THIS IS A PROMOTED POST At InfoComm 2025, Taiwan Excellence brought it. And by it, I mean 17 of its leading brands to showcase innovation at this year’s show. So, what’s Taiwan Excellence and why does it have a pavilion? Taiwan Excellence is a program established by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs that helps to […]

Disclaimer: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are those of the author and don’t necessarily represent rAVe [PUBS] or its staff. Trade shows are supposed to showcase the best of what this industry has to offer — new innovations, sleek technology and fresh ideas about how to make work and communication better. InfoComm […]

There’s an old aphorism — and readers know how much I love those — that goes: If you want to be heard, you must make yourself be understood. A big part of my job is communication: I need to clearly communicate with my dealers, and occasionally with their end-user customers. My workday involves relaying deadlines, […]

THIS IS A PROMOTED POST If you’ve ever wanted to see what practical AV gear looks like in action, the FSR booth at InfoComm 2025 was the place to be. While there is plenty to be said about the razzle-dazzle of the brightest and thinnest LEDs and the most responsive of touch screens, FSR is […]

Now that InfoComm 2025 has wrapped, those of us in higher education have a lot to reflect on. Between economic pressures, rising equipment costs and continued challenges in delivering flexible learning environments, this year’s conference felt especially important — and in many ways, it delivered. The HETMA Higher Education Summit stood out as a highlight. […]

At many of my recent in-person presentations, I begin with the often-repeated (questionable) tale that frogs will jump out of a pot of boiling water if you try to put them in, but if you put them in cold water and turn up the heat slowly, they won’t notice the change till it’s too late. […]

Day 2 — what can I say about Day 2? Well, first of all, my Day 2 was positively packed. Interviews, tours and more is what I call it. Not only was I running around the show floor from interview to interview (and doing my very best to be on time), I also got to […]

It’s official — Day 1 of InfoComm 2025 is officially OVER. And wow. The energy is truly something else. You guys may have seen that I wrote all of you and InfoComm a little love letter. I won’t repeat all of that but you can read it here. However, I do just want to echo […]

Dear AV Industry, Mid-June is one of my favorite times of year. And every time someone asks, “What does InfoComm mean to you?” I stumble — because honestly, it means so much that I never quite know where to start. So, before I begin my ninth InfoComm, I wanted to reflect on a few of […]

Even as I complain about this, I’m reminded of the adage: the shoemaker’s children have bare feet. Some readers may already know my home entertainment system is a work in progress. I suspect I’m not alone in that. Back when I was training as a system designer, one lesson drilled into us was to identify […]

As InfoComm approaches, the AV industry is gearing up for a pivotal event — one that promises to address pressing economic challenges and help forecast the market for the year ahead. This year, Orlando takes center stage. It won’t just be about showcasing cutting-edge technologies; it will also serve as a forum for critical conversations […]

In 2013, I was a guest on a debate podcast where we talked about the future impact of IP-enabled devices and software-driven solutions. One of my opponent’s main points of contention in that debate was that AV would always have a secure spot because we have the unique ability to create superior audio experiences in […]

Last week, the rAVe LAVNCH platform hosted its second AV Cloud Summit. It was incredible and one of the highest-attended events we’ve hosted in 2025. The topic of where the so-called AV Cloud will take us has really amped up since its introduction to the market just a couple of years ago. Sure, we’ve had […]

Today is my birthday. Two weeks ago today, I had triple-bypass surgery on my heart. Trust me, no one was more shocked with this diagnosis than me. It came out of nowhere, just a few weeks after running my fifth Disney World 10-miler. A few days before my procedure, my heart surgeon told me I […]

A good author knows that before reaching the story’s climax — or final boss — you have to build the world, introduce the characters, set the stakes, and never skip the setup. Likewise, in this column, I’ll avoid rushing straight into listing AV gear as if it’s patch notes. I want to capture the heart […]

Some of you may know the phrase “the map is not the territory.” It was coined by Alfred Korzybski and later popularized by Timothy Leary. The idea is simple: A map isn’t the place — it’s just a representation of it. A tool to help us think about what’s real. The aphorisms and heuristics I […]

A few years ago, Google introduced Project Starline — a research initiative aimed at redefining video communication using 3D imaging. It enabled remote conversations that felt almost like being in the same room, all without the need for special glasses or headsets. I had a private demo at the time and honestly, it felt too […]

In AV and Collaboration, Your Devices Are Talking – But Not Just to You You’ve heard the old line from the early internet era: “If the product is free, you’re the product.” But in today’s audiovisual and collaboration industry, that idea goes far beyond social media platforms and search engines. It’s not just about what […]

Before I dive into the meat of this opinion piece, let me clear something up in case anyone’s unfamiliar with the term: “trunk slammer” is a pejorative used by AV installation pros to describe itinerant jobbers — often solo operators — who lack many of the things you’d typically associate with a professional AV installation […]

There’s a curious linguistic twist happening in the way we talk about artificial intelligence. As the hype cycles roar on, we’ve started labeling our tools and technologies with increasingly human-sounding traits. One of the buzziest terms in this transformation is “agentic” — a word that sounds freshly coined but actually has deep roots in psychology […]

It’s hard to believe, but the final day of LAVNCH WEEK 11 has come and gone — and it wrapped up with a bang. From emerging digital signage strategies and collaborative meeting space design to AI ethics and long-term AV trends, Day Three was jam-packed with insights you don’t want to miss. If you haven’t […]

I read David Danto’s recent piece, “I’ll Have What She’s Having: AV and Building Management May Finally Click,” with great interest. David makes several good points, but when it comes to a multi-building college campus, I disagree with the idea that AV and building management systems must or inevitably will merge. Let me tell you […]

Hey there, AV pros! Day Two of LAVNCH WEEK 11 is officially in the books, and it was all about education, big visuals, certification, and smart spaces. From reimagining classrooms to designing immersive digital canvases, today’s sessions covered the full spectrum of what’s possible when AV meets innovation. We had a packed lineup — and […]

The industry wasn’t exactly asking for another wired cable standard. We already have HDMI 2.1 and 2.2, DisplayPort 2.1, USB4, and Thunderbolt 4 and 5 — and most of us have our favorites, along with a few scapegoats. Each standard is busy working on its next version, promising faster speeds and better performance. Still, a […]

Hi, friends! We kicked off LAVNCH WEEK 11 with a stacked lineup of sessions, panels and product spotlights — and Day One did not disappoint. From state-of-the-market insights to tech that’s transforming classrooms, it was the perfect mix of forward-looking strategy and hands-on ProAV innovation. We had a packed schedule, and trust me, you don’t […]

Welcome to Authentic Esports, a monthly series where I take you deep into the heart of the esports and gaming market. If you’re expecting the usual corporate jargon about “cutting-edge AV solutions” or a thinly veiled sales pitch dressed up as expertise, hit Alt+F4 now. This isn’t that. Here, we talk about real esports, real […]

If you’re at all familiar with my columns, you know one of the drums I beat regularly is the importance of follow-up —whether you’re trying to win new clients or take care of the ones you already have. Closely tied to that is my frequent soapbox about CRM systems — client relationship management — and […]

Five years ago this March, the COVID-19 pandemic turned our world upside down. We learned a lot during that time — and in the months and years ahead, we’ll need to put those lessons to use. Whether or not you agree with the directives of the new U.S. administration, it’s clear that the White House […]

If you’re looking for a comprehensive recap of all the products and software suites announced at the just-completed NAB Show – this article ain’t it. Plenty of people (including the team here at rAVe) have already covered the press releases and booth announcements. For many years now – including this one – the NAB conference […]

As the title probably gave away, this year was my first time attending NAB Show. You know as well as I do that my trade show shoes have seen more InfoComms, ISEs and CEDIA Expos than I can count. But as someone with a background in theater and broadcast journalism, this show almost felt like […]

I’m sure some rAVe readers know me as “the guy with all the aphorisms.” To be fair, not all of them are aphorisms — some are metaphors, others are sports analogies. But I digress. Not every saying I bust out — here or in person — is a favorite. Some I don’t particularly care for, […]

LAVNCH WEEK 11 is back with a completely reimagined format, and registration is now open. Taking place April 22–24, this three-day virtual event delivers a dynamic mix of education, product announcements and expert insights designed to highlight the latest trends and innovations in the AV industry. Unlike past LAVNCH WEEKs, which focused on a single […]