AVIXA has appointed Marco Pardi as its new chief executive, with the experienced technology events executive set to take over from David Labuskes on 1 January 2027.

Marco joins AVIX from international events and information services provider Informa, where he served as president of its Tech Events portfolio. He succeeds David , who will retire on 31 December 2026 after 14 years in the role.

At Informa, Marco was responsible for the strategy and delivery of live and on-demand events, digital marketing services and training programs across the information technology and healthcare sectors. He led a team of more than 200 professionals across North America, Europe and Asia, overseeing global brands including The AI Summit, Channel Partners Expo, Data Centre World and HIMSS Global Conference.

Marco said he was looking forward to leading the association as the professional audiovisual industry continues to evolve and converge with IT and related disciplines.

“It’s an honour to be leading AVIXA. Very few non-profit organisations in the tech space have the brand reputation, global reach and programmatic diversity of this association,” he says.

“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.”

His appointment follows a 12-month international search that attracted more than 100 candidates. The process was led by a chief executive search committee chaired by AVIXA Board vice chair Mradul Sharma, with support from global consulting firm Korn Ferry.

AVIXA Board chair Tobias Lang says the committee was impressed by Marco’s experience leading large teams, driving revenue growth and working across international technology markets.

“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,” he says.

“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.”

David’s departure will mark the end of a 14-year tenure during which he oversaw significant changes to the association, including its rebranding from InfoComm International to AVIXA and the rebuilding of core activities following the COVID-19 pandemic.

His time as chief executive also saw the modernisation of AVIXA’s governance and leadership processes, alongside the introduction of new industry programs and resources. These included the AV Network Professional (ANP) accreditation, the monthly Pro AV Business Index, the AVIXA TV online video platform and the Broadcast AV: Glass to Glass training course, which addresses the convergence of traditional AV skills with enterprise broadcasting, live event production and media asset management.

AVIXA now reaches more than 500,000 AV professionals globally. Its activities include trade shows, in-person events, webinars, newsletters and online learning, with more than 30,000 individuals using its learning platforms and over half holding at least one CTS, CTS-I or CTS-D certification.

Marco says he intends to build on AVIXA’s existing work and strengthen its role in supporting the global AV community.

“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 its dedicated staff and volunteers,” he says.

“I feel both humbled and privileged to be assuming the role of AVIXA chief executive, 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.”