Joe Way (Executive Director of Digital Spaces, UCLA; HETMA cofounder; host of the Higher Ed AV Podcast) makes the case for the HETMA Golf Classic as an industry event built around relationship-building rather than formal networking, arguing that the golf format strips away titles and hierarchy so colleagues connect as people rather than as company representatives. He points to the new AV Expo add-on, a free social event that opens participation to non-golfers and argues that in an industry as small and interconnected as higher ed AV, the chance conversations at events like this one generate mentorship and career opportunities that outlast the event itself.

The AV Life Podcast host Tim Van Woeart (Rutgers University, HETMA Programs Chair) is joined by Murphy Daly, James King, and Joe Way to discuss how to get real value from AV trade shows on tight budgets, arguing that meals and follow-up conversations often teach more than time spent on the show floor. The group also noted the cancellation of Seattle's CAVLO event and floated "virtual project-management office hours" to bring in warehouse and project managers who rarely attend shows.

This Prism Spotlight profiles Gaulo Amezcua-Luna, Manager of Classroom Technology at Valparaiso University, who oversees 224 classrooms and meeting spaces along with AV for the university's recital hall, theater, arena, and ESPN broadcasts of football, volleyball, and basketball. A 25-year IT/AV veteran encouraged to apply by his predecessor, he says the Prism Scholarship lets him pursue CTS certification while representing HETMA, and he hopes to eventually launch a company he hopes to eventually launch a company focused on security and event AV services.

Dustin Myers (Manager of Technology Support, CTS, ANP) breaks down why USB-C's uniform connector shape doesn't guarantee that video, charging, or data transfer will actually work — ports and cables that look identical can support very different functions, and he walks through the common classroom scenario of a laptop that connects and charges but shows no display. He urges AV teams to test each function independently, document port and cable capabilities clearly, and build in fallback options rather than assuming compatibility, since managing expectations is as important as the fix itself.