By Ryan Gray
So here’s a personal truth: I’ve been around HETMA since the early days, and I’ve never heard them sound more focused, more unified, or more ready to scale than they did at last week’s press conference.
I’m very enthusiastic about the vision laid out that doubles down on building the community around HETMA with growth of engagement and advocacy at its core! For this article, marking the return of the Community Connects column, let’s breakdown what was presented at the press conference and what it means moving forward.
The Road to 10K: HETMA’s Vision, Voice, and Very Big Year
The event, led by Chair Erin Maher-Moran with Vice Chair Troy Powers and co-founders Joe Way and BC Hatchett, was much more than an announcement. It was a kind of milestone moment—not just for the organization, but for the whole higher ed AV community. What they rolled out wasn’t just a campaign; it was a commitment.
They’re calling it the Road to 10K—a year-long initiative with a deceptively simple goal: grow the HETMA community to 10,000 global members. But if you’ve been in this space long enough, you know it’s not about the number. It’s about building a more powerful voice. A more intentional culture. A more human-centered network of technologists who are better together than they are alone.
And this time, the roadmap isn’t vague. It’s six pillars strong—three focused on strengthening the organization, and three focused on supporting the people inside it.
Building the Infrastructure to Scale—Without Selling Out
First, Joe Way laid out the structural goals. It starts with membership growth, but not just for the sake of optics. Every new member brings new perspectives, and every connection strengthens our influence—whether we’re pushing manufacturers to design smarter, or giving a first-time AV tech a community that actually speaks their language.
The second focus? Making every event self-sustaining. If you’ve ever helped plan a summit, a roadshow, or even a campus workshop, you know that burnout is real. Joe made it clear: sustainability isn’t just about money—it’s about freeing up creative energy so volunteers can build instead of just maintain. The goal is to create a reinvestment cycle—where success in one place powers the next initiative.
And third, formalizing initiative operations—which may not sound flashy, but it’s exactly what any fast-growing organization needs. Committees like Prism, Approved, and the new HEx credential will be built out with clearly defined roles, expectations, and systems. It’s not bureaucracy—it’s a move to make sure momentum turns into movement.
Investing in the People, Not Just the Program
When BC Hatchett stepped up to cover the second set of pillars, the tone shifted a bit—but in the best way. It got personal. He talked about the need for daily engagement, not as a metric, but as a way to make HETMA feel like a habit. A rhythm. A place where you show up because it matters to your day, not just your resume.
He also touched on career advancement—something HETMA has already been doing through the Prism Scholarship, leadership opportunities, and a culture of shared learning. The message was clear: this community wants to be the reason someone gets promoted, gets published, or gets the confidence to step up.
And then came what might be the most quietly radical goal of all: investing in well-being. Not just as a one-off session during a summit, but as a real part of HETMA culture. BC didn’t shy away from naming it—burnout, imposter syndrome, and stress are real. But so is peer support. And that support becomes culture when we build space for it on purpose.
From Talk to Tools: The Rollout Starts Now
Troy Powers brought the tangible updates—and it’s a lot more than talk.
The HETMA app is about to drop in the app stores, and with it comes a totally redesigned online community. The aim is to make it less of a message board and more of a true gathering place. Cleaner navigation, real-time notifications, integration with FLEXspace V3—it’s all designed to create touchpoints throughout your day, not just once a month.
There’s also a new content calendar, anchored by monthly themes (July kicks off with “True North”) and weekly discussion rhythms like Mentor Mondays and Wellness Wednesdays. It’s structured, but flexible. It’s the kind of scaffolding that helps a community grow intentionally, not chaotically.
And roadshows? They’re not slowing down. The next stop is at Northwestern on July 11, and more are on the way—including international partnerships. As Erin put it in her closing, HETMA isn’t just a network anymore. It’s a channel partner in the AV industry, shaping what happens upstream and downstream.
One more major development: the HEx Credential. It’s not trying to compete with a CTS or ITIL. It’s something different—built by higher ed AV pros, for higher ed AV pros. It maps real-world work to real-world recognition, giving us a shared language for what excellence looks like in our context. This isn’t theory. It’s a practical tool for professional development, and it’s been years in the making.
The Call to Action: You In?
There’s something powerful about watching a volunteer-led community take itself seriously—not in a puffed-up way, but in the way someone stands a little taller when they know what they’re doing matters.
That’s what this press conference was.
HETMA isn’t waiting for a seat at the table anymore. They’ve built one—and pulled out a few extra chairs while they’re at it. There’s room. For AV techs just starting out. For directors with a decade of experience. For manufacturers who want real feedback, and for integrators looking to collaborate instead of just pitch.
The Road to 10K isn’t about hitting a number. It’s about choosing to grow—on purpose, and together.
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