From the classroom to InfoComm
ASU students earn industry-sponsored trip to national AV conference
John Campanella (middle) poses with students and colleagues while attending the annual InfoComm Trade Show. From left: PIVIUM Founder Matthew Chitwood, student Kale Cavanaugh, Campanella, student Daniela Diaz Prada and AV technician Garrett Hicks. Courtesy photo
This spring, students in the new online course AME 294: Introduction to AV Technology, offered by The GAME School at Arizona State University, had the opportunity to learn directly from an industry expert while exploring the foundations of professional AV technology and how audio, video, networking and control systems interact to power live events, entertainment experiences, corporate productions and more.
The course was developed and taught by John Campanella, a veteran AV professional with four decades of experience in the field.
When he’s not teaching at ASU, Campanella serves as vice president of engineering at PIVIUM Inc., an Arizona-based AV company founded by Matt Chitwood. The company has been a longtime supporter of The GAME School, including sponsoring elements of the school's Digital Culture Summer Institute in the past.
Campanella is also a course and certification developer for AVIXA (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association), where he has served as a senior faculty member since 1990. AVIXA is the premier global trade association for the professional audiovisual and information communications industries, and it produces the annual InfoComm trade show.
AVIXA honored Campanella as its Educator of the Year in 2006.
In recognition of their outstanding work in his class, Campanella arranged for AVIXA to sponsor three of his students — Kale Cavanaugh and Chandler Shulman from The GAME School and Daniela Diaz Prada from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication — to attend InfoComm 2026, one of the largest professional audiovisual trade shows in North America.
InfoComm 2026 took place June 13–19 in Las Vegas. According to the conference’s website, the event convened “30,000+ manufacturers, integrators, dealers and end-users at the forefront of the audiovisual industry for a close-up of the core technologies powering modern connectivity.”
The conference gave the students a firsthand look at the technologies, companies and career paths shaping the future of the AV industry while offering professional networking opportunities.
“It was extremely rewarding to see my students get engaged with whom we introduced them to,” said Campanella. “They were so excited to be able to participate in some of the discussions. Everyone welcomed them with open arms.”
The connection to PIVIUM could also lead to future opportunities for workforce development, potentially creating pathways for working professionals to engage with ASU coursework and continue their education through advanced programs such as The GAME School’s Master of Science in entertainment engineering program.
For the sponsored students who were able to attend InfoComm, the experience demonstrates the value of hands-on learning, industry partnerships and the opportunities that can emerge when education and professional practice come together.