Editor’s Note: This article featuring Chris Neto and his 2026 predictions is part of Commercial Integrator’s series running throughout December and January. In this series, we spotlight forward-looking insights from some of the pro AV industry’s most notable luminaries.

As we look ahead to 2026, the pro AV industry stands at the cusp of exciting opportunities and transformative trends. To explore what lies ahead, Commercial Integrator turned to Chris Neto, CTS, head of emerging markets, Midwich US, for his expert predictions on the technologies and strategies that will shape the future of pro AV.

Chris Neto 2026 Predictions

In this exclusive Q&A with Commercial Integrator, Neto identified Enterprise Video and AI-driven audio as 2026’s most profitable growth opportunities for pro AV integrators. As organizations refresh hybrid workspaces and expand digital signage, the demand for consistent video experiences will grow. However, Neto emphasized that the real differentiator lies in audio. With AI tools like live captioning and automated transcription relying on high-quality audio capture, integrators who prioritize audio-first design, acoustics, and AI-ready standards can deliver measurable ROI and secure ongoing service contracts. Neto urges integrators to view audio as the critical fuel for enterprise AI success, not just an accessory to video.

Commercial Integrator: Without getting into any specific vendor or particular branded solutions, what technology category or solution area do you see as 2026’s ripest, most profitable growth opportunity for pro AV integrators and installers? Explain your reasoning.

Chris Neto: In 2026, the ripest and most profitable growth opportunity for pro AV integrators will come from the continued expansion of Enterprise Video paired with the accelerating demand for audio systems that support AI-driven speech intelligibility and transcription. Enterprise Video is entering a new maturity cycle as organizations refresh hybrid-work spaces, expand digital signage networks and enhance collaboration environments with more consistent visual experiences across campuses.

But the real differentiator, and the real margin opportunity, will be in audio. As companies adopt AI tools for live captioning, automated note-taking, compliance recording and enterprise search, the accuracy of those systems depends entirely on high-quality audio capture and room intelligibility.

Poorly tuned spaces break AI. That creates a powerful opening for integrators who understand microphone strategy, acoustics, DSP and the end-to-end audio pipeline feeding transcription engines. By pairing video upgrades with audio-first design and AI-ready capture standards, integrators can deliver measurable ROI, reduce meeting friction and position themselves for ongoing service contracts tied to monitoring, optimization and analytics.

In short, 2026 rewards those who stop treating audio as an accessory to video and start treating it as the fuel that makes enterprise AI work.

Stay tuned with Commercial Integrator as we gather year-end insights and 2026 pro AV predictions from the brightest minds in the industry. If you’d like to be featured, contact our editorial team (Alyssa Borelli, Amala Reddie and Dan Ferrisi).