As part of AV-Tech’s ongoing commitment to professional learning, we’re always watching for top trends and happenings in our industry. This year, two of our top executives were present at two major conferences across the country: Bill Thrasher, Executive Vice President, represented AV-Tech at InfoComm while Leslie Dillingham, Director of Business Development, went to Chicago to attend NeoCon. This article will focus specifically on InfoComm 2023, providing three major takeaways and their implications for both AV-Tech and our industry at large.
Staying on top of industry trends is of the utmost importance, both in serving our clients well and in maintaining the standards we have created over the years. One consistent way we do that? Annual attendance at conferences, seminars and other professional learning and networking opportunities. Bill has represented us at InfoComm for nearly 20 years, and always brings back a fresh perspective or some new insights.
You may be wondering — what exactly is InfoComm and why is yearly attendance a priority? InfoComm, held in June of each year, is an annual trade show that gives AV professionals the opportunity to see new products, further their training and grow their professional network. Read on to hear Bill’s three major takeaways, and what these mean for the future of AV technology.
Bridging the Gap
InfoComm helps to alleviate the obstacle that AV-Tech and others across the industry face each year: finding the balance between current wants and needs of the consumer and what technological solutions are currently available. InfoComm gives professionals unique insights into which need areas are being underserved and allows them to brainstorm solutions to solve immediate problems for consumers and businesses.
Fostering Relationships
Word of mouth and in-person interactions have been integral to our business success since the beginning. What better place to make and keep connections than a convention full of AV professionals? InfoComm has proven to be a space to interact with others in the industry, fostering both personal friendships and professional partnerships. It’s a way to meet new vendors and maintain pre-existing vendor relationships. Most importantly, it allows us to form client relationships and ensure we are developing and maintaining standards that align with the expectations and desires of our clients and industry peers.
The Next Big Thing
AV-Tech specifically uses InfoComm as a tactical trade show: a place to see the newest and best products on the market and evaluate how they can be used to meet strategic needs. Besides seeing what is available now, we also gain insight as to what innovations people have been working on and what they’re starting to develop for the future. Think of it as a detailed, short-term forecast for our industry. The ability to see these trends, gain insights and perform comparative analysis allows AV-Tech to stay ahead of the trends and serve our clients with top-of-the-line solutions.
