If InfoComm 2025 showed us anything, it's that the pro AV industry is evolving beyond cables, codecs, and control panels. Walking the show floor, it was easy to get pulled into a demo with surround sound, immersive lighting, and 20-foot video walls. And while the innovation was impressive (and sometimes downright dazzling), it reinforced a truth that leaders in higher ed, corporate, and government tech teams already feel:

Great AV isn’t just about hardware anymore. It’s about strategy.

Do you remember the movie “Wall Street?” The first one, of course, from 1987. You might recall the noisy bullpen scene with the frenzy of stockbrokers cold calling for clients. Who wants to work in that noisy environment?

As it turns out – this pandemic notwithstanding – many people work in relatively noisy if not quite as frenzied environments. Open office concepts have surged in popularity since the 1980s debut of Wall Street. And while today’s open offices feature many workers at computers and not working the phones, voice calls still happen, people still talk in walkways and at desks, and ambient noise is a factor in open office distraction.