In this inaugural episode of the AV Tech Playbook, we sit down with Philip ONeal—2024 Texas High School Athletic Director of the Year, Hall of Honor inductee, and former THSADA President. With over 30 years of experience managing athletics across multiple districts, Philip shares what vendors must know before entering the high school space. From confusing procurement paths to how trust actually gets built, this episode gives AV/IT professionals a front-row seat to the decision-making process behind tech upgrades in public school athletics. A must-watch for anyone selling into the K-12 market.

Resources:

Learn more about VenueTech Connect: https://venuetechconnect.com/
Connect with Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-stocker-42737a15/
Connect with Philip: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-oneal-7259047b/

Timecodes:

• 00:00 – Welcome and guest introduction
• 00:50 – High school vs. college procurement structure
• 02:17 – Who really makes decisions in school districts
• 05:07 – How vendors should approach new districts
• 06:58 – Life on the vendor side: what changed
• 08:07 – Do coaches influence tech decisions?
• 09:24 – Small vs. large district leadership dynamics
• 10:09 – Understanding buying co-ops and ByBoard
• 12:26 – Top technology pain points for ADs
• 13:34 – Who you're really selling to (hint: not the board)
• 15:11 – Vendor role in bond planning and sales
• 17:13 – The “keeping up with the Joneses” effect
• 18:47 – Why there’s rarely a tech replacement budget
• 21:19 – The need for better asset management tools
• 22:44 – What ADs wish they knew earlier about tech
• 25:55 – Are school tech budgets shrinking?
• 27:23 – Why this market is so hard to navigate
• 30:20 – The importance of vendor relationships
• 33:16 – Who hires consultants and why
• 36:13 – Vendors as consultants: how trust is built
• 38:08 – Case study: gear vendors as trusted advisors
• 40:10 – Would you ever buy from someone you didn’t know?
• 41:21 – THSADA’s role in facilitating vendor access
• 43:10 – Regional meetings and sponsorship opportunities
• 45:23 – Final thoughts and closing remarks