The AV Life

In a special Women of AV Takeover episode of The AV Life, Renee Benson hosts an engaging discussion with Nancy Blanchard, Murphy Daley, Brandy Johnson, and guests Gisela Ramirez & Erin Maher-Moran about leadership, mentorship, and the experiences of women working throughout the AV industry. The panel reflects on networking events from InfoComm 2026, including the AVIXA Women's Breakfast and WA...

In this special episode of The AV Life, host Tim Van Woeart is joined by Tim Albright (AVNation) and Tim Neviska (HETMA) for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, professional growth, and the state of the AV industry. Tim Albright discusses the inspiration behind his new book, Building on Ashes, sharing lessons about resilience, failure, and the importance of developing a personal operatin...

Missing Tim Van Woeart for the final live report from InfoComm, our hosts fight through the noise of the HETMA happening happy hour below to wrap-up InfoComm 2026. The group debated whether traditional booth tours still provide value for experienced AV professionals, with manufacturers emphasizing the importance of demonstrating new technology, gathering customer feedback, and showcasing concepts...

Day two of The AV Life's live coverage from InfoComm 2026 focuses on the momentum building across the show floor as attendees juggle booth demonstrations, networking events, and evening receptions. Murphy shares the overwhelming response to her AV Project Management Handbook, including selling out the books she brought on her first day. The panel also highlights one of the week's most impactful ev...

Recorded live from InfoComm 2026, hosts Tim Van Woeart and Murphy Daley, along with live reports from Renee Benson (Sony Electronics), Brandy Johnson (PTZOptics), and Nancy Blanchard (ScreenBeam) from the HETMA booth on the first day of InfoComm 2026! The group shares their first impressions of the opening day, discussing attendee traffic, the redesigned exhibit hall layout, and the excitement of...

This week's AV Life Podcast is the one to start InfoComm 2026! Join our full panel of hosts Tim Van Woeart, Nancy Blanchard, Murphy Daley, Brandy Johnson, Joe Way, and James King as they welcome guests Michael Gunderson of Highland Community College and Steve Borho. The lively conversation includes reflections on previous InfoComm experiences and looks ahead at preparing for this year's InfoComm w...

With InfoComm 2026 just around the corner, Tim Van Woeart, Nancy Blanchard, Brandy Johnson, and Murphy Daley preview the upcoming show, share booth information, discuss networking opportunities, and highlight key events attendees should not miss. The conversation covers HETMA activities, the Higher Ed AV Awards, community meetups, vendor events, and the importance of building relationships across...

In this solo episode, host Tim Van Woeart reflects on the fast arrival of June and the transition period it represents for higher education AV professionals. Tim discusses the close of the academic and fiscal years, graduation season, summer campus projects, and preparations for InfoComm. He shares personal thoughts about family milestones, including his son’s move to middle school, and emphasizes...

This week on episode 334 of the The AV Life Podcast, our hosts cover a wide-ranging discussion from practical hydration tips at InfoComm in Las Vegas to today's hiring challenges in AV, AI impacts, and career growth. The team kicks off with InfoComm preparation tips, emphasizing hydration, conference planning, certification preparation, and excitement around industry networking events. Murphy Dale...

In Episode 333 of The AV Life , Tim Van Woear t may be temporarily off camera, but the crew has no trouble keeping the show moving. Renee Benson checks in from the road as InfoComm preparation ramps up, sharing the pace and pressure of visiting customers ahead of major product announcements. Brandy Johnson joins the conversation with her usual energy, humor, and road-tested perspective, while Murp...

This week on The AV Life , Tim Van Woeart is joined by Brandy Johnson , Nancy Blanchard , Renee Benson , Steve Borho , and a surprise drop-in from Joe Way for a classic crew conversation that starts with a serious higher ed technology disruption and somehow still finds its way to dogs, border crossings, World Cup logistics, InfoComm plans, and youth sports officiating. The episode opens with the r...

This episode of The AV Life features host Tim Van Woeart alongside Murphy Daley for a spring check-in that blends higher ed life, project management lessons, family milestones, and the growing momentum around Murphy’s Audio Video Project Manager Handbook . Recording on the final day of April, Tim reflects on Rutgers University Newark kicking off its 80th anniversary celebration and finishing his f...

In this episode of The AV Life , host Tim Van Woeart is joined by Brandy Johnson , Nancy Blanchard , virtual Murphy Daley , and special guest  Chris Kelly , Managing Editor for Higher Ed AV Media. The crew reflects on a successful NAB Show , noting a pivot toward "quality over quantity" in leads. Excitement builds for InfoComm 2026 , with plans forming for a multi-state "HETMA mobile" road trip in...

This episode features Tim Van Woeart, Nancy Blanchard, and Murphy Daley discussing current trends across the AV industry and higher education. The conversation highlights a recent wave of mergers and acquisitions, supply chain and labor challenges impacting installations, and preparations for summer project season.   Murphy’s “PM Minute” focuses on eliminating unnecessary project documentation and...

This episode of The AV Life features host Tim Van Woeart alongside Nancy Blanchard, Joe Way, Murphy Daley, and new crew member Brandy Johnson, with guest Steve Borho, a 40-year AV veteran. Murphy delivers a “PM Minute” focused on understanding project systems at a foundational level—encouraging professionals to decouple rigid workflows and adapt when disruptions occur. The group reinforces the imp...

This St. Patrick’s Day-themed episode of The AV Life Podcast features hosts Joe Way, Tim Van Woeart, Nancy Blanchard, and Murphy Daley, joined by returning guests Brandy Johnson (PTZOptics) and Philip Leimbach. The group blends humor and industry insight, starting with Murphy’s “PM Minute,” emphasizing the importance of effective project management and promoting her new AV Project Manager Handbook...

In this episode of The AV Life , hosts Tim, Renee Benson, Nancy Blanchard, and Murphy Daley celebrate the release of Murphy Daley’s new book, The AV Project Manager Handbook. The team discusses the growing interest in AV-specific project management resources and how the book fills a gap for professionals seeking practical, field-ready guidance rather than general management theory.  Murphy’s “PM M...

In this episode of The AV Life Podcast, host Tim Van Woeart is joined by Joe Way, Nancy Blanchard, James King, and returning guest Brandy Johnson (PTZOptics) for a candid conversation about self-assessments and performance reviews in the AV industry. The group explores how AV professionals can take an honest look at their performance, advocate for their accomplishments, and maintain ongoing commun...

This week our hosts reflect on leadership, adaptability, and operational consistency in higher education AV. Murphy’s PM Minute focuses on a core project management reality: plans break. Whether it’s supply chain delays, weather events, or shifting requirements, effective leaders must pivot quickly, refocus teams, and maintain momentum without dwelling on lost goals.  The conversation expands into...

Recorded live during the HETMA Virtual Conference Happy Hour, this episode of The AV Life Podcast features hosts Tim Van Woeart, Murphy Daley, Nancy Blanchard, and Joe Way alongside board members and guests including Dustin, Teddy, Troy, Tim, and Brittany. The group reflects on keynote insights about AI in higher education AV, emphasizing historical context, philosophical implications, and practic...

In this HETMA Takeover episode of The AV Life, the hosts welcome leadership from the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA) to preview this year’s highly anticipated virtual conference. The discussion highlights HETMA surpassing 10,000 members and the continued growth of its free, community-driven professional development model. Panelists outline key sessions including accessible AV...

Recorded live during ISE in Barcelona, this episode captures the energy, exhaustion, and excitement of one of the AV industry’s largest global events. Tim Van Woeart and Renee Benson check in with returning guests and surprise cameos from the show floor to discuss scale, planning strategies, emerging themes, and how ISE continues to evolve—especially around collaboration, education technology, and...

In this episode of The AV Life Podcast , hosts Tim Van Woeart, Nancy Blanchard, and Renee Benson kick off February with a wide-ranging discussion focused on the current and future state of higher education AV. The conversation covers ISE travel and expectations, the need for truly innovative new AV products, and how professional conferences continue to shape the industry. The hosts highlight upcom...

In this wide-ranging and candid episode of The AV Life Podcast, the panel dives headfirst into 2026 predictions for the AV industry, blending humor, hard truths, and lived experience. The conversation opens with reflections on lifelong learning and leadership, sparked by Tim Van Woeart’s return to graduate school and a broader discussion on how experience reshapes perspective in management and hig...

In this debut episode of The AV Life Book Club, the team dives deep into The AV Project Manager Handbook with its author, Murphy Daley, exploring what it really takes to manage successful AV projects. From the importance of industry standards and CAD documentation to meeting agendas, scope control, and lessons learned, this conversation highlights why project management is more than just schedules...