InfoComm Signals a New Phase for Workplace Technology
The InfoComm 2026 conference is a large-scale professional AV and IT gathering focused on technologies, standards, and solutions that are reshaping modern workplaces, communication environments, and customer experiences through collaboration tools, integrated systems, and AI-driven services.
Opening day made one thing clear: workplace technology is no longer about individual devices; it is about cohesive ecosystems that make work less chaotic and more human. InfoComm 2026 officially opened its exhibits at the Las Vegas Convention Center on June 17, bringing together thousands of AV, IT, broadcast, and integrated experience professionals to explore the future of work, communication, and customer engagement. Running June 13–19, the show welcomed 28,132 verified attendees from 94 countries, with international visitors making up 20% and end users 37% of the audience. Those numbers matter because they show this conversation is driven not just by vendors but by the people who have to live with these tools every day.
Microsoft’s Keynote: AI Agents Move From Hype to Help
If you wanted proof that AI is becoming table stakes for workplace collaboration tools, the Microsoft keynote event delivered it. Ilya Bukshteyn, Corporate Vice President for Microsoft Teams Calling, Meetings and Devices, used the opening keynote to outline a vision where AI agents quietly take on the drudgery of work so people can focus on higher‑value tasks. This is not about flashy demos; it is about fixing the daily friction in calls, chats, and meetings.
Microsoft introduced new voice agents for Teams Phone, including a Teams Phone Agent built to handle routine customer requests so human representatives can spend more time on complex interactions. Organizations can also build custom voice agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio for specialized tasks, such as helping customers complete transactions by phone. Around that core, Microsoft highlighted a meetings recap app, support for first- and third-party agents in chats and channels, and new Teams Rooms features like IntelliFrame people labels and expanded Facilitator agent skills to improve hybrid meetings. In other words, AI is being woven into the fabric of daily collaboration, not bolted on as an optional add‑in.
Media Day and Analyst Briefings: A More Transparent Industry Conversation
The inaugural Media Day may end up being one of InfoComm 2026’s most important experiments. For an industry that has often preferred closed-door deals and fragmented product launches, curating 19 exhibiting companies into guided tours for journalists, analysts, and creators felt like a move toward transparency and coherent storytelling. It is a recognition that buyers are tired of piecing together the puzzle alone.
An exclusive AVIXA market intelligence briefing underscored why this matters: AI adoption, workplace transformation, integrated experiences, and rising end-user expectations are reshaping the market. As Mike Sullivan-Trainor noted, the biggest trends are driven by demand for richer, more intelligent experiences powered by AI and broadcast-grade quality. Analysts then took those themes further in briefings that included a dedicated session with Microsoft on the future of AI-powered collaboration and workplace technology. Instead of isolated product launches, the conference framed these developments as part of a larger shift in how AV, IT, and broadcast converge to support modern work.
Mimo MystReserve: Room Scheduling Grows Up
Among the many announcements, Mimo’s MystReserve stood out because it addresses one of the most persistent pain points in office life: the chaos around meeting rooms. MystReserve is a purpose-built room scheduling solution designed to simplify how organizations manage shared meeting spaces, turning the humble room display into a more intelligent endpoint instead of a static sign.
MystReserve connects directly to existing calendar systems and works with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and other calendar-based environments, giving organizations flexibility without locking them into a single ecosystem. Optimized for Mimo’s family of LED tablets, it transforms meeting room displays into interactive scheduling points with real-time availability, on-screen booking, and clear visual status for each room. One year of software is included with hardware purchases, reinforcing Mimo’s push from hardware maker to solution provider. In a show dominated by AI discussions, MystReserve is a reminder that tangible improvements in daily workflows—like knowing which room is free—are where technology earns its keep.
RESIDE and the Bigger Picture: Work, Home, and Everything in Between
If the keynote and product launches focused on tools, the announcement of RESIDE focused on context. InfoComm 2026 was the launchpad for RESIDE, a new event for the residential integration market that will debut alongside Lightapalooza at InfoComm 2027 in Orlando. Built as a joint venture between AVIXA, HTSA, and ProSource, RESIDE will bring integrators, manufacturers, and service providers together for education, networking, training, and hands-on product experiences.
Together, HTSA and ProSource represent more than 750 leading residential integration firms in North America, a scale that shows how seriously the industry now takes the crossover between home and commercial environments. As Jenn Heinhold put it, InfoComm aims to create better experiences across all spaces—workplace, retail, hospitality, healthcare, education, and more—and welcoming residential-focused communities reinforces its role as a home for integrated experience professionals in commercial, residential, or hybrid environments. With sponsors ranging from Shure (headline partner) to Audio-Technica U.S., Blackmagic Design, Diversified, FORTÉ, and Microsoft, InfoComm 2026 framed the future not as separate verticals but as one continuous experience where workplace collaboration tools, residential tech, and pro AV must finally work together.
