As Commercial Integrator resumes the #AVLivingLegends series, we induct Maris Ensing of Mad Systems among the esteemed ranks. Ensing, who serves as creative technology consultant, is recognized as a technology pioneer who has worked across a range of verticals, always in service of delivering exceptional, unforgettable experiences to audiences and visitors of all ages.
In this candid conversation, Ensing reflects on his career trajectory, including what first brought him into the AV industry and what has kept him motivated ever since. Plus, he shares recollections of a seminal mentor who had an indelible impact on his life. And, of course, Ensing shares stories of the professional accomplishments that make him most proud. We close the interview with several pearls of wisdom and advice gleaned over four decades.
A creative visionary like Maris Ensing is the epitome of what #AVLivingLegends is all about, and we’re delighted to restart the series with him. We hope you enjoy this memory-filled conversation.
Read on to learn more about our latest inductee in the #AVLivingLegends series! You can also check out our hub page for past honorees.
Commercial Integrator: What motivated you to join the commercial AV industry?
Maris Ensing: After college, I moved to the U.K. and started my career in R&D, so AV wasn’t on my radar at all. In my twenties, I ran an aerospace R&D team developing star sensors for the ROSAT X-ray telescope satellite. During a visit to a partner in Germany, in between meetings, someone said, “Follow this corridor, press the button at the end and enjoy the show.”
Down the hallway, I found a mini-theater: fifteen slide projectors and synchronized audio. I was amazed. When the lights came up, I peeked at the gear and spotted an Electrosonic badge. Two years later, while working on the EUREKA sat, a job posting appeared to head Electrosonic’s software development. I applied, was hired and stepped into the AV world, thoroughly enjoying working with and growing the team. One hallway detour, one unforgettable presentation and a whole new career.
Commercial Integrator: What has kept you motivated and engaged in the decades that followed?
Maris Ensing: Change — and seeing visitors react — keeps me hooked. The field has moved from slide-tape shows to AI-driven, hyper-personalized media, so there’s always a fresh puzzle. Each project brings its own sharp learning curve, and I enjoy the climb.
Just as energizing are the places and people: museums, theme parks, corporate centers, all powered by teams of designers, engineers and fabricators whose ideas spark my own. Together we’ve tackled projects and deadlines that looked impossible. That shared rush on opening day never gets old. I’ve accepted that I’m a lifelong student; as long as the industry evolves, curiosity has plenty to do.
Commercial Integrator: Reflect on your role as both a mentee early in your career and as a mentor later in your career. Who helped shape the trajectory of your professional life? How have you tried to help shape others’ careers?
Maris Ensing: Early in my career, I was extremely fortunate to have a brilliant mentor named Doug Ransom. We worked together at a pure R&D company, and Doug had the most curious mind I’ve ever encountered. He once stopped the entire company from working on their real projects [and instead had] us try to figure out the math to calculate the exposure setting on a camera to create a correct image of an 18% calibrated grayscale card for any phase of the moon. [That was] one of many bees in his bonnet over the years. He taught me how to approach problems with disciplined, methodical thinking and a river of creativity flowing through it. From Doug, I learned that you can be both systematic and wildly imaginative at the same time. He showed me that those two aspects aren’t opposites; they actually complement each other.
He instilled in me a rigor for processes, whether it was how to define what mattered on a project (and that could take him into some seriously strange areas), how to brainstorm effectively or how to test a concept methodically. But [he] also encouraged me to challenge assumptions and ask “Why?” or “Why not?” when everyone else said “That’s how it’s always done.” In short, Doug showed me how to think outside the box without losing the box. Those lessons shaped the trajectory of my professional life profoundly. They gave me the confidence to tackle a broad range of ideas and concepts from a mix of engineering and creative perspectives. His mentoring has been invaluable in an industry in which every project can be completely different from the last.
Maris Ensing on Paying It Forward
As I progressed in my career and started my own companies, I’ve tried hard to pay Doug’s mentorship forward. He taught me to foster an environment where questions and curiosity are welcome. I encourage our team to dig deep, experiment (within reason!) and not fear failure on the first try. I try to be the mentor I had, guiding them to be disciplined in their approach but never stifling creative sparks. If someone has a wild idea, we’ll entertain it and see how we might refine it or test it.
I also share the methodologies Doug taught me: how to break big problems into smaller ones, how to learn from each attempt and how to persevere when a solution doesn’t present itself immediately. It’s important to me to create a space in which younger professionals feel supported in taking initiative. On the flip side, I also learn a ton from the team: Their fresh perspectives and mastery of emerging tech keep me on my toes. Nothing makes me prouder than seeing a team member take charge and do great things. If I can give them even a fraction of what Doug gave me, I consider that a win.
Commercial Integrator: What’s the most memorable story/anecdote of your career in commercial AV?
Maris Ensing: There have been many memorable moments. You collect a lot of stories over 40-plus years! But one recent one that stands out is the journey of developing our AI-based work and our Lory accessible technology.
Lory started as a thought with a very focused goal: We wanted to help visitors with hearing aids have a better experience at museums and attractions by streaming exhibit audio directly to their own devices. Essentially, it began as a modern take on assistive-listening systems, a thought that started when hearing aids were deregulated in the U.S. So, it became apparent that prices would drop and that more people would be able to afford high-quality hearing aids.
A Life of Its Own
At first, the idea was just to broadcast audio to Bluetooth hearing aids so that no visitor with hearing loss would feel left out. But, as we got deeper into development, the project took on a life of its own. We realized we could do so much more to make experiences inclusive. We ended up building Lory into a full personalized media delivery system, with AI-based options to deal with languages and interests similar to our Alice system.
It not only streams high-quality audio to hearing aids but also offers onscreen captions and sign language for deaf visitors (delivered on their personal smart device). And we’re even adding support for braille devices. What began as a modest assistive-listening upgrade turned into a comprehensive, inclusive tech solution.
I love that AV lets us use technology and creativity to ensure no one is left behind. Lory’s journey had all the elements that make AV fun for me: a tough technical challenge for us, a dash of creativity, collaboration with a passionate team and ultimately a positive impact on people. Those are exactly the kinds of crazy challenges that make this work memorable and rewarding.
Commercial Integrator: What has been your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
Maris Ensing: Innovation with impact. On the innovation side, I’m proud of our team, our development work to push the industry forward and our intellectual property, with 13 patents (and more pending worldwide) that cover everything from recognition systems to adaptive AI-based hyper-personalized media delivery. But the real achievement is building a skunk-works-style outfit that turns those ideas into field-proven tools: TeaParty, QuickSilver, Alice, CheshireCat, CaterPillar, LookingGlass Concierge, taking AV to AV++.
Our AV++ platform is a substantial step beyond traditional AV: an IT-native solution that can deliver personalized content with standard equipment [and] lighter infrastructure and [that] lets venues adapt to each visitor. I’m deeply proud to know that our small, fiercely inventive team is years ahead in aspects of AV tech and that we’re setting trends rather than following them. I want to emphasize team, as none of these accomplishments are solo acts.
I’ve been lucky to work with some of the brightest and most dedicated people in the business. Together, we’ve managed to punch above our weight. That, to me, is a huge professional win. It means we’re contributing in a major way to the industry’s (r)evolution. And, on a personal level, when I see one of our innovations actually deployed in the field, making an exhibit cooler or more accessible for real people, I get a big surge of satisfaction. That’s when I think, “All right, we’ve done something good here.”
Commercial Integrator: What has been your biggest professional regret to date?
Maris Ensing: My main professional regret is more personal. I never went back to finish my PhD. I’m essentially an R&D person at heart, and I love learning and diving deep into subjects. That sometimes feels like an unfinished chapter. Even today, I think about possibly pursuing a doctorate, maybe when things slow down (although anyone who knows me will laugh because I’m not good at slowing down). It’s less about the credential itself and more about the experience of deep academic research that I miss. Who knows? Perhaps, one day, I’ll become the oldest grad student in a lab somewhere!
But, until then, I channel that academic curiosity into our R&D at work. In a way, my career in AV has been one long, practical dissertation on how to integrate technology and storytelling. Still, if I could change one thing, I’d have tried to squeeze that in, just for my own sense of completion.
Commercial Integrator: What’s the best advice or pearl of wisdom you either received during your career or came to realize on your own?
Maris Ensing: One of the best pieces of advice I ever got came from my mentor, Doug Ransom, and it has stuck with me for decades: “Always spend the extra 15%.”
I remember laughing at him when he came up with that one. But when he explained his thought behind that rather bland statement, I realized how right he was. He said that whether it’s time, effort or budget, that last 15% you choose to invest beyond what you thought to do can be the difference between an outcome that’s just OK and one that’s truly outstanding. Doug compared it to paying a little more for the car you drive every day: The upgraded seat and speakers matter long after the price tag fades.
In practice, he meant that you should polish that design one more time, running an extra test cycle or adding a feature that wasn’t required but [that] delights the client. I’ve taken this to heart. Time and again, I’ve seen that putting in a bit more — those late nights, refining an idea, or that extra brainstorming session to solve a tricky problem — yields the results you’re proud of, not just the ones that meet spec. So, Doug’s 15% rule is something I’ve passed on to others.
Another Pearl from Maris Ensing
Another little pearl I’ve come to realize on my own is the importance of keeping a sense of play and wonder in what we do. Yes, we’re serious about our engineering and sweat the details. But AV is also a creative field meant to inspire and engage people. I find that approaching challenges with a bit of humor and imagination can lead to better solutions. That’s one reason why we have to remind ourselves to stay creative and not lose that spark of fun even while tackling serious technical challenges. If you enjoy the process, that energy infuses the end product.
So, my advice in a nutshell: Work hard and give that extra 15%. But also remember to enjoy the ride. Surround yourself with people who are passionate and a little “mad” in the best way and, together, you’ll create magic. In the end, this industry is about connecting with people. If you put genuine effort and a piece of yourself into your work, it will connect with others in a meaningful way.
Thanks for reading. I hope we compare notes at the next show. (I’ll be near the espresso machine.)
Would you like to nominate a peer or colleague — or perhaps yourself! — to be featured in this #AVLivingLegends series? If so, just email Dan Ferrisi, group editor, commercial and security, Emerald, at [email protected].
