Editor’s Note: This article featuring AVIXA’s CEO David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD and his 2025 reflections kicks off a Commercial Integrator series that will run throughout the month of December. In this series, we’ll highlight 2025 reflections from some of the pro AV industry’s most notable luminaries.
As the pro AV industry reflects on the year 2025, it’s clear that this has been a period of both growth and transformation. To gain deeper insights into the trends, challenges and opportunities that have shaped the industry, Commercial Integrator turned to David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA.
David Labuskes 2025 Reflections
As the pro AV industry navigates a year marked by unpredictability, David Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA, shares his insights on the challenges, surprises and opportunities that defined 2025. From the rapid rise of AI to the industry’s resilience in the face of global uncertainty, Labuskes highlights how pro AV continues to thrive by focusing on human experience and technological innovation.
Commercial Integrator: What kind of year has 2025 been for the pro AV industry?
David Labuskes: I think it’s been a bit of reset year. We started the year worrying about tariffs, disruptions, global trade and a host of other doom scenarios. We ended the year with even less certainty but not having experienced fully any of the doom scenarios. This has had a dampening impact on our industry in that many businesses are holding tight on longer-term projects and big capital expenditures.
But, as often is the case with our industry, we’ve been agile and leveraged continued growth in the experience economy and a demand for immersive experiences that is only satisfied through AV. And the uncertainty in the political affairs of the world has led to an increase in demand for command-and-control systems that are wholly dependent upon the technical offerings of our firms. In summary, 2025 has been surprisingly unpredictable with a touch of drama and opportunity.
CI: What has been the most surprising development in the pro AV industry this year?
Labuskes: The pace with which AI has come to dominate every conversation around technology within our industry and the entire tech ecosphere is remarkable. I do find a certain satisfaction in some of this. I’d say nearly 70% of the presentations, articles, or posts that I’ve digested on this material (and there has been A LOT of that!) offer a concluding or advisory comment that says the same thing.
And that is, “No one knows where this is going and no one knows everything about what’s already here, but you can be certain that a continued focus on the human experience and a curiosity about opportunity will continue to carry the day in this subject area.”
Why does this give me solace? I believe that AV’s core value has been based on the foundational talent for exploiting the world of uncertainty and opportunity that exists at the crossroads of human experience and technology.
Amidst uncertainty and worry, the future shines brightly for us. If we deliver on it, we will help it shine light on humanity. We change the way people experience the world!
Stay tuned with Commercial Integrator as we gather year-end insights and reflections from the brightest minds in the industry. If you’d like to be featured, contact our editorial team.
