306: From the Vault: Tariffs, Climate, and COVID: An AV Reality Check

In this one-on-one episode, Tim Van Woeart and Nancy Blanchard dive into a wide-ranging conversation that blends climate realities, tariffs, and the AV industry’s global supply chain. They reflect on erratic weather, climate change misconceptions, and how new U.S. tariffs could reshape manufacturing, pricing, and planning for AV projects in higher education. Nancy shares insights from her dual Canadian–U.S. perspective and previews the HETMA Roadshow in Toronto. The hosts discuss COVID’s lingering narratives, work ethic in younger generations, and how manufacturing and labor shortages affect AV production. Tim closes with plans for a future episode to “roast COVID once and for all” which is now posted as episode 301. 

Topics Discussed: 

• Climate change vs. “global warming” – correcting misconceptions and regional effect
• Extreme weather across North America: blizzards, fires, and tornadoe
• U.S. tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada – economic and AV implication
• Manufacturer impact: how supply chain and OEM components may drive up price
• Higher ed AV budgets and pre-purchasing strategies before tariff increase
• Dual citizenship perspective – Nancy’s take as a Canadian-American AV professiona
• Manufacturing migration from China to the U.S. and Mexico post-COVI
• Labor shortages and work ethic among younger generation
• Automation, AI, and manufacturing capacity in the U.S
• Preview of future “Roast of COVID” episode marking five years since the pandemic

The AV Life is a Higher Ed AV Media production. More at higheredav.com. 

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Twitter (X) – https://twitter.com/TVanWoeart 

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