AVNation TV

Tag: emerging technologies

  • #GALSNGEAR Announces 2026 Leadership Retreats on East and West Coasts for Women in Media and Tech

    #GALSNGEAR Announces 2026 Leadership Retreats on East and West Coasts for Women in Media and Tech

    #GALSNGEAR is launching two leadership retreats in early 2026 to support women working across media, entertainment, and technology. The East Coast retreat takes place January 16 in Columbia, Maryland, featuring workshops and networking focused on leadership development, career growth, negotiation, and financial confidence. Sponsored by Vectorworks and Diversified, the event includes industry experts leading hands-on learning experiences.

    The West Coast retreat will be held March 6 in Burbank, California, aligned with International Women’s Day/Month. It will explore emerging technologies, AI-driven workforce changes, and personal brand building. With a focus on equity and sustainability, participants will also learn about the Media Climate Accord and how women leaders can drive positive industry impact.

    #GALSNGEAR® is launching two signature leadership retreats in early 2026, designed to equip women in media, entertainment, and technology with the tools to lead with confidence and clarity. Leadership Retreat East will take place on Jan. 16 in Columbia, Maryland, timed ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. weekend to honor the spirit of equity and inclusion. Leadership Retreat West takes place on March 6 in Burbank, California, in celebration of International Women’s Day/Month. The East event is hosted by Vectorworks, and both events are sponsored by Diversified.

    “Our goal is to create immersive, hands-on spaces where women feel seen, supported, can connect with a powerful peer network and be equipped to lead with confidence,” said Amy DeLouise, founder of #GALSNGEAR.

    Leadership Retreat East will be held at Vectorworks in Columbia, Maryland, just minutes from BWI Airport. The program begins on the evening of Jan. 15 with a welcome networking event at Old Line Kitchen & Bar, offering attendees a chance to connect before the full-day workshop. The networking event will feature a Tequila tasting of TCapri, a hand-crafted small batch brand that is Black woman-owned. Founder Tiffany Capri Hainesworth will be participating in the retreat panel on career pivots.

    The retreat opens on the following day with a breakfast sponsored by Trbridge Partners, followed by welcome remarks from DeLouise along with Lee Draminski, Senior Partnership Specialist at Vectorworks and Heather Best, Engagement Manager at Diversified. Next up will be a deep-dive leadership workshop led by Ellyn McKay, founder of CEO Vision. Attendees will use a pre-workshop survey to explore their leadership styles and develop strategies for tackling challenges and planning their next career steps.

    The day continues with a panel on mastering career pivots, featuring Career & Learning Technology Strategist Adrienne Blanks and concludes with two concurrent breakout sessions: one on negotiation skills with Susan Borke, JD, of Borkeworks and another on financial empowerment for women with Tacy Roby, CFP Senior Wealth Advisor, TriBridge Partners Financial. The retreat wraps with a closing session focused on goal-setting and accountability, helping participants translate insights into action.

    Leadership Retreat West will be hosted by Keycode Media in Burbank, California. With an understanding of the ongoing media and tech workforce disruptions brought on by mergers, layoffs, and the emergence of GenAI, this gathering will focus on emerging technologies and personal brand-building strategies in a changing employment environment. In addition to its work supporting “tequity” in the workplace, #GALSNGEAR recognizes that building a more sustainable and equitable industry also means engaging around climate impact. As such, Leadership Retreat West will include a special session on the Media Climate Accord and how women leaders can help move the industry forward on those goals.

    “The partnership with #GALSNGEAR is a natural extension of Diversified’s commitment to the talented women who are already core to our industry’s success,” said Heather Best, Advisory Services, Diversified. “The #GALSNGEAR retreats are about connecting, amplifying, and investing in the exceptional leaders who are already here, ensuring their influence continues to grow while also lifting the industry and the next generation to follow.”

  • AVIXA Research Forecasts Pro AV Industry Set to Reach $402 Billion by 2030

    AVIXA Research Forecasts Pro AV Industry Set to Reach $402 Billion by 2030

    The global pro AV industry is forecasted to reach $402 billion by 2030, according to AVIXA’s latest Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA). While growth has slowed slightly from earlier projections due to global economic pressures like tariffs, interest rates, and geopolitics, the sector continues to outperform global GDP. Key drivers include the hybrid workplace and the growing demand for immersive experiences in live events, retail, hospitality, and venues.

    India has emerged as a major growth leader in the APAC region, overtaking China thanks to rising infrastructure investment and demand for advanced technology-enabled experiences. Innovations such as AV over IP, software and cloud platforms, AI, and extended reality (XR) are reshaping the industry, with strong growth in broadcast AV and security solutions alongside conferencing. Despite slower corporate spending, other sectors like government, military, and utilities are ramping up investments, making the industry resilient and future-ready.

    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.

    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, Vice President 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.