In my latest Fireside Chat, I had the pleasure of speaking with Samantha Minish, VP of Content Delivery at AVIXA, the global nonprofit serving the professional AV industry. Samantha shared some fantastic insights into how AVIXA is building a stronger, more connected ecosystem and why community is at the heart of it.

Here are a few key takeaways from the conversation:

AV is evolving fast.
The days of "someone pushing a projector down the hall" are long gone. Today, AV professionals are technologists, creatives, educators, and innovators - navigating a world where AV, IT, and broadcast are converging. Sam described how this evolution has created a growing need for continuous knowledge-sharing and collaboration.

Community is more than a platform, it’s a mindset.
AVIXA’s community was born from a very real need: professionals wanting to connect, learn from each other, and tackle emerging challenges together. From AI to sustainability regulations, AV pros are using the platform to ask hard questions, exchange expertise, and spark meaningful conversations.

Career support emerged organically.
One of the most active parts of AVIXA’s community is the careers section where mentorship, job sharing, and real peer-to-peer support flourish. It wasn’t part of a top-down strategy, but something the industry organically needed. AVIXA simply gave it space to grow.

Digital and in-person: two sides of the same coin.
Through “Xchange Live,” AVIXA is bridging the gap between physical trade shows and the digital community. Sam emphasized that these aren’t separate experiences — they’re complementary touchpoints that help AV professionals stay connected year-round.

💬 One of the most powerful insights from the conversation? As Sam puts it: “If it doesn’t serve the audience, it doesn’t matter.” That’s a guiding principle not just for community building, but for everything we do in digital engagement.