers with actionable information.

And then there's OpenAV Cloud, the industry initiative that was launched in May to create open APIs for cloud-based solutions. Xyte is one of the founding members of OpenAV Cloud, and CEO Omer Brookstein told me he has received a lot of inquiries about OpenAV Cloud since it was announced. Customers have asked for the ability to easily integrate products and services, he said. Now, the focus is on moving the industry away from "silos" and building awareness for the initiative. "Customers come first," he noted.

4) Convergence is coming from all sides.

While the convergence of broadcast and AV technologies is not new, there has undoubtedly been a renewed emphasis on blurring the lines between the two in recent years. Jack Horry, product manager of Quorum for Ross Video, said companies need to tell their story—and high production values generally equate to high-quality content. And these companies need a solution that delivers high-quality, repeatable content output.

EvertzAV helped blur the lines with the introduction of its family of MMA25G IPMX-Ready Gateways at the show. The units work with ST 2110, offer JPEG XS and RAW processing for 4K60 video, feature live transcoding, and support 25 GbE. "We're really trying to bring broadcast and AV under one roof," said Paulo Francisco, EvertzAV's VP of engineering.

But we're also seeing signs of convergence between Pro AV and residential AV solutions. You will likely be hearing the term "resimercial" more frequently. Granted, from the residential side, there is less convergence … but it is coming. "It's a growing question, even if it's not a growing market yet," Horry offered.

According to Tom Devine, AVPro Global's director of marketing, solid residential integrators can "slide upward," with smaller Pro AV projects leading to larger projects. AVPro Global recently announced its plan to acquire RTI, which is known for its home and office automation solutions—and Devine noted, of course, that AVPro's solutions play well in both worlds.

Gathering together on Thursday morning, more than 400 women and allies attended the annual AVIXA Women’s Breakfast, an event that recognized the efforts of women within the AVIXA Women’s Council and the industry at large, while also providing a touch of inspiration. Headlining the event was technologist Noelle Russell, founder and chief AI officer of the AI Leadership Institute, who gave the keynote “Scaling Responsible AI: From Enthusiasm to Execution.”

[All the InfoComm News, Products, and Insights for 2025]

The event marked the 10th anniversary of the Women’s Council, which is dedicated to creating opportunities for women who work in the technology and AV industries to network and support each other. The Council was first established in 2015, and has grown to a global membership of 1,119, with local groups established throughout the Asia-Pacific Region, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

That goal was readily evident with the extensive shoutouts and words of appreciation shared from the stage, highlighting members and leaders who have contributed to the Council’s progress and expansion. Leaders particularly honored the Council’s former co-chair, Tammy Fuqua, who then took the stage to movingly speak about her recent battle with cancer, encouraging all in attendance to get checked out.

Honoring one of the industry’s noted trailblazers, Mary Cook, who passed last year, AVIXA, NV5, and WAVIT collaborated to create a scholarship in her honor, and so the inaugural Mary Cook Empowerment Scholarship was presented to Alexandra Garip of AVI-SPL.

Following a video introduction from a lifelike AI avatar of herself, Russell took the stage to deliver her keynote on Responsible AI, sharing her personal journey and how she drew on her experience as a mother of six, including a special needs child, to help influence development of AI-based technologies like Amazon Alexa. A recurring theme throughout her often amusing and inspiring tales of working at Microsoft, Amazon, and elsewhere was the need for the teams developing AI systems to be inclusive in order to better reflect and answer end users’ needs.

Russell recounted how she was often the only woman and only Latina in the room in development meetings and was able to draw upon her background and needs to see aspects of technology implementations that others would have missed, such as taking it upon herself to develop now-popular mindfulness apps for Alexa. Emphasizing the need for intentional and ethical AI development, Russell closed on an inspirational note, encouraging the audience to “live with purpose and then hopefully enjoy it along the way.”

AI. Immersive experiences. Hybrid collaboration. The cloud. Will the Pro AV buzzwords of today be here tomorrow? AVIXA CEO Dave Labuskes took out the crystal ball and led an engaging discussion with industry visionaries, diving into where they anticipate Pro AV is heading and what they are helping to create over the next five years at the keynote presentation “2030 Vision: The Future of AV.”

[Bring on the Visuals: InfoComm 2025 Booths We Loved... and You Will, Too]

Labuskes welcomed each guest individually before diving into the deeper Q&A. Christine Schyvinck, president and CEO, Shure; Brad Hintze, EVP, marketing, Crestron; Eric Hutto, chief executive officer, Diversified; and Jason Antinori, program lead and senior solution architect, TELUS, spent the next hour discussing the workplace, collaboration, standards, and the all-too-familiar trend of AI.

There was certainly a commonality among the expert panel: The workplace is changing, both physically and technologically, and collaboration is more important than ever. That isn’t simply among the end users that systems are designed for, but also for the industry as a whole. Pro AV’s future, whether it is in standards or interoperability, depends on a collaborative push forward.

“I think in terms of a technology pull versus technology push,” Schyvinck said. “We need to be thinking about the technology that we're all developing in a more transferable way. We like to get close to our end users and experience what their world is like, and not assume the way they do things today. Now more than ever, I think we need to be focusing a little bit more on the technology push side of things and getting some new solutions in people's hands.”

“If you look at all of the transformational moments that we've all lived through—whether it’s the Internet, whether it be mobile—it didn't come on the scene immediately,” Hintz added. “It is an iterative move towards this greater value. You used to talk about the cloud all the time, but now we replace it with AI. But we are still getting value from the cloud today in many ways.”

The panel also agreed that the best way to find out what end users need is to get out there and find out in the field. “We don't just enable a collaboration,” Hintz said. “We enable a culture as long as we show up to go and do that. So, individual voices within an organization may be the culture carriers in demanding that level of performance. We just need to make sure we're focused on delivering that.”

Finding the right solution may no longer be about shiny new hardware or even the most up-to-date software. It is about simplifying a solution so that the best possible outcome is achieved for everyone using it. “Down the road, [customers] are going to pay for the result,” Hutto said. “They're not going to pay for their project… I tell [his Diversified team] every day, that if you're selling, you're losing. If you're solving, you’re winning. And that's how we have to think about it.”

The importance of reliable, usable AV systems design, Antinori said, is the key to making them dance. “That's a common theme, ‘Oh, the commute is just horrible,’” he said. “Yet I've seen 30,000 people sit for two hours in a traffic jam to watch Taylor Swift. So, they will move for an experience. If you give them something that will motivate them, they will be motivated.”

Naturally, the conversation shifted to AI. The panel discussed its role as a tool and the potential ethical concerns that may arise without careful attention. “It's been said people who can learn, unlearn, and relearn will be successful,” Hutto said. “And that's simply all we need to do. We have to be willing to unlearn the things that no longer are for [the customers] and learn the things that are for them. I think AI is one of those things.”

The one thing all five panelists understood is that the Pro AV journey never ends. The next big thing may already be here—it simply needs reimagining. Schyvinck turned to Sidney Shure’s now famous quote, “We know very well that absolute perfection cannot be attained, but we will never stop striving for it.” Shure is at InfoComm 2025 celebrating 100 years of innovation by constantly adapting and evolving. The Pro AV industry is now working together to do the same for the next 100 years.

If you're looking for a weather-related metaphor, the forecast for the Pro AV industry is partly sunny…with a chance of tariffs.

[All the InfoComm News, Products, and Insights for 2025]

On Tuesday, AVIXA presented its annual Market Insights Lunch, a 90-minute primer on the current state of macroeconomic trends impacting the Pro AV industry. This year's program, "The State of the Pro AV Industry: Convergence Realized!" was presented by Sean Wargo, VP of market insight, and Mike Sullivan-Trainor, senior industry analyst.

The luncheon ran the economic gauntlet while exploring highlights from the organization's Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) report, which provides data that builds the story of where the industry is heading over the next five years. Basically, AVIXA offered a conservative forecast that predicts a lower overall growth rate, a result of uncertainty from high interest rates, geopolitics, and poor economic performance. "Tariffs are a factor, there's no doubt," Wargo said.

While the pace is slower, the outlook for 2030 is still a $402 billion Pro AV market that is expected to grow annually at about 3.9%, which means it will continue to exceed GDP growth. Developing markets, such as the Middle East and Africa and Asia-Pacific, will lead industry growth, while mature markets, including North America and Europe, will lag.

Wargo expects to see security and surveillance exhibit the highest growth rate, while live events will continue its comeback. Transformational technologies are increasingly being woven into the fabric of the industry, including AVoIP, AI, extended reality, and software and cloud migration.

What's driving the outlook? Wargo said growth engines are shifting. For example, experiences are driving buyers, with plans to improve AV production rooms for broadcast high on the list of upgrades in corporate, retail, and venue market segments.

The labor market remains tight in the Pro AV industry as well, conditions that have remained elevated since 2022. Staffing and skilled labor remain top concerns, followed by product equipment costs and the macroeconomic environment.

Despite headwinds like tariffs and labor costs, Sullivan-Trainor said Pro AV remains optimistic about future opportunities. He said more than 80% of channel partners expect growth each year, and 2025 is no exception. There may be economic challenges, but there are still projects to be done.

Jatan Shah’s journey in the world of Pro AV began in 2010. After a career in HVAC and management consulting, Shah joined QSC, and a mere 10 days later he was experiencing his first InfoComm right here in Orlando. Now, the president of QSC is celebrating his 15th InfoComm as the new AVIXA Chair of the Board of Directors.

[All the InfoComm News, Products, and Insights for 2025]

Shah joined the AVIXA Board in 2021—a decision that was a bigger than taking on his current role as Chair—with the desire to contribute meaningfully to the Pro AV industry as a whole. “I remember coming here in 2021,” Shah said. “[Because of the pandemic] it was a very small show with a lot of worries—a lot of people thinking about what the future of trade shows was. Joining the Board was a very humbling moment that year. It's one thing when everything's going great and a lot of success is around and everybody's happy and partying, versus joining at a time when everybody's concerned, and you are still in the phase where there's so much uncertainty.”

After becoming an officer, he knew it was a long-term commitment and was excited to take on his new role. “This was a great way of just giving back to the AV community with a quite high-influencing role,” Shah said. “It started with joining the AVIXA Board. When I decided to become an officer, that is when the commitment became a long-term commitment leading to my current role as a Chair.”

The Chair of the Board of Directors serves a one-year term. Shah sees the agenda of the board as a multi-year journey, which involves being the hub for the AV industry and also a catalyst for growth. “As Chair, you are facilitating a group of people who are the Board members as well and bringing the best out of them because you have a very diverse set of people who come from various parts of the AV industry and world,” Shah said. “Bringing voices to the table and making sure that we are able to support AVIXA achieve its long-term goals is where our focus is.”

It is an exciting time in Pro AV, especially for Shah, who is seeing what used to be very siloed pillars merging withing the industry. His own company, QSC, was recently acquired by Acuity , a building management system and lighting company, so he has witnessed that blending of industries firsthand. “You think about the parallel industries that exist, and a lot of the solutions are becoming more and more integrated,” Shah said. “So, from the end-user standpoint, yes, you're making decisions about your AV, but then you're also making decisions about controls—building controls, building management. All those types of broader trends are then driving the technology integration, which then impacts the AV industry as well.”

That convergence continues to be a hot topic, especially in broadcast and Pro AV. But that’s not the only trend we’ll see on the show floor this week. “We will continue to see the more practical use of AI,” Shah said. “The AI hype cycle is not over, but we've gone through that next phase in the AI journey, which is what are some of the tangible values we can see? You see computer vision—it's one of the areas that we've seen a lot of value. You'll see a lot more focus on data and what you can do with data insights, whether it's through different cloud platforms or in various ways.”

As the Pro AV train continues to roll further into the future, Shah will look back to that 2021 show to remember a turning point in the industry. “I felt it was great looking back,” Shah said. “It's one of those defining moments where you look at an organization and how its resilience was tested in a big way.

"For me, it was the smallest InfoComm show, yet it was probably the most memorable show just because it was the moment through which the organization arrived back to an all-time high.”

The tariff uncertainty continues to remain a top concern within the Pro AV industry. Over the past three months, the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) has consistently shown expansion. March saw the highest growth, with a slight moderation in April. Despite the small dip from March (60.9) to April (59.7), the overall trend remains positive, indicating sustained growth in the sector.

The AV Employment Index (AVI-E) bounced back in April to 55.5 from 53.5. The AVI-S and AVI-E continue to show modest growth of the industry. The U.S. economy added 177,000 jobs in April, exceeding the expected 138,000, but the government revised previous months downward. March’s figure was adjusted to 185,000, while February’s was revised down even more sharply to just 85,000 new positions.

This suggests the labor market hasn’t been quite as robust as initially reported. Unemployment remains at 4.2%. The impact of federal layoffs and tariffs are expected to have broader effects in the coming months.

“We are not doing layoffs. Rather we are choosing to delay replacement hires until the economy picture is clearer,” shared an AV integrator in North America.

[It's Time for InfoComm 2025]

“Clients are withholding commitments due to economic transition and uncertainty. Tariff concerns with price and supply is high,” commented an AV Integrator in APAC.

The Pro AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. The report comprises two diffusion indexes: the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) and the AV Employment Index (AVI-E). In each case, an index above 50 indicates an increase in sales or employment activity. For more information about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

InfoComm 2025 is right around the corner. Education sessions start June 7, with the exhibit hall open June 11-13 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. SCN spoke with AVIXA's Jenn Heinold, who joined the organization last fall as senior VP, expositions, Americas, to get more details about the upcoming industry event.

SCN: How does InfoComm attendance in Orlando historically compare to the shows in Las Vegas, and are you expecting increased attendees and/or exhibitors in 2025?

Jenn Heinold: Our attendance goal for InfoComm 2025 is 40,000, which will put us back to pre-pandemic levels. When we are in Orlando, we see more end users from education, houses of worship, retail, hospitality, and enterprise. We’re expecting more than 900 exhibitors this year.

SCN: AI has certainly been the buzzword of record for the past couple of InfoComm shows. Are tariffs going to be the big story at InfoComm 2025, and what other buzzwords do you expect to hear in the aisles?

JH: AI will be top of mind at InfoComm 2025 and beyond. AI is evolving so fast and impacts us all. On the trade show floor, you’ll see AI-powered solutions that enhance efficiency and improve user experiences. In addition, we have an education track focused on AI that will explore its impact on Pro AV solutions, from audio to digital signage. We’ll also discuss critical topics like emerging compliance and security concerns.

In addition, the intersection of AV, IT, and broadcast, especially in the workplace setting, will be a theme and a big content topic for us. Tarriff talk will be unavoidable, but this is why events are so valuable and important for our community. InfoComm will enable us all to come together as we navigate a lot of uncertainty.

SCN: I see AVIXA TV is coming back for a third year—why is this booth (and its content) important for the industry?

JH: The convergence between broadcast and AV is a growing opportunity for our industry. Studio technology is one of the top five areas of Pro AV investment for corporations, according to AVIXA’s quarterly Market Opportunity and Analysis Report. For many buyers, this space is newer, so it’s critical for them to see working solutions that are both practical and inspirational. The AVIXA TV Studio is designed to do just that, whether you’re considering launching a podcast, developing marketing content, or delivering a global keynote from a virtual stage. At the AVIXA TV Studio, we’ll showcase everything from low-tech/turnkey solutions to fully customizable setups with advanced features.

SCN: What free educational opportunities will be available at InfoComm 2025?

JH: Debuting at InfoComm 2025 is the Spotlight Stage (Booth 4327). This is a dedicated hub for exploring the fastest-growing solution areas in Pro AV, including broadcast AV, digital signage, and more. This spot on the show floor will feature both a stage and networking lounge, providing a forum for in-depth conversations and connections between attendees and solution providers.

The Technology Innovation Stage (Booth 2461) is the destination to learn about trend forecasts from technology managers, manufacturers, and industry leaders. The stage will also host product announcements and demonstrations and inspiring discussions on pushing the boundaries of innovation.

AVIXA Xchange LIVE (Booth 4761) will return for InfoComm 2025. This is an in-person activation of AVIXA Xchange, the unique virtual community for the AV industry. This spot on the trade show floor will host interactive sessions as well as mixers and meetups Wednesday through Friday.

SCN: There was a substantial residential systems component to ISE, which took place earlier this year in Barcelona. There’s always some overlap, of course, but are you considering expanding InfoComm to include a large residential presence?

JH: No, we are not expanding to residential at this time.

SCN: What is AVIXA doing to promote sustainability in Pro AV at InfoComm 2025?

JH: InfoComm will showcase how the Pro AV industry is addressing sustainability challenges, including climate change, resource depletion, and e-waste. Attendees can discover eco-friendly products and solutions and explore sustainable practices in AV design and installation.

We are partnering with SAVe, the first industrywide U.S.-based organization focused on achieving 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to produce the SAVe Certification workshop. This full-day program covers important information on current sustainability issues, and includes a workshop session to identify ways your business can address sustainability goals, as well as a planning session to turn your ideas into action.

[HETMA Higher Education Summit Returns to InfoComm]

In addition, AVIXA's Sustainability Advisory Group will host an interactive session at the Technology Innovation Stage exploring the three Ps (people, planet, and profit). They’ll discuss the connection between Pro AV solutions and sustainable design.

InfoComm 2025 will present “Experience Economy: How Technology Is Shaping the Next Generation of Immersive Experiences,” a panel discussion featuring leaders working on personalized immersive experiences. On Wednesday, June 11 at 11 a.m. ET, Dang Ly of Universal Destinations & Experiences and Jeff Zabel of Amazon Web Services (AWS) will join moderator Todd Hougland of Ripley Entertainment to share insights from the worlds of theme park, media and entertainment, and gaming that pave the way for immersive entertainment in the digital age.

[New Products and InfoComm Insights]

InfoComm 2025, produced by the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA), takes place this June 7-13 (exhibits June 11-13) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

“Creating immersive experiences is more important than ever if you want to leave an impression on your audience. In the era of rapidly advancing technology, the pro AV industry has the power to deliver sights and sounds at an incredible level,” said Jenn Heinold, Senior Vice President, Expositions, Americas, AVIXA. “Our panelists from Universal Destinations & Experiences and AWS are positioned at the pinnacle of the convergence of immersive experiences and technology. Their pioneering work will inspire the InfoComm audience to push the boundaries of possibilities.”

Dang Ly serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer at Universal Destinations & Experiences in Orlando, Florida. He has led award-winning IT initiatives at Universal Beijing and currently oversees the company’s digital experiences and business operations throughout North America and Asia.

Jeff Zabel joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) with a wealth of experience as an entrepreneur and business leader with a background in mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering. His work in immersive technology has contributed to numerous cutting-edge technologies such as CarPlay and Android Auto for companies such as BMW and eBay. He currently serves as Global Industry Specialist for AWS.

Todd Hougland is Senior Director, Design and Development at Ripley Entertainment Inc, leading a team of designers, architects, and project managers in the development of numerous Ripley’s projects around the world. He is the current Chair of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Global Professional Development and Certification Committee. His experience encompasses more than 35 years in the global theme park and attractions industry.

“Experience Economy: How Technology Is Shaping the Next Generation of Immersive Experiences” takes place Wednesday, June 11 at 11 a.m. ET in the Valencia Ballroom (W415AB) at the Orange County Convention Center and is free to attend for anyone with an InfoComm registration.

The overall economy has not been great, but it’s been OK in recent quarters, and the same could probably be said of the AV Sales Index (AVI-S), too. That’s actually an unusual combination; typically, our industry comfortably outperforms the wider economy.

[Viewpoint: Make Room for 'Digital Electricity']

Based on the economic signals we’ve gotten so far this year, we would expect the AVI-S to be probably in the upper 50s or even 60, but it’s languished in the low 50s. That is understandable given the transitions out of the pandemic, but it is disappointing.

However, now there’s good news: The AVI-S leapt from 54.0 in February to 60.9 for March. This is very welcome positivity, though we should not expect it to continue. A substantial change in any direction that is unaccompanied by a clear cause usually reverts in the following month, and that’s what we anticipate here: back to mid or low 50s. That’s especially true given the intensity of trade conflict that is heating up between the United States and the rest of the world.

Tariffs (and their related uncertainty) were by far the top concern in the open-ended comments from our response pool—and that’s with almost the entire sampling period before President Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement. The massive tariffs on countries all around the world are a clear source of short-term pain for our industry. Perhaps there is a long-term strategy that will pay off, but for now, even though some have been paused or reduced at press time, they are a lingering negative that will drive prices higher in the United States.

The AV Employment Index (AVI-E) was a clear contrast to the AVI-S in March. After running ahead of the AVI-S so far this year (suggesting greater strength than the AVI-S was indicating), the AVI-E decelerated in March to 53.5. In previous months, the AVI-E was a reassuring counterpoint to a disappointing AVI-S; now it’s a splash of cold water on an exciting AVI-S.

Taking the whole first quarter’s data together, the AVI-S and AVI-E tell a story of an industry growing modestly. The growth is below historical rates but still meaningful. In wider employment news, the U.S. had a good result for its March employment report. Payroll growth was at 228,000, well up from 117,000 in February.

It’s critical to note that this information is a valuable metric but a lagged one. In a hypothetical where we enter a recession, we should expect jobs numbers to look OK for some months before the true impact of the downturn begins to show. That’s not to undermine the good news in March, but rather to put in mind as we go forward in a world where a 2025 recession looks likely.

[Where Are We with IPMX?]

The Pro AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. For more information about joining the AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

Returning to where it all began, the HETMA Higher Education Summit will take place at InfoComm 2025 in Orlando on Monday, June 9 (1-4:30 p.m.) and June 10 (9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) in Room W414CD at the Orange County Convention Center. Now in its third year, the jam-packed agenda will cover current topics in ethics and accessibility, security and zero trust, and successful capital planning.

As it has in the past, the summit is designed for engagement, collaboration, and networking with fellow university technology peers to share challenges and successes, while learning new tricks of the trade. "The HETMA Education Summit stands out as an essential opportunity for InfoComm attendees because it specifically addresses the unique challenges and opportunities within the higher education technology landscape," said Erin Maher-Moran, IT Manager-Classroom Technology, Johns Hopkins University. "This focused, intensive day-and-a-half workshop features topics carefully selected by the education committee based on suggestions from HETMA members, ensuring the content directly addresses the most pressing needs of the community."

Maher-Moran expanded on the program, which will feature a compelling lineup of keynote presentations, expert-led panel discussions, and interactive breakout sessions. "We're thrilled to announce our distinguished keynote presenters," she added. "Don Merritt will address 'Navigating the Ethical Labyrinth: Privacy, FERPA, and AV in Education,' while Frank Padikkala will examine 'Design is the First Firewall: Securing AV Spaces.'" A third keynote will be added to the program as well.

[InfoComm 2025: Panelists Pontificate on Pro AV’s Future]

Maher-Moran is excited for the third installment of the summit, which has evolved into an invaluable collaborative space. More importantly, it's an interactive forum that encourages meaningful peer engagement beyond what's possible in traditional conference sessions. "The HETMA Education Summit represents the higher-education technology community at its best—collaborative, forward-thinking, and committed to excellence in serving our students and faculty," she said.

Contrary to popular belief, the Magic 8 Ball is not a reliable predictor of future events. Luckily, for InfoComm 2025 attendees, industry experts will be on hand to provide more accurate observations on AV's path toward tomorrow.

Free to all attendees, “2030 Vision: The Future of AV” is an hourlong session in the Valencia Ballroom (W415AB) on Thursday, June 12, starting at 11 a.m. It will explore emerging technologies and innovations, as well as explore what's next for the industry from the perspectives of manufacturers and end users.

Moderated by AVIXA CEO Dave Labuskes, “2030 Vision: The Future of AV” will feature a panel of industry visionaries including Brad Hintze, EVP of marketing for Crestron, Eric Hutto, CEO of Diversified, Christine Schyvinck, president and CEO of Shure, and Jason Antinori, senior solution architect and program lead, Intelligent Building Centre of Excellence, for TELUS. Audience questions will be encouraged as well.

The user experience will no doubt be a topic of conversation. For example, Hintze expects data collection will soon help room control systems adapt to the needs of users in real time. "Users are looking for their technology to anticipate more of their needs without always having to be prompted," he explained. "In the next several years, control systems will continue to make improvements to simplify the user experience while also delivering a higher ROI for the teams that deploy these spaces."

Hutto sees three big trends that are reshaping AV workflows, starting with the acceleration of demand for seamless hybrid experiences. He also believes convergence is redefining the integrator’s role into that of a “convergence architect,” a professional who is fluent across multiple disciplines. Plus, there’s a shift within the industry from product to experience.

[Executive Q&A: Time for Transformation]

"These trends are exactly why conversations like the ones happening on our panel are so important. They’re not just reflections, they’re roadmaps," Hutto said. "Pro AV’s future depends on leaders who are willing to set the pace and define what comes next."