AV Events

Samantha Powell serves as the Manager of Industry Advocacy on the Content Creation Team at AVIXA. She is responsible for working with Pro-AV and IT subject matter experts to create InfoComm education sessions, webinars, podcasts, and DEI content for AVIXA’s various channels. She also cultivates relationships with valued strategic partners and serves as a host on AVIXA TV, which is the premier video destination for the AV industry, attracting integrators, IT managers, end users, and key decision-makers worldwide. Samantha’s role helps AVIXA realize its strategic goal of serving as the catalyst for growth and the information hub for the pro-AV and IT industry.

Ryan Cahoy is a recognized leader in the digital signage industry with nearly 30 years of experience. A graduate in Business Economics from South Dakota State University, he began his career at Daktronics, where he helped pioneer LED stock ticker solutions. He then spent two decades at Rise Vision, helping scale one of the industry's first cloud-based digital signage platforms. Today, Ryan serves as Director of Americas at AUO Display Plus, leading alliance and brand partnerships. As Chairman of the Digital Signage Federation, he is widely respected for combining deep technical knowledge with strategic foresight to grow and expand the signage industry.

As CEO of BrightSign, Steve Durkee is committed to advancing the organization’s mission to create innovative digital experiences and empower brands to elevate every engagement with their customers. He brings more than two decades of experience in the audio/visual industry to guide the company’s growth strategy and support his internal team, partners, and customers as they tackle emerging opportunities in the evolving digital signage space.

Jackie Walker leads Publicis Sapient’s Retail Customer Experience & Innovation team. In this role, she and her team lead the definition and development of customer centric solutions, focusing on identifying opportunities of mutual value to businesses and their customers. She draws from a range of industry experience, spanning traditional retail, grocery and convenience, travel & hospitality, quick serve restaurants, and sports & entertainment. She has specialization in bringing to life digital experiences in physical spaces, having led both end-to-end digital signage and rollout engagements, as well as digital in-venue strategy. Jackie sits on the DSE Advisory Board, and has published thought leadership on topics including retail CX, loyalty, and the future of digital menu boards, in Modern Retail, Retail Touchpoints, QSR Magazine, Modern Restaurant Management, Digital Signage Today, and 16:9.