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AV/IT Amplifier

AV/IT Amplifier

De : Ryan Gray
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Higher education institutions rely on audio-visual (AV) and information technology (IT) solutions as a key backbone for modern teaching and learning. The AV/IT industry plays a critical role in providing these solutions, and it is important to highlight the latest trends, innovations, and perspectives in this sector. The podcast “The AV/IT Amplifier” aims to fill this gap by featuring interviews with people from Higher Education Institutions and the AV/IT Industry who have an idea, concept, perspective, event or product that would be helpful or interesting to the target audience of higher education technology managers. The host of the podcast is Ryan Gray, Assistant Director of IT at Yavapai College.

“The AV/IT Amplifier” podcast will have a bi-monthly schedule with two recordings per month, each being split in half to provide for weekly episodes. Each episode will be targeted for 30 minutes to be about the length of an average commute. The first half of each recording will focus on the primary topic for that guest, while the second half will be a profile of the person.

The podcast will not only focus on technical topics but also on non-technical ones such as effective people management, pedagogy, community building, building a personal brand, career planning, professional development and other similar topics for our audience. The split episode format allows for a dive into the topic and the opportunity to get to know the person and perhaps draw the connections between why that topic is so important to that guest.

Ryan Gray
Economie Management Management et direction Politique et gouvernement
Épisodes
  • 139: The Igloo Takeover with Laura Mills and Rebecca Wade
    Jun 24 2026
    In this one off InfoComm 2026 episode, the tables turn as Laura and Rebecca from Igloo Vision take over the microphones and interview Ryan Gray for a change. What starts as a lighthearted booth conversation quickly turns into a surprisingly honest discussion about recognition, community leadership, HETMA’s future, the pressure of being seen by others, and why the best technology is often the kind instructors never have to think about.

    Ryan talks about winning AV Professional of the Year, the importance of working yourself out of a job, and why HETMA’s future depends on shared ownership beyond its original leaders. The conversation also dives into student centered classroom technology, including beamforming microphones, automated camera systems, capture workflows, and the role of AI in helping students translate class experiences into learning that fits their lives. Also, somehow, HETMA becomes cucumber lime electrolyte water and Ryan becomes “Persistence Man.”

    Topics Discussed
    Ryan being interviewed instead of hosting
    The HETMA podcast takeover from InfoComm 2026
    Laura and Rebecca from Igloo Vision turning the tables
    Ryan’s role at Yavapai College
    Ryan’s role with Higher Ed AV Media
    Receiving the AV Professional of the Year award
    The challenge of accepting recognition
    Working yourself out of a job
    Building teams that create opportunities for others
    Helping work outlive the person who started it
    HETMA as a volunteer driven organization
    The early growth of HETMA during the COVID era
    Shared ownership as the future of HETMA
    Bringing new leaders into the community
    HETMA’s presence at ISE and international growth
    The importance of education led community building
    How higher education AV may translate differently outside the United States
    Balancing structure and substance in a growing organization
    Technology that supports teaching without getting in the way
    Designing AV systems around the student experience
    Beamforming microphones in learning spaces
    Shure ceiling microphone systems
    Automated camera systems and Huddly Crew
    Lecture capture and recorded classroom experiences
    AI searchable class content
    Supporting working adults, parents, and students with complicated lives
    Matching teaching styles to student learning needs
    The value of technology that feels automatic to instructors

    Connect with Laura Mills
    https://uk.linkedin.com/in/laurakellymills
    https://www.igloovision.com

    Connect with Rebecca Wade
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-wade-979094154
    https://www.igloovision.com

    Connect with Ryan
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!

    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!



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    30 min
  • 138: I Don't Wanna Be The Cheesey Boy with Philipp Gude
    Jun 10 2026
    This week on the AV/IT Amplifier, Ryan continues the conversation with Philipp Gude of GUDE Systems, moving beyond the product conversation and into the people, personality, and philosophy behind the company. The episode starts with the most important technical matter of all: how exactly Americans are supposed to pronounce “Gude,” why “good” works just fine, and how quickly a strong product name can become a full episode worth of puns.

    From there, Ryan and Philipp get into the energy of InfoComm, what it means to make a traditionally dry category like power management feel engaging, and why smart power is more than just something sitting in the bottom of a rack. Philipp talks about working in a family company, his path through engineering, IT, and sales, the pride and responsibility of having his name on every product, and why his confidence in GUDE comes not just from the engineering team, but from the feedback he hears every day from customers. The conversation also wanders, in the best possible way, through Cologne, German beer, factory tours, grilled salami and gouda sandwiches, the future film Mr. Strom, and the value of creating enough trust that people will tell you the truth.

    Topics discussed
    The difference between saying GUDE in German and saying “good” for English speaking customers.
    How GUDE’s slogan, “good, great, GUDE,” turns the company name into a natural brand advantage.
    The danger and delight of making too many power management puns.
    Why AV and IT people often build big public systems while personally preferring to stay in the background.
    Philipp’s answer to whether he is an introvert or an extrovert: both, depending on role and day.
    InfoComm as an exhausting but energizing week for people who thrive on connection.
    Making power management feel more engaging without losing sight of how serious and important it is.
    Philipp’s unexpected path into the family business after work in chemical industry, IT, engineering, and technical sales.
    What it feels like to sell a product that literally carries your family name.
    Why Philipp says his confidence in GUDE comes from customer feedback as much as from knowing the engineering team.
    GUDE’s firmware being built from scratch and the value of knowing what is actually inside the product.
    Cologne, the Cologne Cathedral, German beer, and why ordering “a beer” may be the right move in Germany.
    The imagined movie of Philipp’s life: Mr. Power, or better, Mr. Strom.
    The best sandwich question, answered with grilled salami and gouda.
    The importance of blunt, honest feedback from customers, colleagues, and team members.
    How assumptions about family businesses can miss the real story of how someone started.
    Where to connect with Philipp and GUDE Systems.
    InfoComm booth details and HETMA member show floor tours.


    Connect with Philipp Gude
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-gude-pdu/
    https://gude-systems.com

    Connect with Ryan
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!
    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
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    35 min
  • 137: Reliable as F*** with Philipp Gude
    Jun 3 2026
    In this episode of The AV/IT Amplifier Podcast, Ryan Gray sits down with Philipp Gude of GUDE Systems during the final run up to InfoComm 2026. Philipp shares the story of GUDE as a family company, founded by his father more than 35 years ago, and explains how that structure shapes the company’s approach to decision making, long term investment, and customer relationships. The conversation quickly moves beyond power distribution as a product category and into the operational realities of higher education AV, where reliability, remote rebooting, standardization, and human support all become part of the same equation. GUDE will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas at booth C1706, where the company plans to showcase smart IP power solutions for AV and IT infrastructures.

    Ryan and Philipp also talk about the reputational nature of the AV industry, the value of HETMA Approved testing, and why feedback from actual higher education colleagues often matters more than a logo, spec sheet, or certification alone. Philipp previews smaller NEMA 5 15 PDUs, smart UPS products, vertical PDUs, remote reboot tools, open REST API support, plug and play drivers for platforms like Crestron, Q SYS, and Extron, and self healing watchdog functionality. The episode closes with a wider conversation about GUDE’s global reach, German manufacturing, US availability, international power standards, and how HETMA can build European presence by partnering with existing regional communities rather than trying to force a duplicate model into a place where strong networks already exist.

    Topics Discussed
    1. InfoComm 2026 preparation and why the show matters to the AV industry
    2. Philipp Gude’s role with GUDE Systems
    3. GUDE as a family company founded more than 35 years ago
    4. Smart PDUs, power management, and power protection for AV environments
    5. Why family company decision making can move faster than large corporate processes
    6. People first supplier relationships and the importance of access to real humans
    7. The reputational nature of the AV industry
    8. HETMA Approved testing and real campus feedback
    9. Reliability, remote rebooting, and reducing unnecessary campus truck rolls
    10. InfoComm previews including compact NEMA 5 15 PDUs, smart UPS products, and vertical PDUs
    11. Campus standardization and AV systems becoming more like enterprise IT deployments
    12. Open REST API support and integration with control and monitoring platforms
    13. Self healing watchdog functionality and reducing trouble tickets before users notice issues
    14. Working across 120 volt and 230 volt power environments
    15. GUDE’s US presence, US stock, and NEMA 5 15 and NEMA 5 20 products
    16. HETMA’s European growth opportunities
    17. Partnering with existing higher education technology organizations
    18. Using university case studies and presentations to create value across regions
    19. The human side of AV technology partnerships
    20. The upcoming deeper dive into GUDE gear and InfoComm coverage
    Philipp's Post as discussed:
    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/philipp-gude-pdu_proav-avtweeps-activity-7463223348601290752-ni3n


    Connect with Philipp Gude
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-gude-pdu/
    https://gude-systems.com

    Connect with Ryan
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
    ryan@higheredav.com

    Voiceover by Chris Dechter

    Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!
    This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!

    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    30 min
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