Every year, the pro AV industry is flooded with predictions about what’s coming next. And with the pace of artificial intelligence and workplace technology right now, it makes sense that leaders are focused on what’s newest, boldest, or most promising.

But as fast as the technology evolves, the fundamentals of meeting quality haven’t changed. Great collaboration still rises or falls on a few essentials: clarity, reliability, and design that supports people. When those pieces are right, everything else becomes easier. When those pieces are missing, even the best new features can’t compensate. 

What we notice when speaking with IT leaders is that the pressure to adopt what’s new often overshadows the foundation required to make any meeting successful. Teams may install advanced capabilities, but users still walk into rooms unsure if the audio will hold, if the camera will track correctly or if the platform will even connect. These are not futuristic problems. They are everyday blockers that keep organizations from getting full value from their technology solutions. 

With this in mind, here are the several foundations of meeting quality that will continue to matter in 2026 and beyond.

Human-centered design

The most successful meeting spaces still start with people, and the best designs fade into the background. Layout, controls, and system behavior should feel natural the moment someone enters the room. If users hesitate, or if the room makes them think too much about how to participate, the experience shifts away from the conversation. What I see most often is that confidence matters more than complexity. People engage more fully when the environment feels intuitive and predictable.

Clarity and consistency when joining meetings

Technology should not make you think about how to join a meeting. It should simply let you get to work. For all the advancements we’ve seen, that first moment – walking into a room and starting a meeting – still sets the tone. Users expect quick, reliable access, and when that doesn’t happen, everyone feels it. Even as AI improves automation behind the scenes, the expectation for consistent connection hasn’t changed, and IT teams are left managing issues that could have been avoided.

Interoperability and flexibility

Most organizations don’t run on a single platform, and most users don’t collaborate in a single way. I continue to see environments where the technology dictates behavior rather than supporting it. The spaces that work best are the ones that adapt to the tools people already use, whether that’s Teams, Zoom, Webex or something else. Interoperability remains an operational requirement, not a nice-to-have feature. The most effective spaces are the ones that meet people where they are, regardless of the platform they choose. 

Security and responsible data use

Security and privacy have always been at the core of responsible collaboration. As AI becomes more ingrained in today’s tools, that foundation only grows in importance. Meetings, messages, and shared files often include sensitive information, and protecting that data matters just as much as enhancing the experience. The organizations that do this well balance innovation with discipline. They adopt new capabilities without compromising trust.

Quality of experience

People judge meeting quality by what they see and hear. Clear audio, stable video and consistent performance still define success. I’ve watched advanced systems lose user confidence because a single microphone failed or a camera behaved unpredictably. AI can enhance quality, but it cannot overcome weak design. Reliability is what creates long-term trust in the environment. A great meeting is one that feels effortless, and the technology never gets in the way.

How to strengthen meeting quality as technology evolves

With so much new technology on the horizon, it’s easy to focus on what’s next. Yet what I see every day is that the organizations who get collaboration right are the ones who stay focused on the essentials. They build environments where people feel confident, supported, and able to communicate without friction. 

The tools will continue to change, and that’s a good thing. But the foundations of meeting quality won’t. When clarity, reliability and human-centered design come first, every other investment has a better chance of working the way it’s meant to.