AV Trade Talk

Paul Bochner from AHT New York Metro and Joesph Cali from Gryphon Audio LA discuss on AV Trade Talk the revival of stereo including the growing trend of "analog rooms."

In this episode of the Mastering Connectivity Podcast, hosted by Katye McGregor Bennett and presented by Kordz, the conversation makes one thing clear: as homes become more intelligent, automated, and interconnected, integrators must expand their role beyond performance and convenience to include protecting the integrity of the systems they deploy. Joining the discussion are James Chen, Managing D...

In this episode of AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett is joined by Team KMB’s Bob Archer and Lisa Montgomery for a candid, practical conversation about CEDIA Expo, award season, and what brands and integrators should be doing now to prepare stronger entries.  Drawing from years of editorial experience, judging, and award-entry development, the conversation covers what really matters, from...

Episode Description In this episode of AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett is joined by Bob Archer and special guest Krista Haughey for a candid conversation about career growth, industry leadership, and Krista’s new role at KEF. From starting out in the residential audio-visual industry in 1992 to becoming one of its most respected voices, Krista shares what she’s learned about building te...

Sometimes the return of a publication says a lot about where an industry is headed. In the latest episode of AV Trade Talk, Katye McGregor Bennett and Bob Archer sit down with Rob Stott to talk about the new Connected Design, the trends shaping the market, and why strong media relationships still matter. It is a candid, smart conversation about market maturity, the continuing convergence of design...

AI is everywhere right now… but what does it actually do for a busy integration business trying to quote faster, design cleaner, document smarter, and keep projects moving in the field? In this episode of AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett is joined by Jason Knott, Data Evangelist for D-Tools, for a practical conversation about what’s new (and what’s coming next) with the D-Tools ecosystem...

Taking a different approach to an age-old problem, Nyal Mellor, system designer for HYPERSUB and founder of Acoustic Frontiers, a Calif.-based technology integration firm, is applying his experience and science to residential low-frequency audio reproduction. Bob Archer hosts this episode to talk with Nyal about his experience and what drove him to develop the HYPERSUB line. As you'll hear, Nyal t...

AV Trade Talk: Mastering Connectivity Series, Episode 7 – The Future of AV Connectivity: Human-Centered Innovation in an AI-Driven World In this new episode of the Mastering Connectivity podcast series, presented by Kordz in collaboration with AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett is joined by tech industry leaders James Chen (Managing Director, Kordz), Rich Green (AV futurist and integrator)...

In this episode of AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett sits down with Alexa Centeno, co‑owner of Systems Design & Integration (SDI Boston) and founder of the new VELLA HAUS franchise, to explore how premium home staging and home technology come together to sell faster, sell higher, and create lifelong clients. Alexa shares her journey from integrator to stager (without leaving integrati...

AV Trade Talk: Exploring CEDIA Expo with Jason McGraw In this episode of AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett sits down once again with Jason McGraw of Emerald to dive deep into everything you need to know about CEDIA Expo and its host city, Denver, Colorado. Jason shares insider insights on what makes this event such a cornerstone for the custom integration community, including: The latest...

AV Trade Talk: Mastering Connectivity Series, Episode 5 — HDMI 2.2: Engineering the Future of AV Infrastructure The future of audiovisual connectivity is here — and it’s doubling down. In Episode 5 of the Mastering Connectivity Series, produced in collaboration with Kordz, AV Trade Talk host Katye McGregor Bennett sits down with Kordz Managing Director James Chen and Operations Director Benjamin Y...

In this episode of AV Trade Talk, we head outside—literally—to explore the critical role outdoor network cables play in today’s connected environments. Whether it’s powering up smart gardens, securing properties with surveillance tech, or enabling robust backyard entertainment zones, outdoor networking is no longer optional—it's essential. Joining host Katye McGregor Bennett this time are expert g...

What does it take to provide proactive, meaningful health and wellness interventions? Up until now, that's been a real challenge. In this episode, recorded during ISE 2025 in Barcelona Spain, Katye chats with Kyle Steele of FutureCare Solutions Group and Global Wave Integration about a new, expanded service offering that can do just that. It was born from the notion that we can do better by harnes...

Illuminated Lighting Design. What's all about? In this episode, recorded during ISE 2025 in Barcelona Spain for the Connecting Tech + Design pod, Katye chats with Lynne Stambouly, The Light Lady, and Bruce Clark, who together are part of a new collective — Illuminated Lighting Design — about their professional lighting design services now available to integrators, designers, architects, property m...

Did you know? 99% of the global population breathes air that is below "good" quality levels. With water, we face similar challenges. In this episode, recorded at ISE 2025 in Barcelona Spain, Michael D. Ham of RePure talks about the need for far better air & water quality and how RePure's Healthy Home OS provides peace of mind by helping you identify, track, and remove harmful contaminants in y...

Mastering Connectivity: Building and Shipping The Ultimate Audio Demo Room [Sponsored by Kordz​] In this fourth installment of the Mastering Connectivity Series, Sponsored by Kordz, Peter Aylett of Officina Acustica, David Meyerowitz of Trinnov, Lars Johansen of Perlisten Audio, and James Chen of Kordz discuss the extensive work required to design, build, calibrate, commission, and prepare The Ult...

Mastering Connectivity: Building A CEDIA Award-Winning Showroom and Dedicated Home Theater [Sponsored by Kordz​] In this Third installment of the Mastering Connectivity Series, Sponsored by Kordz, Michael and Dr. Hailey Daly of Wired By MJD in Australia discuss what it took to design, build-out, install and commission both an award winning showroom and a dedicated home theater in a small space alo...

In this episode, I'm joined by Daryl Friedman, Global CEO and President of CEDIA, the Custom Electronic Design and Integration Association, to talk about the association's efforts to establish a Technology Integrator SOC occupational code. Why is this important? Smart Home Professionals, or Technology Integrators, are currently misclassified as a subset of the electrical trade within the SOC syste...

CEDIA Expo 2024 takes place in Denver, CO from Sept. 5-7, 2024. The residential technology industry's leading event for professionals and brands in the channel, this show is THE place to be if you're in the audiovisual biz. I'm joined in this episode by Jason McGraw, Emerald Expositions Group Vice President, Event Brand Leader, CEDIA Expo, Commercial Integrator Expo, KBIS, and AV-iQ. Jason shares...

Mastering [Wireless] Connectivity: Wireless Connectivity: Why Behind Every Great Wi-Fi Experience There is Always a Great Wired Network [Sponsored by Kordz​] In this second installment of the Mastering Connectivity Series, Sponsored by Kordz, integration and networking experts dive into how reliable and robust cabling is at the heart of any good Wi-Fi experience.       Download, tune in, and enjoy...

In the audiovisual industry, there is a strong sense of community but we often get so tied up in the day-to-day that it can be easy to forget to have fun together. However, a group is forming to change that, one "dink" at a time. Host Katye McGregor Bennett is  joined in this episode by Alex Capecelatro of Josh.ai and John Sciacca of Custom Theater & Audio in Murrell's Inlet, SC, who are worki...

In this first installment of a new podcast series Sponsored by Kordz called Mastering Connectivity, connectivity experts unravel cabling myths that have plagued the technology integration industry for decades and share how what needs to evolve for integration professionals to meet the demands of tomorrow. Download, tune in, and enjoy! More episodes will follow, taking a deeper look at the cable in...

WALL-SMART products beautifully conceal tech gear in homes and businesses. Co-founder Galia Ben-Dor shares what's new in the lineup for 2024 and what will debut during the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show in Barcelona, Spain. 

What's this AV Yoga thing all about? AV Yoga @ CEDIA Expo is led by Maddie Ringer of Mad Yoga on YouTube and Sunshine Yoga in Red Lodge, MT. In this episode Maddie shares what to expect, what not to worry about, and what you'll get out of it. TRUST ME, this pre-show morning practice will wake you up, re-energize you, and stretch you out, a perfect way to start the last day of CEDIA Expo.   Please...

Here we go! CEDIA Expo 2023 kicks off Sept. 7th. Hear what attendees are excited to see, learn, and do while in Denver, CO for the show in this new episode of AV Trade Talk. Thanks for tuning in!