AVIXA Names Marco Pardi As New CEO

AVIXA (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association) has appointed Marco Pardi as its next CEO, succeeding David Labuskes, who will retire at the end of the year. Pardi will assume the post on 1 January 2027.

Pardi joins from Informa, the international events, digital media and information services group, where he served as President of the tech events portfolio. In that role, he led a team of more than 200 professionals across North America, Europe and Asia, overseeing brands including The AI Summit, Channel Partners Expo, Contact Centre Expo, Data Centre World, HIMSS Global Conference, IWCE, Network X, and Service & Support World Expo.

“It is an honour to be leading AVIXA,” comments Pardi. “Very few non-profit organisations in the tech space have the brand reputation, global reach, and programmatic diversity of this association. As the professional AV industry has broadened in scope, appeal, and value, AVIXA has kept pace with these developments, fully embracing the convergence with IT and related disciplines without compromising the passion and commitment which sit at the core of its identity. AVIXA doesn’t just provide connections and information; it enables AV companies to be more successful and helps AV people be the best at what they do.”

He added: “I feel both humbled and privileged to be assuming the role of and enhance our community’s influence at a time of tremendous technological change and opportunity. To lead AVIXA is to lead an industry that changes the way people experience the world, and I cannot wait to get started.”

Tobias Lang, Chair of the Board, AVIXA, commented: “The search committee was impressed by Marco’s experience of leading large and diverse talent pools, his consistent track record of revenue growth based on value, his background serving technology-driven industries, his ability to operate internationally, and above all by his sheer enthusiasm for the role and for the Association. It’s clear that Marco sees this as an opportunity not just to develop a business, but to represent our industry and advocate for the outcomes it delivers to the wider world. We are confident he will take both AVIXA and the community it serves to the next level of impact, innovation, and growth.”

During his 14 years as CEO, Labuskes oversaw the association’s rebrand from InfoComm International to AVIXA; the rebuilding of core activities following the COVID-19 pandemic; modernisation of governance and leadership search capabilities; and the launch of multiple new initiatives, including the Audiovisual Network Professional (ANP) accreditation, the monthly Pro AV Business Index, the AVIXA TV online video platform, and most recently the ‘Broadcast AV: Glass to Glass’ training course to help AV professionals navigate convergence with enterprise broadcasting, live event production and media asset management.