AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, has named Marco Pardi as its new Chief Executive Officer. Pardi will take the reins of the Association on January 1, 2027, succeeding David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD, who retires on December 31, 2026.
Pardi joins AVIXA from the international events, digital media, and information services provider Informa, where he was President of the Tech Events portfolio. In this role, he was responsible for the strategy and execution of live and on-demand events, digital marketing services, and training serving the information technology and healthcare industries. He led a team of more than 200 professionals in multiple locations across North America, Europe, and Asia, stewarding a number of respected global brands including The AI Summit, Channel Partners Expo, Contact Center Expo, Data Center World, HIMSS Global Conference, IWCE, Network X, and Service & Support World Expo.
Pardi was educated at the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, and has more than 25 years’ experience leading high-performing teams in the field of B2B technology events and community-building.
“It is an honor to be leading AVIXA,” comments Pardi. “Very few non-profit organizations 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.”
Pardi’s appointment concludes a 12-month search process during which some of AVIXA’s most senior volunteers evaluated applications from over 100 candidates from all over the world. The process was led by a CEO Search Committee chaired by the current Vice Chair of the AVIXA Board of Directors, Mradul Sharma (Founder and Managing Director, 3CDN Workplace Tech). The other Committee members were current AVIXA Board Chair, Tobias Lang (CEO, LANG AG); Chair of the AVIXA Leadership Search Committee, Jatan Shah (President, QSC); AVIXA Board Secretary-Treasurer, John Bailey (Senior VP, Technology & Innovation, AVI-SPL); AVIXA Board member Christine Schyvinck (President, CEO, and Chairman, Shure); former AVIXA Board Chair Cathryn Lai (CPO, Interblock); and former AVIXA Chief Financial Officer, Greg Feehan. The Committee’s work was supported by the renowned global consulting firm Korn Ferry.
AVIXA Board Chair Tobias Lang comments: “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-year term as CEO, Labuskes oversaw the rebranding of the Association from InfoComm International to AVIXA; the rebuilding of core Association activities after the COVID-19 pandemic; modernization of the Association’s governance and leadership search capabilities; and the introduction of multiple new programmatic offerings including the ANP (Audiovisual Network Professional) accreditation, the monthly Pro AV Business Index, the AVIXA TV online video creation and distribution platform, and just recently, the ‘Broadcast AV: Glass to Glass’ training course designed to help AV professionals navigate the convergence of their traditional skillsets with those of enterprise broadcasting, live event production, and media asset management.
Today, AVIXA touches the lives of over half a million AV professionals from around the world. More than 175,000 people attend the Association’s tradeshows, other in-person events, and online webinars; over 100,000 subscribe to AVIXA newsletters; and AVIXA’s online learning platforms are utilized by 30,000 unique individuals, of whom more than half are now accredited to one or more of the CTS (Certified Technology Specialist), CTS-I, and CTS-D certifications.
“AVIXA’s unrivalled position as the trusted provider of data, training, standards, networking, and growth opportunities is the result of years of hard work by the Association’s dedicated staff and volunteers,” concludes Pardi. “I feel both humbled and privileged to be assuming the role of AVIXA CEO, and am confident that together, we can continue to grow the AV industry globally 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.”
