What’s Next in AV? InfoComm 2025 Has the Answers
Every year, InfoComm brings together the global AV community to showcase the latest technologies, trends, and innovations shaping the future of the industry. As North America’s largest professional AV trade show, it’s a proving ground for new ideas, a pulse check on where the market is heading, and a platform for conversation among integrators, manufacturers, and end users. This year, we connected with Toby Caserta, Account Executive at Bluewater, to hear his firsthand take on what stood out on the show floor—and how it all ties back to the evolving needs of clients.
Collaboration Dominates — But With a “Me Too” Feel
Collaboration Dominates — But While InfoComm 2025 featured no shortage of impressive displays and sleek product launches, Toby noted that this year’s event carried a distinct “Me Too” vibe. Many manufacturers seemed to be orbiting the same ideas—especially when it came to Teams and Zoom Room solutions. From microphone and speaker manufacturers to DSPs, nearly every vendor had some kind of all-in-one conferencing product on display, or plans to release one soon. As collaboration platforms become increasingly central to workplace and education environments, this surge isn’t surprising—it signals just how much platforms like Teams, Zoom, and WebEx have reshaped the AV Landscape.
AI, Not Just a Buzzword Anymore
Among the more innovative moments, one standout for Toby was “Ollie,” an AI assistant from SAVI. During a live demo, Ollie was prompted to generate a digital ad featuring Toby and Oak Island, NC. Within seconds, it rendered a beach scene with personalized messaging, added people on command, and even inserted a kite—all on the fly. The assistant’s ability to integrate with curated image libraries adds a layer of control that could make it a powerful tool for customized content creation. As AV and digital signage increasingly intersect with marketing, tools like Ollie suggest a future where creativity is driven as much by real-time intelligence as it is by design.
Check out this demo from rAVe [PUBS] linked here.
Artificial intelligence more broadly had a strong presence at the show, though Toby pointed out that most AI applications still feel surface-level. While features like auto-tracking cameras—especially from brands like Crestron and Insta360—are making real inroads, much of what was labeled “AI” was still limited to generating dashboards or statistical summaries. The potential is clear, but for now, many use cases feel more like buzz than breakthrough. Still, with each passing year, AI is becoming less of a novelty and more of a foundational layer in how AV tools function, especially in support-heavy environments.
As Hardware Gets Easier, Services Step Into the Spotlight
One of the more subtle but important undercurrents at InfoComm was the growing emphasis on services and software. As hardware becomes more commoditized and easier to deploy, the conversation is shifting toward how integrators and manufacturers can deliver long-term value. Toby saw strong interest in managed services platforms, including one called Pivot, which supports multi-manufacturer environments—something he believes will become increasingly vital. The rise of the SaaS model in digital signage and the proliferation of distributor-offered labor services are also signs that the AV industry is undergoing a structural shift. The traditional “box-first” mentality is giving way to a service-forward model, particularly as the next generation of AV leadership brings new expectations and business strategies.
DVLED Gets Creative—And Dynamic
Displays, while ever-present, took a more creative turn this year. Rather than focusing on resolution or brightness gains, manufacturers explored new ways to deploy DVLED. Toby described one example: a massive LED wall composed of small motorized sections that moved independently, creating depth, patterns, and even letters. Other highlights included rotating LED columns and rollable LED screens that collapsed into compact cases—blurring the line between static signage and kinetic sculpture. It’s a reminder that innovation often lies not in what is displayed, but how it’s experienced. See DVLED in action with this behind-the-scenes look from Huerta Entertainment.
What’s Next? Less Custom, More Strategic
Despite the excitement around collaboration tech, few products felt truly revolutionary. There were some clever additions, like AVER’s $2,500 auto-tracking solution designed to integrate with the Shure MXA920, and enhancements to Cisco’s conferencing platform. But overall, Toby found that many offerings were incremental improvements rather than game-changers. Still, these refinements are meaningful—especially as clients look for solutions that are not just functional, but seamless, scalable, and easy to support.
Looking ahead, Toby believes that trends like AI and automation will continue to shape the industry—not necessarily through flashy new hardware, but through shifts in how technology is packaged, delivered, and supported. “The custom world is shrinking,” he noted, pointing out that as systems become easier to standardize, the real differentiator will be how well integrators can support, manage, and scale those systems. In that sense, InfoComm 2025 wasn’t just a showcase of today’s tech—it was a preview of the business models and service strategies that will define AV in the years to come.
Curious about how these trends could shape your next AV solution?
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