For our October Xchange Community Spotlight, we're featuring @Matthew Pana, Assistant Director of AV for ISDA. His earliest experiences in AV started in high school theatre, where he handled lighting for stage productions and tech crew.

“The teamwork and coordination behind the scenes taught me the value of technology and how it can raise the bar for creators and storytellers,” said Matt. “At that time, I would have never imagined the trajectory that first encounter would take me. Flash forward over ten years later, I was invited to give a talk at my alma mater for Career Day to discuss future careers in AV. Talk about a full circle moment!”

After graduating from business school with a marketing degree, he pursued his love of music as a session drummer for bands in New York City. As a session drummer, he gained social media experience and audio production exposure, leading him to produce podcasts and voiceovers. He then built a content portfolio and graduated with a master's from Purdue University, pivoting from marketing to AV when new opportunities arose. Much like many other AV professionals, Matt can easily remember the key moments that drove him to pursue AV as a career. 

“Two key moments stand out for me – covering two global events: The United Nations (UN) General Assembly and ISDA’s Annual General Meetings (AGMs),” said Matt. “As a Communications consultant for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), I was able to oversee photography and social media content at the iconic ECOSOC Chamber for their Evaluation Office. Being able to interface with global stakeholders was a blessing, which I was able to take into my role directing AV projects for ISDA’s AGMs in Hong Kong and Madrid.”

From that point, Matt has gone on to lead projects and develop solutions for a variety of international AV clients.

“As I approach my 7th year as Assistant Director of AV for ISDA, I feel blessed to look back at the dynamic path that led me to this engaging career,” expressed Matt. “My AV and media career has indeed flourished while serving the nonprofit sector in Manhattan. From directing pop-up broadcast studios to managing livestream and international IT teams, it’s safe to say my vocational expertise has continued to expand!”

His total career experience amounts to over 12 years in marketing, media, and digital production at large. With his love of creativity and technology, he sees the need for cross-disciplinary knowledge between AV and IT as essential in today’s world. He also shared advice on how teams can utilize AI.

“The key takeaway, I would say, would be continuing to build the bridge between AV and IT. While the full integration of both worlds is up for debate, we cannot deny that both sides need each other now more than ever. With my two loves for creativity and technology, I can 'speak the language' of IT to AV and event teams, while translating their engagement and collaboration needs to our more engineering-minded, Type-A support teams. I would also advise approaching AI beyond the buzzwords and catchy trends and utilizing those technologies as tangible use cases for your business. Our ISDA IT/AV teams strive to stay ahead of the curve, beta-testing and incorporating these tools proactively and intentionally, from MS Copilot recaps from MS Stream videos to fine-tuning our AI notetaking courtesy of MS Teams Premium.”

As a part of Xchange Advocates, a distinguished group of AV/IT industry thought leaders providing valuable contributions on AVIXA’s Xchange, he’s written thought-provoking content from insights on Facebook privacy to takeaways from popular podcasts. His favorite aspect of Xchange would be the welcoming community.

“The AV community is incredibly welcoming, generous, and attentive. While I have over half a decade of experience in AV, I tend to view myself as a newbie since I pivoted into the industry from marketing. From building my first industry contacts last year to leading discussions with the Tech Managers and Rising Professionals AVIXA councils at this year’s InfoComm, it's been a blessing to interact with a community that’s both passionate and ever-changing,” he said.

Thank you @Matthew Pana! You can check out previous spotlights by clicking on the badge labeled Community Spotlight. And remember to follow the Xchange Community Spotlight page, as we post monthly spotlights!