Invisible by Design: Key Insights from InfoComm 2026

Each year, InfoComm offers a glimpse into where the audiovisual (AV) industry is headed. While new products and emerging technologies always capture attention, the most meaningful insights often center around broader trends shaping how AV systems will be designed, deployed, and experienced in the coming years.

This year, more than a dozen TEECOM team members attended the event in Las Vegas, meeting with manufacturers, clients, industry partners, and prospective employees. One theme consistently emerged amongst TEECOM attendees: the future of AV is becoming more intelligent and more integrated.

Across nearly every product category, manufacturers focused less on introducing new technologies and more on refining existing solutions to make them easier to deploy, easier to support, and more intuitive for end users. Whether through practical applications of artificial intelligence (AI), smoother integration with IT infrastructure, or technology that blends seamlessly into the built environment, the industry's direction is clear: reduce complexity while improving the user experience.

Simplicity Is Becoming the New Innovation

One of the strongest themes at this year's show was the industry's effort to abstract complexity away from both installers and end users. Manufacturers are no longer competing solely on technical specifications or feature lists. Instead, they are investing in solutions that simplify deployment, streamline commissioning, improve remote management, and create more consistent user experiences.

This was evident across improvements to AV-over-IP platforms, centralized management systems, remote monitoring tools, and integrated control solutions. Companies that have traditionally focused on enterprise-scale deployments are placing greater emphasis on ease of installation and usability, while manufacturers known for simple meeting room solutions continue expanding into larger, more sophisticated environments.

This convergence benefits owners by driving competition around reliability, interoperability, and long-term supportability rather than simply introducing another feature. As organizations continue managing increasingly complex technology environments, reducing operational burden has become just as valuable as adding new capabilities.

AI Is Moving Beyond the Buzzword

AI dominated conversations throughout InfoComm. However, one important observation stood out: not everything labeled "AI" is actually artificial intelligence. In many cases, AI has become an umbrella term for technologies that are better described as advanced automation, machine learning, or simply the natural progression of software and hardware capabilities.

Rather than evaluating products based on whether they include AI, organizations should focus on whether those capabilities solve meaningful operational challenges. The most practical applications demonstrated at InfoComm included intelligent camera tracking, automated camera switching, occupancy analytics, room usage insights, and AI-assisted configuration tools. These technologies aim to improve AV experiences while reducing the support burden on IT and AV teams.

Looking ahead, manufacturers are beginning to demonstrate systems that move beyond automating individual tasks toward environments that proactively adapt to users and optimize room behavior over time.

While this evolution has tremendous potential, it also introduces new design considerations. As AV systems become more adaptive, maintaining predictability, consistency, and user trust will become just as important as adding intelligence. Successful solutions will be those that simplify the user experience without sacrificing reliability, maintainability, or security.

Technology Is Blending Into the Built Environment

Another notable trend centered around making technology less visible. Manufacturers showcased solutions designed to integrate into architecture rather than compete with it. Hidden loudspeakers, acoustically transparent direct-view LED displays, architectural acoustic treatments, improved mounting solutions, and customizable display finishes all reflected a growing emphasis on technology that complements a space instead of dominating it.

Direct-view LED continues to mature, with manufacturers introducing products that can better integrate with architectural finishes when displays are not in use. Similarly, innovations such as acoustically transparent video walls allow audio systems to be positioned behind displays without compromising performance, opening new possibilities for performance venues, presentation spaces, and other architecturally sensitive environments.

For architects and owners, these advancements offer greater design flexibility while preserving the high-performance experiences users expect. As technology becomes increasingly integrated into the built environment, successful projects will continue balancing aesthetics, functionality, and long-term adaptability.

Smarter Collaboration Through Better Integration

The evolution of meeting and collaboration spaces was another major focus throughout InfoComm. Camera tracking, presenter framing, and intelligent conferencing technologies have steadily improved over the past several years. What once required highly customized programming is now becoming increasingly available through standardized, off-the-shelf solutions.

Modern conferencing systems can leverage multiple cameras, automatically frame participants, follow presenters throughout a room, and create a more equitable experience for remote attendees. Combined with advancements in spatial audio and beam-forming microphones, these technologies continue narrowing the gap between in-person and hybrid collaboration.

At the same time, the convergence of AV and IT continues to accelerate. Manufacturers are designing solutions that leverage existing network infrastructure while simplifying monitoring, management, and long-term maintenance. Rather than existing as standalone systems, today's collaboration technologies are becoming connected components within a broader digital workplace ecosystem.

The Bottom Line

InfoComm 2026 wasn't defined by a single breakthrough product or technology. Instead, it reflected an industry focused on making sophisticated AV systems easier to design, deploy, support, and experience. Whether through intelligent automation, tighter AV and IT integration, or technology that blends seamlessly into the built environment, manufacturers are prioritizing solutions that reduce complexity without sacrificing performance.

For organizations planning future technology investments, the opportunity isn't simply adopting the newest innovations. It's identifying the technologies that deliver measurable improvements in usability, operational efficiency, and long-term flexibility.

How TEECOM Can Help

TEECOM designs audiovisual systems that enable clear communication, collaboration, and engaging user experiences. We integrate AV systems into architectural and operational frameworks to support functionality, usability, and long-term adaptability. Our collaborative approach helps ensure systems are reliable, intuitive, and aligned with the needs of each environment. Contact us to learn more about how TEECOM can assist with audiovisual systems in your next project.

About the Authors

Elisabeth Kelson, Principal, Group Lead, manages a wide variety of projects designing complementary audiovisual and acoustics systems. For over 15 years, she has worked internationally on projects designing interrelated systems that function coherently. Elisabeth relies on communication and coordination to understand client goals, choose the appropriate technologies, and design systems that exceed those goals.

Sara Martin brings a background in low-voltage systems, encompassing audiovisual, telecom, and security systems to TEECOM. For the past 5 years, she has worked as an engineer across various sectors, including mission critical, healthcare, corporate, higher education, and industrial.

Jacob Maxwell is an audiovisual designer with a background in theater and live sound, where he built his foundation in audio systems, signal flow, and real-time problem solving. For over 15 years, he has expanded that foundation into the design, programming, and delivery of complex audiovisual systems, with a focus on scalable, networked solutions.