The HETMA Roadshow rolls into the University at Buffalo for a special live edition of the Higher Ed AV Podcast. In Part One of this three-part series, Joe Way captures the energy of the event as attendees, HETMA leaders, and industry partners come together for campus tours, education, technology demonstrations, and the kind of relationship-building that makes the Roadshow experience unique. With nearly 100 registrations and an impressive host campus, Buffalo provides the perfect setting to showcase what happens when the higher ed AV community comes together locally.
Joe first sits down with HETMA leaders Dustin and Eric to talk about everything that happens behind the scenes to make a Roadshow successful. From hotels, catering, shipping, parking, and programming to coordinating tours and vendor participation, these events require far more planning than attendees may ever realize. They also discuss HETMA’s continued growth, the goal of expanding the Roadshow program across the United States and internationally, and the challenge of growing into a larger, more professional organization without losing the grassroots community spirit that has always made HETMA special.
Throughout the day, Joe also catches up with several of HETMA’s manufacturer partners, including GUDE Systems, Epiphan Video, WyreStorm, Audio-Technica, and Huddly. The conversations cover smart power management, lecture capture, AV-over-IP, commercial audio, AI-powered cameras, multi-camera production, cloud management, and the growing importance of simple, reliable technology in the classroom. More importantly, the partners explain why regional events matter: they give manufacturers direct access to the people actually designing, supporting, and operating higher education systems while giving end users a chance to build meaningful relationships with the people behind the products.
The episode also highlights the broader purpose behind the HETMA Roadshows. Annie Foster shares how regional gatherings create valuable opportunities for professionals, particularly those from smaller or rural institutions, to find mentorship, exchange ideas, and build connections without the overwhelming scale of a major trade show. SUNY Online’s Mads Katz adds another perspective, showing how AV, learning management systems, hybrid education, lecture capture, accessibility, and instructional design continue to converge. Part One from Buffalo ultimately shows that the Roadshow is about much more than technology. It is about bringing the higher ed AV community together, creating access to expertise, and building the relationships that make the entire industry stronger.I can also tighten this into a more podcast-platform-friendly version with a little more punch and less detail if you want.
