New AI in AV Mini Conference Separates Hype from Practical Application
Diversified Australia
- Integrate 2026 has announced a standalone AI in AV Mini Conference, taking place at ICC Sydney from 2 to 4 September, designed to help AV practitioners distinguish practical AI applications from industry hype.
- The two-hour program includes a keynote, two tech talks, and a panel discussion covering areas such as smarter AV operations, AI-driven content and experiences, and ethical adoption of AI across the industry.
- The conference is hosted by Anna Acopian, CEO at SafegateAI and global AI adviser, who will frame AI as a practical capability rather than a threat to the profession.
- Topics addressed include predictive maintenance, smarter monitoring, generative content, adaptive digital signage, and honest perspectives from integrators and end-user organisations on trust, skills, and data security.
- Tickets for the Mini Conference start at $200 + GST for a standalone pass, with the session also included as part of the All Access Pass; entry to the Integrate 2026 show floor is free with registration.
New AI in AV Mini Conference Separates Hype from Practical Application
SYDNEY, 30 July — Integrate 2026 has added a standalone AI in AV Mini Conference, aimed at practitioners who have stopped asking whether to use AI and started asking which uses actually hold up.
For much of the AV industry, AI is no longer a talking point on its own. It is already sitting inside the tools, the workflows and the day-to-day process of getting work out the door. The request from clients is rarely for AI itself. It is for the outcome, delivered well. That shift is where the Mini Conference begins.
The program is built to separate hype from practical application. Over roughly two hours, the sessions look at where AI is doing real work in AV today, from system operations through to content and experience. They also mark out where the fundamentals of good AV hold steady: system design, human creativity and trusted partnerships.
The lineup runs as follows:
Welcome from Program Host. Anna Acopian, CEO at SafegateAI, founder of Tech4Growth Australia and global AI advisor, sets the context for why AI matters to AV now, where it is already appearing in workflows, and what the two hours will cover, framing AI as a practical capability rather than a threat.
Keynote: The AI Shift Reshaping AV. A look at where AI is genuinely changing AV, across operations and user experience, and where the fundamentals hold, so decisions are informed rather than reactive.
Tech Talk 1: AI Inside the System: Smarter AV Operations & Support. How AI is improving efficiency and reliability behind the scenes, from predictive maintenance and smarter monitoring to AI-assisted troubleshooting, and how that reduces downtime and repetitive work.
Tech Talk 2: From Screens to Stories: AI-Driven Content & Experiences. AI on the experience-facing side of AV, including generative content and adaptive digital signage, with human intent, ethics and storytelling kept central.
Panel Discussion: AI Reality Check: Adoption, Trust, Skills & Ethics. Honest perspectives from integrators, technology providers and end-user organisations on what is working, where challenges remain, and how teams are building trust around data, security and skills.
Closing. Key takeaways distilled into a practical approach for evaluating AI, prioritising real problems over trends, and planning next steps.
"There is no shortage of claims about AI. What is harder to find is a straight answer on where it holds up under real conditions," said Soren Norgaard, Event Director for Integrate. "This program is for people who want that answer, not the sales pitch."
Tickets start at $200 + GST for a standalone pass, and the conference is also included with the All Access Pass.
Integrate 2026 runs from 2 to 4 September at ICC Sydney. Entry to the show floor is free with registration. The AI in AV Mini Conference and other program sessions are ticketed separately.
About Integrate
Integrate is the ANZ AV industry's annual meeting point. It brings the entire ecosystem into one room so professionals can see technology in action, connect with peers, talk directly to the people behind the tech, and leave ready to do better work. Integrate 2026 takes place from 2 to 4 September at ICC Sydney, co-located with the Security Exhibition & Conference and the Fire Security Expo.
About Diversified Australia
Diversified Australia is a third-generation, family-owned events and digital media company committed to long-term success beyond the bottom line. We invest in industries we care about and believe in, and continually evolve to meet the needs of our partners and communities. As an events and digital media company, we strengthen business communities by fostering a space for professionals and businesses to connect and grow.
Media contact
Deborah Boyle
[email protected]
About us:
EVENT DETAILS
When: 2 to 4 September 2026
Where: ICC Sydney
Show floor: More than 120 exhibitors across 10 technology zones
Co-located events: Security Exhibition & Conference and the Fire Security Expo (new for 2026), accessible on a single registration
Show floor entry: Free for registered trade professionals
Education programme: Integrate & AVIXA Tech Talks, ticketed separately, running across all three days
Registration: Open now via the Integrate website
About Diversified Australia
Diversified Australia is a third-generation, family-owned events and digital media company committed to long-term success beyond the bottom line. We invest in industries we care about and believe in, and continually evolve to meet the needs of our partners and communities. As an events and digital media company, we strengthen business communities by fostering a space for professionals and businesses to connect and grow.
Contact details:
Media contact:
Deborah Boyle
Marketing Manager
Diversified Australia
[email protected]