Higher education, K-12 superintendents and directors, and Pro AV integrators will not want to miss the Esports and Education Virtual Conference 2022. Register today for the free, one-day event hosted by AV Technology, Systems Contractor, and Tech & Learning. Expert panelists will discuss a number of esports issues for college and K-12 programs on Wednesday, Dec. 14, from 11 a.m.-5:10 p.m. ET. The event is sponsored by Crestron, Dell Technologies, LG Business Solutions, Neutrik, Panasonic Connect, and Sony, along with event partners National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF). 

[Register for the Esports and Education Virtual Conference 2022]

Ashley "AJ" Jones of the National Association of Collegiate Esports, will open the event by looking at the 2023 landscape of esports in higher education and predicting what lies beyond. Her keynote will be followed by discussions featuring industry experts and esports professionals, who will discuss the tools, trends, and future of esports in education. 

Agenda (All Times ET)

Speakers from interscholastic federations, esports leagues, colleges, high schools, and some of Pro AV's most recognizable names will join together for a full day of discussions on the trends and tools for esports in education.

Review full details on each panel here, as well as a full list of speakers here. 

• 11-11:10 a.m.: Welcoming Remarks from AV Technology's Cindy Davis and SCN's Mark J. Pescatore
• 11:15-11:40 a.m.: Opening Keynote | 2023 and Beyond: The Future of Esports in Higher Education
• 11:45 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: Leveling Up
• 12:30-1:25 p.m.: A Level Playing Field: The World of University Esports
• 1:30-1:45 p.m.: How to Leverage Your Community Cinema to Host Esports Events
• 2-2:55 p.m.: Anatomy of an Esports Program: Planning, Infrastructure, Software, Hardware to Streaming
• 3-3:15 p.m.: Ask the Experts
• 3:30-4 p.m.: Authentic SEL Through Esports
• 4:05-4:45 p.m.: Codifying K-12 Esports Programs
• 4:50-5:10 p.m.: Closing Remarks

We look forward to presenting K-12, higher education, and Pro AV professionals sessions that explore the tools, trends, and experience in esports and education. Register here today.

Registration has opened for AV Network Nation (AVN²), a tech discovery day for the AV community hosted by AVNation and Systems Contractor News.  

Held virtually on Dec. 10, AVN² will focus on the future of pro AV technologies, with sessions covering subjects including networked audio and AVoIP. The event will also feature a digital exhibit hall showcasing new and innovative pro AV products from major manufacturers.

“Integrators will not want to miss this powerhouse event,” said Megan A. Dutta, content director, Systems Contractor News. “We'll have some of the brightest minds in AV speaking, a plethora of networking opportunities, and attendees will be able to interact in real time with manufacturers in our exhibit hall. Plus, registration is completely free for qualified attendees!”

AV Network Nation is free to attend for qualified integrators, consultants, content creators, technology managers, and the like. 

Click here to register for AV Network Nation. 

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Adam Goldstein at adam.goldstein@futurenet.com.

AVNation and Systems Contractor News have partnered to create the AV Network Nation (AVN²) event, a tech discovery day for the AV community that will take place virtually on Dec. 10, 2020.

This single-day virtual event will focus on the future of pro AV technologies with sessions covering subjects like AV over IP, digital signage, and audio networking, and will feature a digital exhibit hall with showcases from the most innovative manufacturers in the game—plus there will be plenty of time for networking and a Passport to Prizes competition.

“Our dynamic virtual event platform, which we successfully debuted at the AV/IT Summit in August and employed again for last week’s Sound for Film event, allows for real-time interaction between event attendees and technology providers,” said Adam Goldstein, vice president and group publisher of Systems Contractor News. “The number of meaningful conversations between tech buyers and sellers at both events was impressive.”

“After the success of the AV/IT Summit in August, we realized our audience is hungry for additional future-forward content,” added Megan A. Dutta, content director, Systems Contractor News. “Our team is thrilled that we are able to partner with Tim [Albright] and his AVNation team to provide the pro AV industry with valuable education and quality networking opportunities.”

“We are ecstatic to be partnering with SCN for the AV Network Nation event. Bringing these groups together will help AV pros connect with each other, as well as the latest technology heading their way,” concluded Tim Albright, founder of AVNation. “We have all been impacted by COVID-19, but we’re ending the year on a high note learning about what’s next and joining together with our AV family.” 

AV Network Nation is free to attend for qualified integrators, consultants, content creators, technology managers, and the like.  

Click here to register for AV Network Nation.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Adam Goldstein at adam.goldstein@futurenet.com.

At InfoComm 18 in June, there were more than 18,000 end users in attendance, and if the post-show chatter is any indication, this fact has quite a few people worried and upset.

Many believe that the rise of end-user attendance is a bad thing. They believe educating end users through AVIXA’s CTS training and allowing them to walk the floor and develop relationships with AV manufacturers is facilitating a trend of disintermediation. That these customers, once educated, are then empowered to circumvent the integrator altogether, spelling certain doom for the integration industry in the long run.

The assumption is that an educated customer is dangerous because they don’t need us anymore. The only problem with that assumption is that it’s wrong.

In today’s world, if your profit depends on the ignorance of your customer, you will soon be out of business. We live in the age of information, where everything you ever wanted to know is available by swiping the screen on the microcomputer that resides in your pocket. Does AVIXA make it easier to build knowledge with their structured coursework and first-class instruction? Of course. Would the end user be able to acquire that same knowledge without attending InfoComm? Most certainly.

For those in the industry still using the phrase, let me assure you, “The margin is not in the mystery.” You are not being hired as a mystical guru from parts unknown who harnesses the powers of air and electricity. You are not The Last Airbender.

According to a recent Gartner study, end users are 59 percent of the way through their buying cycles before they ever engage a company that provides that product or service directly. This means their research is nearly done before they speak with integrators or consultants—they are now looking for a company to fulfill the product or service that they have decided on. In other industries, large companies are scrambling to find ways to be part of that early conversation with customers through content marketing, and they are spending boatloads of money to do so. The AV industry doesn’t have to, because AVIXA is bringing them to us—we just have to take advantage of it.

Again, an educated end user isn’t a bad thing. They understand that AV is hard. That it can be tricky. They don’t look at a bid and think “Wow! That’s a lot of money to hang a TV on the wall.” Because they understand all the complexities each system may represent. Their education helps you build your value.

Yes, end users may bring some projects in house and use their own teams, but this doesn’t lock us out. The way in may just be slightly different. The door may be open to assist in large projects where they don’t have the skillsets yet to complete them, or enough staff to do so within their desired timelines. The door may be open to work for the end user directly as their in-house tech staff as well. The point is, it still takes hands to do the work, and whether your paycheck comes as a contractor to the company or as an employee of the company itself, the need for AV professionals hasn’t disappeared. It has just shifted.

End users are at InfoComm looking for education and trusted partners to help them achieve their goals. They see the show as a place where they can learn and network. Where they can build skills and relationships. Where they can find the know-how, products, and additional resources they need in order to continue to support the technology needs of their businesses.

They are already at the dance. Don’t stand on the wall with your arms crossed commiserating with your friends about how the person you wanted to dance with is out there on the floor with your biggest rival.

Having end users at InfoComm is an asset, not a liability. The question really becomes: How are you going to take advantage of it? Don’t just stand there; bust a move.

Get a Leg Up at InfoComm

InfoComm is no longer just a once-a-year product research trip with a couple cool parties. It is now a huge business development opportunity. Take advantage of it.

Consider getting space on the floor and building out a compelling example of the systems you build every day. With four out of every 10 people on the floor being end users, you’ll have a lot of potential clients to talk to.

If exhibiting isn’t in your budget, get on an industry panel or teach a class on the issues and problems that end users are facing when implementing technology. This type of exposure may be far better than having an actual presence on the floor. With 1,000-plus exhibitors, it can be hard to stand out. But if you are the person who taught the class that they paid for, guiding them through a problem that’s been plaguing them for the last year, I guarantee that you will be committed to memory. Let AVIXA help you position yourself as a subject matter expert to the very people you need to form relationships with.

Dr. S. Ann Earon, president of 35-year-old consulting practice Telemanagement Resources International (TRI) and the “Godmother of Conferencing and Collaboration” is set to keynote the SCN Think Tank and AV/IT Summit on Sept. 27 at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ.

AVN: What is your current position and how did your background prepare you for your role?

Dr. S. Ann Earon: I am the president of TRI, a management consulting firm I founded in 1982. When I started working for the telephone companies—New England Telephone and AT&T—in sales, I was given the portable conference telephone as the product I needed to know from the time it was engineered to the time it was sold and installed; this was AT&T's first commercial offering in the conferencing space. Later, I was asked to be part of the introduction of Picturephone Meeting Service, AT&T's first offering in videoconferencing. Both of these roles helped prepare me for my current role. I am known as the “godmother of the conferencing and collaboration industry,” not the grandmother! I started with the technologies before there was a recognized industry, and was very involved when the industry started in 1982 with the first commercial offering of videoconferencing, which only the federal government, aerospace industry, and telephone companies could afford.

AVN: How did you get involved with the IMCCA?

AE: The non-profit IMCCA was founded in 1998 when 14 founding vendors felt it was important to put up money to have a non-profit association; I am the founding chairperson. Carol Zelkin, who had recently sold Optel, was asked to be the paid executive director. I was asked to be the chairperson because [they told me] "You know everyone in the industry, are an impartial third party, and have a big mouth." I held that role for seven years; after that, I told the board of directors we needed to start rotating chairpersons or the association would only be known as the Ann and Carol show. I currently serve on the executive committee of IMCCA and am responsible for all programming at our shows.

Key Takeaways

Who? Dr. S. Ann Earon, founding chairperson of the IMCCA and president of TRI, will deliver a keynote speech at the SCN Think Tank and AV/IT Summit on Sept. 27 in Jersey City, NJ.

Why? Earon is the “Godmother of Conferencing and Collaboration,” and will give attendees the inside scoop on the state of UCC.

Now What? Sign up for the SCN Think Tank or AV/IT Summit to meet and learn from Earon and other top speakers like Manolo Almagro, Hope Roth, Leonard Suskin, Charmaine Torruella, and more.

AVN: What is the greatest challenge you see in the world of UCC today?

AE: The greatest challenge in the world of UCC today is the same challenge we have had with all technologies and nomenclature: We have to be sure users understand the value of each technology, when to use each type of technology, and how the technologies positively impact their organizations. Pushing technology is not the answer—the answer is to make each technology a necessity in the minds of users, not just a nicety.

AVN: What advances did you see at InfoComm that can help move UCC forward?

AE: The primary advance I saw at InfoComm was that vendors are now focusing on users—manufacturers are starting to get the importance of the user experience and are emphasizing how their offerings meet user needs. Each year InfoComm, vendors introduce new technologies, which helps propel the industry forward; but, to me, the importance is finally recognizing the need to demonstrate the benefits and applications of these technologies, not just the features.

Integrators and Consultants: reserve your spot at the Jersey City SCN Think Tank.

Tech Managers: reserve your spot at the Jersey City AV/IT Summit.

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