UC leaders are heading into a new buying cycle with a familiar problem. AI is everywhere, but not every AI feature is ready for the real world.
That is one of the key themes in this UC Today interview, as we speak with Jenn Heinold, Senior Vice President of Expositions for the Americas at AVIXA, ahead of InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas.
The show, produced by AVIXA, will bring together thousands of AV, IT, workplace, and collaboration professionals. For UC buyers, the big question is simple: which technologies are worth their time?
Jenn says the strongest AI use cases are not about replacing AV. They are about improving it.
“The best AI is an enhancement to AV, and not the other way around,” Heinold told UC Today. “The best AI is what’s making AV more proficient, efficient, and personalized.”
That practical view is shaping much of the event. It is also behind the new AVIXA AI Accelerator, a full-day program focused on putting AI into action.
Jenn explains that the program will move beyond theory. It will focus on workshops, governance, frameworks, and real deployment questions.
“It’s not about AI in theory,” Heinold said. “It’s really about coming together, doing workshops and working groups on how to put AI into action.”
InfoComm 2026 Highlights AI, UC, and Smart Workplace Tech
For UC and IT buyers, one of the most important areas to watch is the Smart Workplace application hub.
Jenn says this part of the show was built around a specific request from end users. They did not want to see isolated products. They wanted to see full working environments.
The Smart Workplace hub will include lobby spaces, individual work pods, event and broadcast spaces, conference rooms, Microsoft Teams Rooms, digital signage, workplace analytics, and security technologies.
That matters because UC decisions are no longer limited to one platform or one device. Buyers need to understand how the whole workplace technology stack works together.
“I don’t come to InfoComm for just one product. I come to build a space,” Heinold said, reflecting the feedback AVIXA heard from end users.
This makes the hub especially relevant for enterprise teams planning meeting room upgrades, hybrid work strategies, and AI-enabled collaboration spaces.
Why Interoperability Still Matters for UC Buyers
The interview also explores interoperability. It remains one of the biggest challenges for UC teams.
Many organizations are standardizing around platforms such as Microsoft Teams. But they still need cameras, microphones, displays, room systems, signage, analytics, and management tools to work together.
Jenn believes the industry is moving in the right direction.
“We are hearing a sincere commitment from the industry to collaborate across the different tools,” Heinold said. “Some of the walls that have been there are definitely coming down.”
That shift could be important for 2027 buying decisions. UC leaders are looking for technology that reduces complexity, not tools that create more integration work.
Jenn also points UC buyers toward Central Hall, which is themed around work solutions. It will feature conferencing, collaboration, digital signage, command and control, and workplace technologies.
She also highlights the Vision Stage, plus keynote sessions from Microsoft and Cisco focused on AI in collaboration environments.
AV, IT, Broadcast, and AI Are Converging
A major theme running through the conversation is convergence.
Jenn says InfoComm has long focused on the convergence of AV and IT. Now, that list is expanding.
“I really feel like 2026 is the year of convergence for AV, IT, broadcast, and AI,” Heinold said.
For UC leaders, that convergence is important. Collaboration technology is becoming part of a much wider workplace experience. Meeting rooms, broadcast studios, analytics, signage, security, and AI tools are increasingly connected.
That is why InfoComm 2026 could offer a useful view of the trends buyers will be chasing next year.
Watch the full UC Today interview to hear Jenn Heinold explain where UC leaders should focus at InfoComm 2026, how AI is changing workplace technology, and why smart, integrated environments are becoming central to the future of work.
