Absen has officially opened the doors to its New York Experience Center, a 2,694-square-foot hub for AV professionals to explore the company’s latest direct-view LED technology. Located at 525 7th Ave., Suite 506, in Manhattan, the center offers hands-on product demos, technical training and opportunities for collaboration with key technology partners. Designed as a resource […]

In an NPR article posted Monday (and in an “All Things Considered” segment), Nell Greenfieldboyce urges users of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, etc., to pay attention to how their computers are altering their voices. She points to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that found high-quality audio makes […]

I recently had the chance to attend the Sony AV Tech Expo in San Diego, hosted at its headquarters (which is stunning, by the way). The two-day event brought together industry pros, creators and tech leaders, and gave them hands-on experience with Sony’s latest tech: professional displays, spatial reality, device management, remote control and more. […]

What is AV? This question is more relevant today than ever. If you’ve been in the AV industry for two years, 20 or even 40, you’ve witnessed its dramatic evolution. AV integrators are now de facto technologists, IT specialists, C# and HTML5 programmers, visual and UI/UX designers, third-party automation experts, subsystem communication pros — and […]

Enterprise Connect 2025 has come and gone, and if one thing is clear, it’s that AI isn’t just a supporting act anymore — it’s the star of the show. From Microsoft and Zoom to Cisco and nearly every other major player, AI-driven automation, intelligent assistants and workflow enhancements dominated the conversation. Everything was described as […]

There’s an old expression I’m sure you’ve all heard that goes, “It’s not what you say but how you say it.” No one likes receiving bad news, and sometimes there’s no alternative: You just have to give it to them straight. That said, there’s always room for nuance. I’m going to bring up a very […]

Crestron has introduced new features to its Automate VX multi-camera speaker tracking system, aiming to improve collaboration in hybrid meeting environments. The update includes Visual AI Direction, a tool designed to enhance videoconferencing by automatically selecting the best camera angle based on a speaker’s position and facial orientation. The Visual AI Direction feature allows cameras […]

As I virtually watched colleagues and friends jet off to Barcelona last month, I thought about the  interconnected aspects of our world. We can hop on a plane in the U.S. and — within hours — be anywhere in the world. I have never been to Barcelona. In fact, have only been to one other […]

QSC has officially confirmed the promotion of Jatan Shah to president, a move that was initially announced at the end of 2024. The announcement follows news that Joe Pham, a longtime leader in the AV industry and QSC executive, is retiring. Pham, who has been with the company for 21 years, announced his departure on […]

Powersoft and Cohesion have announced a partnership they say will shape the future of live event production and beyond. Under the Cohesion name, Powersoft will serve as a key technological partner, providing amplification and processing platforms designed for live touring, event audio, and installed sound systems worldwide. The collaboration serves as the foundation for new […]

By Steve Thorburn On the evening of Wednesday, March 6, 2025, Scott R. Sharer passed away after a seven-year battle with brain atrophy and dementia caused by vascular degeneration. A gifted communicator, teacher, and engineer, Scott was also a beloved brother and a friend to many in our industry. I first met Scott at InfoComm […]

The March 2025 Temperature Check Survey is now closed. Keep an eye out for next month’s survey! Enterprise Connect is just around the corner, which means the industry is gearing up for another round of discussions about the future of UC and hybrid work. While the event will undoubtedly highlight new AI features, platform updates […]

Spring is (basically) here, and that means AV roadshows are in full force! I love to attend a roadshow whenever one makes an appearance in North Carolina because it gives me a lot of face time with manufacturers that I otherwise might not get. When I realized Sennheiser was taking a tour around the U.S., […]

One day, I was on the road, making targeted cold calls. When I walked into one of my stops, the guy working at the parts counter immediately recognized me as a sales rep. Before I could even introduce myself, he said something to the effect of, “We’re corporate, and our head office is in New […]

I have long felt that hybrid meetings are the worst. Trying to navigate the waters of meeting with several people in person, some remote, some wanting to display from their own laptop, etc., all becomes very complicated very quickly. Typically, when I set up a meeting, if more than one person needs to join remotely, […]

If you’ve ever seen “When Harry Met Sally,” you know it’s a great example of a relationship that didn’t work the first time. Or the second. Or even the third. But eventually, after years of near misses, misunderstandings and stubborn resistance, Harry and Sally found themselves perfectly matched. That’s an apt analogy for what’s happening […]

With great sympathy, many in the U.K. industry now mourn the loss of the award-winning systems integrator Smartcomm Ltd. And industry executives as individuals and colleagues are rallying to help Smartcomm employees find new jobs. Blame the HM Revenue and Customs, the tax department of the U.K. government, who (with no love at all) filed […]

ISE 2025 delivered an unforgettable showcase of innovation. The show floor buzzed with cutting-edge technology, major product launches and plenty of unexpected surprises. As always, the rAVe [PUBS] team was on-site, visiting every booth to capture the latest innovations — more than 2,446 videos, along with photos, podcasts, and hundreds of product news stories. You […]

Powersoft announced Thursday that it has signed a binding investment agreement to acquire a 51% stake in K-array. The agreement also grants Powersoft the option to purchase the remaining 49% of K-array’s shares. The transaction is expected to close by March 2025. Strategic Vision Powersoft CEO Luca Lastrucci called the acquisition a significant strategic move […]

Proto has named Todd Bouman as its new CEO, with founder and inventor David Nussbaum transitioning to chair, the company announced. Bouman, formerly president, CEO and chair of Sharp/NEC Display Solutions, Americas, was selected by Nussbaum to lead Proto’s next phase of growth. At Sharp/NEC, he implemented a strategy that doubled profits and strengthened the […]

Many of us constantly monitor the Kastle Office Occupancy Reports that come out weekly. And, for the last two years, there hasn’t been much to report. But, this past month — and this week — set new records in recent years. In fact, we hit a post-pandemic record for office occupancy in the top 10 […]

At ISE 2025, at the annual industry awards powered by Inavation and ISE, Telmaco took first prize in the Government and Public sector for its work on the UN Africa renovation. Every now and then in the ProAV business, if you’re lucky, you get to touch a special project … a project that not only […]

Years ago, I was in Calgary doing store visits. I stopped at the location of one of my retail accounts, and the salespeople exclaimed, “Lee! Thank goodness you’re here! Our manager was fired last month, and none of us know how to place orders on your portal!” First, I showed the keyholder how to access […]

Visionary has joined forces with Extreme Networks, a company that specializes in AI-powered automation for networking, to deliver an integration of Visionary’s PacketAV Matrix Series with Extreme’s network Fabric solution. This simplifies AV network deployment and management. Extreme Fabric is an end-to-end, automated and secure network fabric solution that automates and streamlines the configuration of […]

Shure Incorporated is celebrating its 100th anniversary, marking a century of pioneering innovation, quality, and unyielding commitment to audio excellence. S.N. Shure started the Company in downtown Chicago in 1925 selling radio parts kits. In 1932, Shure became one of only a few U.S. microphone manufacturers with the introduction of the Model 33N microphone. Since […]

ISE 2025 was filled with the potential of an upcoming AV Cloud onslaught. Big brands such as Legrand AV, Crestron, QSC, Shure, BrightSign, Philips, Sennheiser, and Microsoft each had cloud-related pre-show announcements and were pitching their versions of managing products via the cloud. The show was simply too big to walk in four days, but […]

ISE 2025 saw its largest turnout to date, with 85,351 unique attendees, 185,700 total visits and 110,540 registrations recorded at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via. The event drew visitors from 168 countries, reflecting its broad international reach. The exhibition floor spanned 92,000 square meters of net space and featured 1,605 exhibitors, making it the largest […]

ISE 2025 is packed. Seriously. There’s so much happening, so many booths to visit, and a ton of tech to explore. But if you’re looking for the next big thing in ProAV, Innovation Park is where you need to be. New for ISE 2025, Innovation Park is the show’s startup and entrepreneur hub, tucked right […]

And just like that, we’re halfway through ISE 2025. I knew ISE 2025 was going to be big, but even from afar, it’s clear that the industry is evolving at an incredible pace. From LED advancements to projection mapping to meeting equity solutions, the trends are clear—and manufacturers are pushing the boundaries in some pretty […]

Wow; it’s been a minute since I wrote one of these. Okay. Deep breath. Let’s go. ISE 2025 is probably the biggest trade show I’ve ever seen in my life. There is so. much. happening. More manufacturers than I can possibly get to — in fact, I barely made it out of Hall 3 on […]

Day 1 of ISE 2025 is in the books, and if one thing is clear—it’s that our industry is in for a game-changing year. I spent the day exploring the show floor, talking to industry leaders, and diving into the latest technologies. Here are some of my biggest takeaways from Day 1 at ISE. AI […]

Powersoft launched Nota, an ultra-compact PoE/PoE+ amplifier that outputs 140W of power across two channels in a pocked-sized footprint. Nota’s features include on-board DSP capabilities, speaker health monitoring and full control via both Powersoft’s ArmoníaPlus software and third-party APIs. The amplifier’s USB-C connectivity allows integration with external devices, doubling as a USB-to-AES67 converter for enhanced […]