Editor’s Note: Our editors originally published this piece on Pro AV Thanksgiving on Nov. 25. Since then, we updated with additional submissions. The most recent update was Dec. 2.
The Thanksgiving season offers a perfect moment to pause, reflect and express our gratitude. At Commercial Integrator, we’re incredibly thankful for you — our dedicated readers and fellow pro AV enthusiasts. Your trust in us as a leading source for pro AV insights and business trends fuels everything we do.
Pro AV Industry Expresses Thanksgiving for a Milestone Year
This year, the industry has been brimming with innovation, growth and community. From exploring advancements in AV-over-IP, videowalls and performance audio, to celebrating our industry’s best and brightest with features like #AVLivingLegends and 40 Influencers Under 40, it’s been a year of milestones.
We’ve attended remarkable events such as the second annual Commercial Integrator Expo, Total Tech Summit, and InfoComm 2024, soaking in the energy of in-person engagement while sharing the latest industry news with you.
Major industry shakeups have also marked 2024, including acquisitions like Resideo & Snap One, Kramer & ZeeVee — to name a few. These developments remind us just how dynamic our field is and make us even more eager for what 2025 may hold. Rest assured, we’ll be here every step of the way to share it all with you!
This Thanksgiving, we invite you to join us in reflecting on what matters most — whether it’s your achievements in the pro AV industry, personal milestones or the simple joys of life.
We reached out to fellow AV pros to share their reflections, and their responses highlight what they’re most grateful for this year. Take a look below!
Wishing you a holiday full of gratitude… and yes, perhaps a side of humble pie.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Commercial Integrator!
View below to see the messages from members of the pro AV industry for this year’s Thanksgiving celebration.
Karen Castano, Director of National Business, Exertis Almo
Castano: I am grateful to the AV industry for its people. Over the past seven and a half years, I have had the pleasure to develop personal relationships with not just people in my company, but across the industry through our vendor partnerships and other professional groups. I feel a sense of family and support every day because of these people. My gratitude is for their joy and laughter that makes a tough day easier, their enthusiasm to celebrate wins, and their council when important or difficult decisions are needed.”
Phil Gerard, SVP Sales, Legrand | AV
Gerard: Legrand | AV is deeply thankful for the trust and loyalty of our customers. Their dedication inspires us to innovate and deliver a complete suite of AV solutions that simplify installations and create amazing AV experiences. With all our trusted brands working together — C2G, Connectrac, Chief, Da-Lite, Luxul, Middle Atlantic, On-Q, SANUS, Vaddio and Wiremold it’s easier than ever for you to build seamless, flexible systems that fit perfectly into any project. We’re grateful to be a part of your success stories and remain committed to empowering you with the tools and support to bring your AV visions to life.
Steve Durkee, CEO, BrightSign
Durkee: I am very thankful to the team at BrightSign — and our customers and partners — for an incredibly successful and rewarding year. Together, we embraced our mission to attract, engage and captivate audiences. Our team and growing ecosystem of partners delivered many transformative digital signage solutions and customer experiences. With new technology and expanded capabilities next year, we’re ready and excited to continue doing so!
Mersive Technologies
Mersive: We are deeply thankful for our dynamic (and growing) Mersive team, including both new and longtime Mersive employees in the U.S., U.K., and Poland. We have accomplished a staggering amount in one short year, including executing a brand refresh and complete website relaunch, announcing a new product line — Mersive Collaboration Suite — that caters to every space and budget, and pioneering exciting features that will roll out in 2025. The energy from the Mersive team is only matched by the enthusiasm from our clients and partners. Whether customers have been using Mersive for some time or are new to our platform, the exuberance around our evolving product line and brand culture is palpable, and we are grateful. Happy pro AV Thanksgiving to all!
Andrew Starks, Board Member & Marketing Working Group Chair, AIMS
Starks: As we reflect on what we’re grateful for this year, the pro AV community stands at the crossroads of innovation and open interoperability. At AIMS, we’re thankful for the passionate engineers, manufacturers, and end-users who are working tirelessly to bring the promise of IPMX and open standards to life. Together, we’re building a future of seamless, standards-based AV-over-IP solutions that deliver flexibility, reliability and scalability for everyone.
This Thanksgiving, we celebrate not only the progress we’ve made but the collaborative spirit that drives it — because it’s through working together, across companies and industries, that we turn challenges into opportunities.
Here’s to an interoperable future and to everyone in the AV community who makes it possible. Thank you for being part of this journey. Happy Thanksgiving from AIMS!
David Missall, Insights Manager Consultants and Technical Application Engineer Manager, Sennheiser
Missall: We’re grateful for the customers and partners who make everything we do at Sennheiser possible. Their collaboration and trust inspire us to create audio solutions that elevate conferencing and classrooms, delivering pristine audio and seamless integration. Whether it’s supporting engaging discussions in a meeting or enhancing learning experiences in classrooms, we’re proud to design solutions that bring people together. It’s a privilege to work alongside such passionate customers and partners to create solutions that make every interaction more impactful, seamless and productive.
Maile Keone, President and CEO, Listen Technologies
Keone: I’m grateful for the changing seasons. It reminds us that life is constantly evolving, offering fresh perspectives and new experiences. Each season brings its own beauty —spring’s renewal, summer’s vibrancy, autumn’s stunning colors and winter’s ski season — it encourages us to find wonder in transformation. This natural cycle teaches us to appreciate change, embrace the present, and look forward to what’s next with renewed curiosity and gratitude.
Cody Crossland, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Blackwire Designs
Crossland: At Blackwire Designs, we’re genuinely grateful for the incredible integrators who have partnered with us over the past 15 years. Their trust drives us to refine how we support them, whether it’s through our catalog of products, support, or tools like our Network Provisioning Service and Blacklight, our linear lighting design tool, that make their work easier and more efficient. Our goal has always been to be more than a distributor. We strive to be a trusted partner, helping you overcome challenges and achieve success on every project — and just a little less hangry on the job with in-the-box snacks. Thanks to the installers for letting us be part of their journey.
Mark Bishop, President, LynTec
Bishop: This year, we’re incredibly thankful for the trust and feedback we continue to receive from our customers. Their needs drive every innovation we create, from simplifying power management to enhancing control over AVL systems. Joining the Chauvet family in 2023 expanded our ability to serve integrators with more resources and reach, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to collaborate on new, customer-driven solutions. We’re excited to connect with even more professionals at LDI, ISE and InfoComm, where we can continue to listen to their challenges and deliver products that make their projects more efficient, reliable and impactful. Thank you to our customers for inspiring us to continuously evolve and grow alongside you.
Korene Korologos, Content Strategist, Listen Technologies
Korologos: I am thankful for the gift of good health that allows me to live each day fully, creativity that fuels my passions, and the love and support of those dearest to me. I am especially grateful for the privilege of doing what I love, which brings joy and fulfillment to my life. These blessings remind me daily of how fortunate I am and inspire me to approach life with gratitude and purpose.
Claire Hallwood, Order Fulfilment and Logistics Lead, Ampetronic
Hallwood: Love crunchy leaves on an autumn walk, fresh air filling my lungs, taking pictures of the beautiful swans, elusive otters and all other wildlife we have just around the corner. Grateful to work with such a lovely bunch of people, it really is a pleasure to see all the smiley faces on a dull Monday morning. Looking forward to the chaos, trials, rewards and excitement that I know 2025 will bring in both home and work life. Bring it on!
