2-4 Sept 2026 | ICC, Sydney
The classroom of 2026 looks nothing like it did five years ago. As education institutions move beyond pandemic-era stopgaps, they’re investing in AV systems that don’t just enable remote learning — they fundamentally improve the teaching and learning experience. Here are seven trends driving that shift.
For new builds and major refurbishments, AV over IP (AVoIP) has replaced traditional matrix switching as the go-to topology in education. The appeal is practical: institutions can scale incrementally by adding network endpoints rather than replacing entire hardware chassis. It also simplifies management, freeing up IT teams to focus on other priorities while centralising control across multiple rooms or campuses.
AI-based camera tracking is fast becoming standard in hybrid learning environments. Using computer vision, these systems automatically follow an instructor’s movement and switch between wide-angle views and close-ups of whiteboards or demonstrations — all without the lecturer needing to touch a thing. The goal is simple: give remote students a near-equivalent classroom experience, without turning academics into AV technicians.
Interactive whiteboards and touchscreens have been around for years, but the latest generation is a step change. AI-augmented displays can now convert rough hand-drawn sketches into polished diagrams in real time, with near-lagless writing that syncs instantly across devices. For collaborative learning — whether in-person or hybrid — these tools make participation more dynamic and accessible.
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are moving beyond novelty status in education. Students can now explore historical sites through immersive VR field trips or interact with 3D models in science classes. As these technologies become more affordable and easier to integrate into existing AV ecosystems, expect adoption to accelerate — particularly in STEM and vocational training.
Open learning spaces and large lecture halls have long posed audio challenges. Beamforming microphone arrays combined with AI-driven noise cancellation can now isolate individual speakers while suppressing background noise. The latest systems go further, using neural networks to reconstruct speech in real time — preserving vocal clarity rather than simply cutting out distractions.
Cloud-based AV platforms allow institutions to manage, store, and stream content remotely from a centralised dashboard. For multi-campus organisations, this eliminates the need for duplicated on-premise infrastructure, reduces hardware costs, and makes it far easier to maintain consistency across teaching environments.
As AV systems connect to institutional networks, they become potential entry points for cyber threats. Across the AV industry, enhanced security is a top priority — from encrypted video and audio streams to multi-factor authentication for equipment access. One development gaining traction is the use of Neural Processing Units (NPUs) to process sensitive data locally on-device rather than routing it through the cloud. For education providers handling student data and research IP, these measures are becoming essential rather than optional.
These trends — and the technologies behind them — will be on full display at Integrate 2026, Australia’s leading AV industry event, taking place 2–4 September at ICC Sydney.
