AVIXA (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association) has appointed Marco Pardi as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Pardi will take up the position on 1 January 2027, succeeding David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD, who will retire on 31 December 2026.

Who is Marco Pardi?

Pardi joins from Informa, where he served as President of the Tech Events portfolio, overseeing the strategy and operations of in-person and on-demand events, digital marketing services and training programmes for the IT and healthcare sectors. He led a team of more than 200 professionals across North America, Europe and Asia, managing 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. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in Economics, he brings more than 25 years of experience in B2B technology events and community building.

As the professional audiovisual industry has grown in scope, appeal and value, AVIXA has evolved alongside it, embracing convergence with IT and other related disciplines while remaining true to the passion and commitment at the heart of its identity, comments Pardi.

A 12-month search process

The appointment concludes a 12-month search process during which more than 100 candidates from around the world were evaluated. The process was led by a committee chaired by Mradul Sharma, Vice Chair of the AVIXA Board of Directors and founder and CEO of 3CDN Workplace Tech. The committee also included Tobias Lang (Board Chair and CEO of LANG AG), Jatan Shah (QSC), John Bailey (AVI-SPL), Christine Schyvinck (Shure), Cathryn Lai (Interblock) and Greg Feehan, former Chief Financial Officer of AVIXA, with support from executive search firm Korn Ferry.

"It is clear that Marco sees this role as an opportunity not only to grow a business, but also to represent our industry and promote the value it delivers to the world", says Tobias Lang.

Labuskes' legacy

During his 14 years as CEO, Labuskes oversaw the rebranding of InfoComm International as AVIXA, the rebuilding of operations following the pandemic and the modernisation of corporate governance. He also championed the ANP (Audiovisual Network Professional) credential, the monthly Pro AV Business Index, the AVIXA TV platform and the Broadcast AV: Glass to Glass course.

Today, AVIXA reaches more than half a million audiovisual industry professionals worldwide: more than 175,000 people attend its trade shows, events and webinars, over 100,000 receive its newsletters, and 30,000 users access its online training platforms, more than half of whom hold a CTS, CTS-I or CTS-D certification.