Gary’s Rants & rAVes

You’ll want to watch this pre-ISE-2026 videocast featuring SpinetiX CEO Francesco Ziliani and me as we dig into what the company is bringing to ISE 2026. At the show, SpinetiX will officially launch DSaaS (Digital Signage as a Service) in EMEA while also celebrating its 20th anniversary. We also talk about the new SpinetiX HUB, […]

In this episode, I sat down with David Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA, as he prepares to retire at the end of the year. We talked about leadership, the evolution of the AV industry since he took on the role in 2012 and what it takes to guide an organization through change. Dave reflected on the […]

In this episode of Rants & rAVes, I’m joined by James Keen to talk about what’s actually changing inside Uniguest — and why it matters. We dig into the expanded capabilities of Uniguest’s Hub digital engagement platform, how new technologies are being introduced into the European market, and what’s driving the company’s continued global growth. […]

TGL Presented by SoFi is shaking up the sports world with an arena-based, tech-driven take on golf — and Panasonic is at the center of it. I sat down with Brian Duffy, senior strategic account manager at Panasonic, to break down how the league uses MEVIX RQ50K 50,000-lumen projectors, originally engineered for the Tokyo Olympics. […]

In this episode of Rants & rAVes, I sit down with Vishal Chhatralia, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at the newly rebranded Nexora — formerly DCC Technology, the parent company behind Almo Pro AV and Exertis. Nexora unifies 27 specialist businesses under one global identity, and while the brand announcement focused on vision and direction, […]

In this episode, I’m joined by Panasonic’s Petro Shimonishi and Almo Pro AV’s Angie Greene for a girls’ chat about AV in Motion and why flexible spaces are driving so many projects right now. We talk through Panasonic’s PT-VMZ-AVCART, how the Artome cart works in real-world rooms, and why this kind of setup actually makes […]

In this episode, I’m digging into Microsoft’s latest Teams update — one that’s raising a few eyebrows. Starting in December, Teams will automatically mark users as “in the office” when they connect to their organization’s Wi-Fi network. It’s meant to make hybrid work smoother, but it also opens the door to new questions about privacy […]

From restaurants and gyms to stadiums and villas on Lake Como — Bose Professional is bringing immersive sound to every corner of the AV world. I speak with Justin O’Connor about the innovations driving this shift and how integrator feedback is shaping the future of pro audio. 

In this episode, Planar’s Robert Detwiler joins me to discuss the Komodo Series — a new line of ultra-fine pixel pitch COB MicroLED video wall displays built for precision and reliability. Hear how Komodo integrates HELIOS LED processing, 8K support and energy-efficient design to meet the demands of corporate, broadcast and hybrid collaboration spaces. 

The JBL Installed Audio Roadshow + Barco Alliance Partner Demo is making a stop in Charlotte, North Carolina, Oct. 27, bringing hands-on demos, live system design discussions and direct access to manufacturer experts. I spoke with Pat Booth, CTS, DSCE, and John Rossman, CTS, both BDM II Technical Specialists at Almo Pro AV, about what […]

I sat down with Simon Holley, vice president of sales for the Americas at Sennheiser, about the company’s extended TeamConnect Bar M rebate program — a limited-time offer that gives customers a $300 rebate when purchasing the TC Bar M through an authorized U.S. reseller. We discussed why Sennheiser chose to extend the program through […]

AI start-up NetSpeek is engineered to solve problems before you ever realize you have them. That’s what NetSpeek EVP and GTM, Sam Kennedy, told gary on his Rants and rAVe’s videocast today. The idea is to add NetSpeek to any and all systems so that you never have to worry if a ProAV system is […]

I caught up with Bob Bonniol, ACT Entertainment’s director of innovation and an Emmy Award-winning director, producer and designer. He walked me through ACT’s next chapter, which centers on the concept of “theater everywhere.” Watch this episode to get his vision for ACT before you hit the LDI show floor. 

I sat down with Louis Hoxter (director of technical operations, Almo Pro AV) to dig into LinkLab — Almo’s newly rebranded services arm — and why distribution alone isn’t enough anymore. We covered what LinkLab is, why distributors like Almo need a services arm in 2025, and how integrators can benefit when distribution moves beyond […]

I sat down with Michelle Montazeri, a board member of the Digital Signage Federation, to hear what DSF is focused on heading into 2025 and 2026. She also gave me the details on the October 13 Signage Social at Google in New York City and explained why now is the time to get involved with […]

I was joined by Travis Cawthorne, Kramer’s director of products and training, to talk about the new MTX3-88-PR-PRO — an 8×8 matrix capable of switching and processing HDBaseT and USB-C video, as well as Dante and AES67 audio, while outputting from dual amps. Watch the videocast and check it out here: https://www1.kramerav.com/product/mtx3-88-pr-pro 

If you haven’t checked out Insta360’s line of UCC cameras, now is the time. The company has launched the Insta360 Wave, an AI-powered speakerphone designed to work seamlessly with its own cameras. I was joined by Michael Shabun, Insta360’s vice president of marketing and business development, to debut the product on this latest episode of […]

In this episode of Rants & rAVes, I chat with Greg O’Rourke from Almo Pro AV about the upcoming E4 Experience in Chicago on Oct. 7 at the Drury Lane Conference Center. We cover what’s in store for attendees — from CTS-certified training and new product demos to networking opportunities. Greg also shares details on […]

On this episode of Rants & rAVes, I’m joined by Laura Janssen, director of workforce development at NSCA. We talk about the upcoming XBO Experience (Oct. 28-29, 2025, in Austin, Texas) — what it is, who should attend and why it matters — along with the workforce challenges facing the AV industry today. Laura also […]

In this episode of Rants & rAVes, I sat down with Beth Dudley, director of public sector sales for Almo Pro AV, and Vicky Sanville, director of corporate and public sector sales for LG. We talked about how Almo and LG are making it easier to sell AV into the government and public sector — […]

In this episode of Rants & rAVes, Steph Beckett sits down with Greg O’Rourke to preview the upcoming E4 Experience in Santa Clara on Sept. 10 — the first E4 to debut under the newly rebranded Almo Pro AV name. Greg shares what this change means for the company and for attendees, while also highlighting […]

I caught up with Jason McGraw, group vice president of CEDIA Expo and Commercial Integrator Expo, to preview this year’s shows in Denver, Sept. 4–6 (with education starting Sept. 3). Jason walked me through what attendees can expect — from the trends shaping both residential and commercial AV to education highlights and key show floor […]

I was joined by Craig Ishii, Logitech’s product marketing guru and a well-known voice in the collaboration space, for a real-time video tour of the all-new Rally Board 65 — a 65-inch collaboration board that’s ready to go with Microsoft Teams and Zoom right out of the box. This behind-the-scenes walkthrough covers the full solution […]

Sharp didn’t just show up to InfoComm 2025 — they brought a plan, and it paid off. Not only did Sharp win our Best Booth Award, but the company also rolled out an all-new dvLED lineup that turned heads. In this episode, Gary chats with Mark Miller, Sharp’s dvLED product manager, about the latest in […]

In this episode of Rants & rAVes, I spoke with Dan Smith, EVP of Almo Pro AV, following the news that DCC Technology has sold several of its IT-focused businesses in Europe. Dan clears up what this means for the ProAV side of the business — including the fact that Almo Pro AV is not […]

On today’s Rants & rAVes episode, I was joined by XTEN-AV founders Vibhav Singh and Sahil Dhingra to demo the latest AI-powered update to the XTEN-AV platform. It’s called XAVIA (pronounced ZAH-vee-uh), and it integrates OpenAI to guide users through AV system design — making it so intuitive, even someone brand new to AV can […]

At InfoComm 2025, Panasonic introduced a brand-new initiative called MEVIX — short for Media, Entertainment & Visual Transformation. I sat down with Panasonic Projector & Display Americas CEO Taka Uchida to talk about what MEVIX really means. It’s a shift toward human-centric experiences, powered by software, services and strong tech partnerships. Panasonic also made headlines […]

On today’s episode, I sat down with BrightSign CEO Steve Durkee to talk about where digital signage is headed. At InfoComm 2025, BrightSign introduced its Series 6 lineup — HD6, XD6, and XS6 players — all with built-in NPUs for running AI at the edge. Bottom line: BrightSign sees edge-based AI as a core part […]

On my latest episode of Rants & rAVes, AVI-SPL CEO John Zettel joined to discuss the company’s acquisition by 26North, announced Wednesday. 26North isn’t your average investment firm — watch this videocast to understand the philosophy behind the purchase and what you can expect going forward from AVI-SPL! 

I caught up with Dean Heckler, founder of Heckler, to talk about the brand-new products making their worldwide debut at InfoComm 2025. We also dug into a bigger question: What can we do to bring energy and excitement back to the AV industry? Dean shared his thoughts on innovation, design and what’s next for the […]

I was joined by Sudeep Trivedi, Logitech’s head of video collaboration alliances and go-to-market, to talk all about the company’s plans for InfoComm 2025. Logitech will showcase its latest innovations — including the Rally Board, Logitech Spot, and new daisy-chaining capabilities for Logitech Sight cameras. But that’s just the start. The company is also emphasizing […]

ViewSonic Business Line Director Jeff Muto joined me on this episode to explain exactly why integrators need to stop by booth 3127 at InfoComm 2025. From a new 138-inch foldable all-in-one LED to updated LCDs, collaboration displays up to 98 inches, and software tools designed for seamless integration, ViewSonic is bringing something new to every […]