To many AV companies, InfoComm represents a launch pad for new products. To Crestron, the 2019 show was something much bigger: a major step toward the realization of a new industry. 

On the surface, it started with a product announcement. Crestron debuted the DM-NVX-D80, an AV-over-IP receiver based on Intel FPGA Arria, developed in partnership with Intel that plugs into the open-standard OPS (open pluggable specification) slot on the back of a display, transforming it into a networked AV endpoint. But while the company is excited about the potential of this elegant solution, it’s even more optimistic about what it represents for the industry. 

On the final day of InfoComm 2019, Crestron and Intel brass gathered to discuss the state of the AV industry and their companies’ roles in spurring its evolution. According to Randy Klein, Crestron’s president and CEO, the DM-NVX-D80’s advancement in interoperability is an accomplishment to which AV has been aspiring for the last several years.

“The AV and IT convergence really never happened; to us, it is was much more than simply putting a control signal over Ethernet,” Klein said. “True convergence is the fusion of different industries, practices, and the people behind them to make something new and different. In this case, it’s the convergence of the AV, UC, and IT industries to create another new industry—an industry that combines technology and the workplace.”

This kind of collaboration may sound straightforward, but Klein said that today pro AV struggles to be included in larger tech decisions. However, he believes his company’s tight-knit partnership with Intel lends pro AV a newfound authority and credibility in this group dynamic. “When we connect our name with yours [Intel], you help us get a seat at the table,” Klein said. “And when we sit down at the table, we have a really compelling and needed story to tell. With your help, we can both tell a pretty good story.”

According to Rina Raman, vice president, GM, embedded division programmable solutions group at Intel Corporation, this partnership is mutual. “More and more in the pro AV market, the flexibility of architecture, of hardware is critical,” Raman said. “And when we look at market spaces, we want to find the trendsetters in that market space, and we consider Crestron to be one of those trendsetters. That’s why you’re important to us.”

“Pro AV, this industry, is absolutely critical,” echoed Raemin Wang, director, video and vision business group at Intel Corporation. “Audio and video are only getting more pervasive in all types of experiences.”

Klein pointed out at the outset of the discussion that the two companies have a relationship that dates back more than 10 years. Beyond this legacy, the firms’ shared values over the pursuit of standardization was undoubtedly a key driver in the deepening of their cooperation.

“Sometimes standards take a bit of time to get going,” said Raman, about Intel’s launch of OPS in 2010. “And as I mentioned, you always need a trendsetter and you need somebody to be first. The main driver for it was standardization—it allows us to standardize integrated compute across the vertical display applications and avoid a fractured ecosystem. Now, there’s hundreds of products out there that are using OPS and there’s more coming.”

Klein hopes that as this partnership moves forward, so too will the way in which the pro AV industry is perceived. “Our industry’s biggest challenge is that we’re still viewed by CIOs as AV people,” he said. “My primary mission over the last couple of years has been to change that. And a way to accelerate that is to develop partnerships with impressive companies like [Intel] and have people like [Rina] talk about it.

“The objective is to create a new industry that populates all of those endpoints, collects critical data, and supports a visual experience. And who better than [Intel] to be the engine inside the products that drive this data transformation, that connects endpoints with analytics to enhance the user experience, with Crestron to deliver it.”

This may sound bold to some, but not to Raman. “People for a long time talked about AI, but AI could only take off once you had the data,” she said. “And you couldn’t have the data until you had the internet. So, it’s a similar sort of thing when Randy says ‘we want to create a new industry, we want to create a new thing.’ You can’t do that until you have the connection, and this allows you to have the connection.”

And like artificial intelligence, Klein believes this connection will be a boon not just to Crestron and Intel, but to the entire pro AV industry, “What does it signify when companies such as [Intel] make those kinds of statements?” he asked with a smile. “It means we have a very good industry and a very bright future ahead of us.”

Intel Disclaimer: Intel technologies' features and benefits depend on system configuration and may require enabled hardware, software or service activation. Performance varies depending on system configuration. No product or component can be absolutely secure. Check with your system manufacturer or retailer or learn more at intel.com.

Intel, the Intel logo, and Intel FPGA Arria are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries. 

*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

© Intel Corporation   

Missed InfoComm? AV Technology has got you covered with our Technology Manager's Guide to InfoComm 2019.

This guide is a special supplement that covers the hottest products and trends from the Orlando show, as well as advice from seasoned veterans on how they got the most out of the tradeshow. 

DOWNLOAD THE TECHNOLOGY MANAGER'S GUIDE TO INFOCOMM 2019.

Atlona unveiled an industry-first VR over IP innovation for the commercial AV industry at InfoComm 2019 show, with a focus on immersive AV for higher education applications. Ideal for university research labs and engineering programs, Atlona’s VR over IP breakthrough will enable student-researchers to visualize educational environments in ways not previously possible.

Powered by Atlona’s OmniStream AV over IP family, the dynamic demonstration delivered immersive VR experiences over1 Gbps Ethernet networks. Visitors to the stand experienced the demo through VR headsets and controllers, offering viewers a window into how VR can be applied in real-world AV applications.

According to Dr. Gregory Mirsky, Product Manager, Atlona, the demonstration was born from a customer request in the higher education market. While Atlona expects that market to capture the most initial interest, the company sees location-independent collaboration, training and simulation, and data visualization as potentially compelling VR over IP applications in corporate and scientific AV environments.

“Using our OmniStream AV encoders, decoders and USB over IP adapters, the demonstration proved how OmniStream can support VR-specific 2160 x 1200 resolutions, working at 233 million pixels per second and with a 90Hz refresh rate,” said Dr. Gregory Mirsky, Product Manager, Atlona. “The takeaway for integrators and tech managers is that OmniStream’s core benefits around bandwidth efficiency and low-latency distribution apply to the very advanced requirements of managing VR environments over IP networks.”

The complete Atlona VR over IP demonstration leveraged OmniStream AT-OMNI-111 single-channel encoders, AT-OMNI-121 single-channel decoders, and network-switchable USB over IP device adapters (AT-OMNI-311, AT-OMNI-324).

After returning from InfoComm, I’m usually exhausted. Producing the Show Daily, touring booth after booth, making new connections, and all the other demands on my time can be tiring. But this year I came back energized, stoked for the rest of 2019.

Why? It wasn’t the new products. While there were some neat innovations on the show floor, from Biamp’s Crowd Mic to the latest LED video walls, there wasn’t, in my humble opinion, anything revolutionary. Exhibitors mostly showcased new iterations of pro AV products—going from 4K to 8K, adding more plug-ins to black boxes, making simpler user interfaces, etc.—or showed off products that were making their U.S. debut, aka products that the industry had already been introduced to at ISE 2019 in Amsterdam.

[The InfoComm 2019 Download]

If the products didn’t get me amped up for the second half of the year, what did? It was the people. Over the years, InfoComm has grown more and more diverse—a great and much needed change. According to AVIXA, more than 40 percent of InfoComm 2019 attendees were under the age of 40. This is great news for an industry that has been vocal about the struggle to bring in new talent. Organizations like the AVIXA Foundation and NSCA Foundation’s Ignite program have been working hard to breathe new life into the pro AV industry, and their efforts are clearly paying off. I had the pleasure of meeting some of these individuals—brought to the show by programs including Integrate Baltimore, The Loop Lab, and EnventU—and it was truly inspiring to meet with young people who are fired up about their potential careers in pro AV.

Diversity—in terms not only of age, but of race, gender, orientation, etc.—was a hot topic with attendees. I was excited to see it openly addressed. From a record number of attendees at the annual AVIXA Women’s Council Breakfast to sessions led by the AVIXA Diversity Council, the industry is putting its best foot forward in terms of addressing the gaps.

Another exciting development was the increased number of people receiving CTS certification at the show: 255 people passed their CTS, CTS-D, or CTS-I exams on-site. The more the industry adapts a common baseline for fundamental pro AV skills, the better off we will be.

[#InfoComm19 Reflections]

And let’s not forget the social events. From bonding with friends at AVroake to networking with AVIXA board members to the annual AV Tweetup, I was blessed to meet with the many integrators, manufacturers, consultants, and end users that I am lucky to call friends.

From the dapper DJ spinning vinyl in sync with larger-than-life videos, to the immersive audio demos and training sessions onsite, InfoComm 2019 delivered on “experience.”

Thousands of new systems were debuted at InfoComm 2019 in Orlando, but the show’s real story was not about product specs. Rather, InfoComm provided the forum for the ideas, technological innovation, and strategies that are reshaping the concept of integrated AV experiences.

Zooming in on Interoperability

If you can’t beat them, join them—at least, forge alliances to ensure interoperability.

While traditional AV manufacturers were evolving and developing proprietary video conferencing and unified communications (UC) solutions, Zoom Video Communications was winning the hearts and mindshare of users looking for an easy-to-use platform.

Zoom has a kit for that. During InfoComm 2019, several companies announced products shipping with Zoom Rooms Single-Vendor Kits: Crestron Flex, Logitech Solutions, Yealink CP960, DTEN D7, Lenovo ThinkSmart Hub 500, and Poly Trio. Shure announced the first pro audio DSP system with Zoom Rooms certification. These are added to the plethora of video conferencing and UC product manufactures that were already onboard offering products that are certified for Zoom Rooms to deliver a seamless experience.

Strategic Partnerships

Crestron announced partnerships with LG, NEC, Philips, Avocor, and Smart to turn select displays into native endpoints for Crestron’s new DM-NVX-D80-IoAV, which was created with the help of Intel’s Open Pluggable Specification (OPS).

Logitech introduced a new video conferencing device management platform, Logitech Sync, for cloud-based administration, insights, and control. Barco, Nectar, and Utelogy are a few of the initial set of partners that have integrated with Sync APIs.

And, wait. What was the Kramer logo doing next to a Sony logo? Kramer Electronics and Sony Electronics have partnered on the integration of Kramer Control BRAINware into Sony's BZ35F series of BRAVIA 4K HDR professional display. This new synergy eliminates the need for additional control processor hardware and cabling.

Over IT Already

Whether it’s over 1Gb or 10Gb, AV-over-IP marches on. It’s near impossible (or should be) to find manufacturer that does not have IP-enabled products.

Platform-Driven

Advancements in software are shaping the AV industry. Not only are upgrades delivered through firmware, traditional AV companies that were once hardware manufactures are developing and evolving software-based platforms for audio, video and control.

In a briefing in Orlando, QSC president and CEO, Joe Pham, said of its Q-SYS ecosystem, “We don’t manufacture anything—it’s just software.”

If anyone thought that Q-SYS as a software platform was “marketing mumbo-jumbo,” Pham responded, “We’re able to run the entire Q-SYS software platform on standard off-the-shelf servers.”

At InfoComm 2019, QSC announced two software-based additions to its Q-SYS ecosystem. It also debuted Q-SYS Reflect, its first cloud platform for AV systems and applications.

Changing Value Proposition

Noting his QSC connection, Pham stressed: “If you don’t think this is it [Q-SYS], get on some [other] software-enabled platform that you are confident that will grow with your business.”

Wearing his AVIXA chairman of the Board of Directors hat, Pham added, “We have an industry full of very rich talent—pick your favorite software-based platform to grow with. What you cannot do is continue to think you can add value by putting a bunch of products together. That economic value is diminishing very quickly.”

Real Soft Experience

If you missed the Golden Retriever puppies (yes, that actually happened) at the Starin Marketing satellite booth in the InfoComm lobby, there’s still a way to participate in the warm and fuzzy experience. StarinCares is helping to raise funds to pair service animals for veterans in need. Visit gofundme.com/starin-cares-veterans-service-dog to join this effort.

The What: Skykit, which has developed a digital signage content management system (CMS) built on Google Cloud and integrated with G Suite and Drive, has announced the availability of Skykit for Android. The Android offering gives customers an expanded choice of hardware devices that Skykit can support. It also makes Skykit available to organizations that may not be using Chrome. The company debuted the new platform during InfoComm 2019. 

The What Else: Android provides more options for specialized player deployments, including off-the-shelf media players, integrated System-on-Chip (SoC) players, and customized options for both touch and display panels. SoC displays eliminate the need to purchase a media player, saving space and power usage, which is especially beneficial to high volume enterprise installations as it reduces installation times, field service costs, and the overall capital outlay.

“Skykit on Android amplifies the product’s inherent flexibility by supporting a variety of devices running Android all while using our existing cloud services,” said Irfan Khan, CEO of Skykit. “This is simply an expansion of Skykit’s ability to serve our customers’ digital signage requirements.”

The Bottom Line: Skykit is a fully managed SaaS built on Google Cloud Platform which means there is nothing to install, update, or patch for the CMS, device administration, or reporting applications. Its media players are supported by cloud services that are built out on the infinitely scalable Google Cloud. The CMS web-based interface lets users create and edit content with tools they already use—such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Google Slides, YouTube videos, web streams and more—and easily publish content to one screen or thousands with the click of a button.

Avidex has received the Samsung Smart Signage Platinum Partner of the Year Award, which recognizes achievements in consistent and successful display implementations, revenue attainment and customer commitment. The award was presented at a ceremony during InfoComm 2019.

“The Samsung Smart Signage Awards program celebrates the significant contributions our dealers make to the visual display industry,” said Chris Mertens, vice president of U.S. sales, B2B displays at Samsung Electronics America. “Winners were selected by identifying partners that have the highest growth rate, as well as select integrators who have creatively deployed Samsung Smart Signage solutions into several key industries. We’re excited to recognize these deserving companies.”

“We are proud to receive this honor from an important technology partner,” added Avidex CEO Jeff Davis. “With our company’s customer-focused culture, receiving praise from partners and customers is our greatest honor. We look forward to growing our partnership with Samsung in the years ahead as we collaborate on audiovisual solutions and services that improve the way people work, learn, and live.”

Digital Signage Magazine has announced its Best of Show winners from InfoComm 2019. 

"The digital signage market continues to experience explosive growth, particularly in the retail and hospitality venues. Our winning entries feature products that allow integrators to innovate in this ever-expanding segment of the industry." said Megan A. Dutta, content director, Digital Signage Magazine. "On behalf of the entire Future team, I'd like to offer a hearty congratulations to all of recipients of a Digital Signage Magazine Best of Show award at InfoComm 2019."

“The Future Best of Show Awards at InfoComm are in their sixth year,” said Adam Goldstein, Future VP market leader for AV, Pro Audio, and CE . “The program focuses attention on superb innovations in technology as seen around the exhibit floor of the industry’s top trade show. The list of 2019 winners and nominees shows where our industry is headed.”

Digital Signage Magazine InfoComm 2019 Best of Show Winners

• Blackmagic HyperDeck Extreme 8K HDR Broadcast Deck
• Clear Touch Evo Lite - Mobile Digital Signage
• Elo 65-inch 4K Interactive Signage
• Epson Pro L10 Series Laser Projectors
• Kitcast Digital Signage Software
• Kramer KDS-8 4K/60 Streamer Transceiver
• NEC C651Q Large-Format Display
• ONELAN Reserva Edge - Meeting Room Signage
• Optoma FHDQ130 QUAD LED All-In-One Display
• ViewSonic CDE9800 Commercial Display
• Visix AxisTV Signage Suite Cloud CMS Platform
  

About the selection process: Manufacturers nominated their products via online submission prior to InfoComm 2019. At the show, a panel of digital signage experts judged each entry live on the show floor based on a variety of factors including innovation, ROI, and ease of use. Results were then tallied at the conclusion of the show.

The What: MuxLab unveiled its new HDMI/3G-SDI Dual Display (model 500841) at InfoComm 2019—a rackmount solution that supports two independent 7-inch IPS LCD displays mounted on a 3RU, 19-inch rack. The unit supports the input and loop-out of HDMI up to 1080p@60, SDI up to 3G-SDI, and composite video with audio. 

The What Else: One tri-color Tally light indicator is provided for each display, while customizable buttons allowing customers to tailor functionality to their needs. This includes functions such as Center Marker, Safe Frames, Check Field, Focus Assist, Aspect Ratio, Image Flip, P2P, and Image Freeze. The Dual Display also supports analog audio L/R inputs for each display with audio 3.5mm jacks for audio-out headphone connections. 

“These devices save a significant amount of space in multi-display pro AV and broadcast applications,” said MuxLab’s director of product management, Joe Teixeira. “It can also be combined with MuxLab’s Signal Generator and Signal Analyzer to improve testing operations.” 

The Bottom Line: Installation is simple, and all tools to mount the device are included. Firmware updates are accessible via mini USB connectors. 

The What:  LEA Professional released the Connect Series amplifiers with four mid-power models of IoT-enabled professional amplifiers for the professional installation market at InfoComm 2019. The Connect 354, Connect 704, Connect 354D and Connect 704D aim to provide system designers and integrators simple and powerful solutions to drive their large-scale installations with the capacity to support monthly recurring revenue (MRR) business models.

The What Else: With the Connect Series’ built-in AWS IoT Core, system integrators can monitor hundreds of data points from fan speed to thermal temperatures to system faults and more without even being in the same building as the system. This opens the door for system integrators to identify potential issues, troubleshoot the cause, and load new parts on the truck long before any urgent maintenance is required.

“Our mid-power models are meant to be the installer's go-to amplifier when designing larger, more complex systems for applications like airports, theatres, theme-parks, and stadiums. These are the venues where reliability and simplicity are critically important and that is where our IoT enabled amplifiers will shine.” said LEA Professional founder and CEO, Blake Augsburger. “Installers need to know that their systems are performing perfectly during every use and this is the product that will arm them with that information and confidence.”

The Bottom Line: The Connect Series is made up of two product families—the Dante Connect and Network Connect models. All four mid-power models are built with fully routable analog inputs and the 354D and 704D have the addition of Dante and AES 67 connectivity. All four models also boast three different ways of network connection using built in WiFi Access Point, connect to the existing WiFi network, or using a Local Area Network Ethernet connection.

LEA Professional’s Connect Series amplifiers will begin shipping in late July.

LG Business Solutions’ In-Cell Touch interative digital boards and ultra-slim-bezel displays for “virtually seamless” video walls were featured at InfoComm 2019 last week.

[What We Saw at InfoComm 2019—Day 1]

“At LG, we’re focused on enabling businesses to create meaningful engagement and interaction, while achieving a next-level customer experience from their digital signage installations,” said Clark Brown, vice president of digital signage, LG Electronics USA Business Solutions. “B2B customers tell us that the touch screen and video wall technologies LG demonstrated at InfoComm this year meet these objectives hands down.”

Large-Format Displays Enhanced with Dynamic Touch Solutions

LG’s new 86-inch Interactive Digital Board (IDB) with IPS In-Cell Touch technology is designed to enhance the user experience in meeting rooms, classrooms, and other collaborative spaces with easy and reliable touch performance.

In-Cell Touch technology employs an innovative direct bonding process to virtually eliminate the gap between the LCD panel and protective glass. This combination delivers a faster response time for a realistic writing experience that is perfect for corporate board rooms and conference centers. Other LG IDBs, targeted primarily to the education market, include the TR3BF Android version 8.0 touch models in 86-, 75- and 65-inch screen sizes.

Virtually Seamless Video Wall Displays Feature Ultra Slim Bezels

LG's ultra-narrow-bezel 55-inch displays demonstrated at InfoComm 2019 can be combined to create one powerful and impactful video wall, according to the company. With even bezels measuring 0.44 mm (less than 0.02 inches), LG displays (model 55SVH7E) create what is calls a "virtually seamless screen" that resembles one continuous image as opposed to a collection of segmented panels.

LG’s portfolio of narrow-bezel video wall displays also includes the VH7E and VM5E series, both touting 0.9 mm bezels. According to the company, LG’s proprietary In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology ensures uniform, accurate color from virtually any viewing angle, empowering these video walls to produce unparalleled picture quality sure to capture viewers’ attention.

From Friday's AVIXA Foundation Career Day, welcoming students to the show, to the more than 40 percent of registered attendees under the age of 40, InfoComm 2019 continued to draw the next generation of audiovisual professionals—as well as a broad cross-section of engaged AV customers from higher education, hospitality, retail, and other markets. Whether attracted by insightful new content, including Tuesday's TIDE Conference and rich session tracks exploring AV experiences in hospitality and retail, or by the nearly 950 exhibitors, attendees infused InfoComm 2019 with their energy.

[Read the InfoComm 2019  Show Dailies]

"It's been a truly remarkable week," said AVIXA senior vice president of exhibitions Rochelle Richardson. "The feedback from exhibitors has been outstanding. Many told us they had exceeded past records for booth visitors by early on the second day, an indication of very engaged attendees. And the sheer number of people absorbing our content—everything from the packed room for Tuesday's Emerging Trends Day to the crowds at Center Stage—is some of the best validation we can receive of InfoComm's value to the industry."

By show's end, InfoComm 2019 counted 44,129 registered attendees, of which 37 percent were attending for the first time and 18 percent traveled to the show from 117 countries outside the U.S.

A record 312 tested to become a Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) while in Orlando, a 23-percent increase over the prior peak, and 255 passed their exams, a jump of 37 percent over the prior record. In all, 205 professionals earned their CTS, 30 attained CTS-D, and 20 became CTS-I.

"When I encouraged attendees to come to InfoComm to hone their craft—as well as learn about all the technology innovations that enable exceptional, integrated AV experiences—many took it to heart," said AVIXA chief executive officer Dave Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD. "In addition to everyone who sat for exams, we had nearly 600 people take our intensive three-day courses to kick off the week, more than at any other InfoComm. The show's evolution over the past several years has been incredible, and the caliber of excited, informed, creative participants continues to propel the AV industry forward."

Other highlights included the packed room of 283 who attended the AVIXA Women's Council Networking Breakfast, and the approximately 500 who took part in the inaugural AVIXA Foundation 5K Walk/Run Friday morning.

I just woke up from a nap, apologized to my neighbor on the plane for borrowing his shoulder, and I’m starting to reflect after another InfoComm. For me it was a successful show, blending relationships and technology together for what seemed like a whirlwind that aged my body 10 years—but didn’t last nearly long enough at the same time. Here are some raw thoughts on our industry, the trade show, and trends. At this point in time, I do not have any hard metrics about attendance or engagement, just my personal experiences.

[Read the InfoComm 2019  Show Dailies]

First off, I noticed an encouraging enthusiasm around certification and training. I myself took a hearing loop class on Tuesday, and I think only half of us were integrators. A record number of attendees took the CTS exams, and a record number of attendees passed them, bringing the total number of certification holders to 13,000! Programs like TIDE, Center Stage, and the countless classes and seminars taught by volunteers were well received from the people I spoke with. While the excitement over seeing innovative products on the show floor will always be magnetic and sexy, teaching and attending classes that help improve the impact of AV solutions is refreshingly popular.

The focus on diversity is continuing to take hold. The AVIXA Women’s Council breakfast was packed, and the message from the keynote, Christine Schyvinck, was both practical and relevant: urging women to engage in STEM fields, make their intentions known to their superiors (so as to not get overlooked for promotions and development), and to continue meeting together for support and camaraderie. During the AVIXA All-Councils Meeting, Charmaine Torruella highlighted the need for inclusion and called upon the other councils to get involved and break down unintentional silos. The resulting tone and commitment from the room was exciting, and I am placing my bets now that the industry will have increased engagement with minorities and support for them by InfoComm 2020.

The show floor was interesting this year. The obvious attractions like the projection mapped sculpture, Samsungs’ The Wall, and the massive OLED curved video wall, from LG created plenty of buzz. There were several other exciting and fun products on display, but I feel like the world didn’t change for me during the week. AV ecosystems gained a new ability, firmware updates improved quality and added rich features, and the overall AV experience seemed to take less steps and feel better...but that was it. 

I don’t view any manufacturer in a different light as a result of what I learned from them. What I did gain was a deeper relationship and understanding of how to better work with my vendors and distributors to create inspiring experiences and solutions. I had the chance to correct a vendor’s view of my target market and long-term goals—and how they should be working alongside me to reach them—and I also learned about how to better leverage several manufacturer’s design services and support I’ve largely been ignoring. 

The ability to meet with over 50 brands and have these types of conversations in three days is a marvel. I maintain a close working relationship with all of my partners, but I am usually too busy to stop and discuss strategy during a typical work week. I am thankful for crazy exhausting weeks like this one where I can touch every aspect of my integration offerings and come away with the knowledge and mutual understanding needed to work smarter and more creatively.

My final thought on InfoComm 2019—it was a blast! If you didn’t get your AVIXA v-neck shirt, there are a few leftover and I highly recommend purchasing one. The opening reception was a large back-porch-style hangout (which is my natural state of being during Texas summers), and was quiet enough that I spent time excitedly reuniting with my AV tribe. I had amazing crab cakes, steak, and three-day-old pizza. I stumbled upon a speakeasy somewhere within the convention center and was a guest on a few podcasts. There were countless #AVselfies, a digital CTS map and collage, colorful socks, branded mugs and hot coffee at the first ever in-person #AVintheAM, and some other shenanigans that I’ll save for another time. 

I am convinced we have the best industry because we have the best people, and I met so many more wonderful folks that are now new friends and allies this week. Please keep in touch, don’t forget to @ me on Twitter, and always find the joy that comes from doing good work with friends.

Click here to read Day 3 of the InfoComm 2019 Show Daily.

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As great as the show on the exhibit floor is, the one happening in the lobby at InfoComm 2019 is just as eye-catching.

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InfoComm, among many other things, is a fantastic glimpse into the future of technology. But what about the future of the industry?

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Want more stories from InfoComm 2019?

InfoComm 2019 Show Daily—VIP Edition

InfoComm 2019 Show Daily—Day 1

InfoComm 2019 Show Daily—Day 2

InfoComm 2019 Show Daily—Day 3

InfoComm 2019 Hub

Future US’s AV Technology brand is pleased to announce its Best of Show winners at InfoComm International 2019. This select group of innovations, from an exhibition of thousands of solutions showcased by nearly 1,000 manufacturers, is representative of outstanding achievement in product development. Seven AV professionals, including CTS-certified technology managers and AV/IT engineers, judged each product live on the show floor on days one and two of InfoComm.

“Once again, InfoComm brought forth a cascade of ingenuity, and this exuberance for innovation was readily apparent in the breadth of our field of awards entries,” Pruznick said. “With so many outstanding contenders, the process of narrowing down the list to this select group of winners was a painstaking endeavor. It is with the utmost pride that I congratulate the 2019 recipients of the AV Technology’s Best of Show Awards—your products are a shining example of excellence in the industry.”

The continued growth of AV Technology’s Best of Show program reflects the expanding presence of technology managers and end users at InfoComm, according to Adam Goldstein, executive vice president at Future plc. “We’re very pleased to see tech managers continuing to engage with both the InfoComm show and our publications,” he said.

Winning products will be covered in the post-InfoComm print and digital issues of AV Technologyand online throughout the coming months.

AV Technology InfoComm 2019 Best of Show Winners:

• 1Beyond AutoFinder
• Adder ADDERLink INFINITY 4000
• Airtame
• AJA Video Systems Ki Pro GO
• AKG CBL 
• AlpsAV No-Touch Screen Mount
• Aluvision Hi-LED 55 Modular LED Tiles
• AMX G5
• Audio-Technica ES954 
• Aurora Multimedia IP-24PoE+
• AV Stumpfl Pixera
• beyerdynamic Unite
• Blackmagic Design ATEM Constellation 8K
• Black Box MCX
• Bluesound Professional BSP125
• Chief AVSFSS
• Christie MicroTiles LED
• Clevertouch E-Cap
• Crestron Flex B160
• Crestron Flex UC-M130-T
• Crestron XiO Cloud
• Crestron DM-NVX-D80-IoAV
• Epson Pro L30000U
• Epson Pro L10 Series
• FSR Symphony Linx
• Green Hippo Hippotizer Montane+ RTX
• Huddle Room Technology Huddle Hub
• Icron Technologies Maverick 63104
• IDK NJR-AB08DAN
• IHSE Draco Ultra DP 240
• IHSE R4888
• Jabra PanaCast
• Kramer VS-34FD
• Leyard DirectLight X
• LG Transparent OLED
• LG XE4F
• Liberty AV Solutions Teleportivity
• LogMeIn GoToRoom 
• Lumens Integration VC-A71P
• Matrox Extio 3
• Matrox Maevex 6120
• Mersive Solstice
• Middle Atlantic C3
• MXL AC-44
• NEC InfinityBoard
• Optoma ProScene ZK1050
• PlanIt AV
• ProVideoInstruments VeCOAX BROADCAST
• RealMotion Gold Series Servers
• Roland Pro AV VR-1HD
• Ross Video Carbonite Ultra
• ScreenBeam 1100
• Shure SystemOn
• Sony REA-C1000
• Sprolink VF4 
• Starin HUDPCSTA
• Structured Cable Products Simply45
• Telos Alliance Axia iQx
• tvONE CORIOmaster
• Utelogy U-Manage
• Vaddio AV Bridge Mini
• Vaddio RoboSHOT 40 UHD
• Valens VS3000
• Vanguard Chromium Series
• Variant Systems Group Envivo Studio
• ViewSonic LS900WU
• VisionarySolutions PacketAV Sentinel
• XTEN-AV AI Powered Design Platform
• Yealink VP59
• ZeeVee ZyPer4K HDMI Module

The AVIXA Women's Council Breakfast, animated by high-powered networking, featured Christine Schyvinck from Shure as the keynote speaker.

“Double the groups and double the fun was the gist of this year’s AVIXA Women’s Council Breakfast,” said Brandy Alvarado, chair of the council and business development manager at Mad Systems. “Our annual breakfast is all about connecting, networking, enriching and empowering women to be their best, and that’s truly what our mission represents.”

At this year’s breakfast, the Council honored female leaders who have helped further its efforts in empowering women. The winners were:

* The Biggest Cheerleader Award: Cory Schaeffer

* Ultimate Team Player Award: Ericka Schumpert

* Culture Champion Award: Christina Cruzeiro and Cristina Lucas

* The Helping Hand Award: Laurie Harrigan

* The Busy Bee Award: Brandy Alvarado and Cory Schaeffer

* Mission Impossible Award: Gina Sansivero and Dayna Baumann

“The growth of the AVIXA Women’s Council Local Groups has been infectious, due in large part to the passion possessed and displayed by the local leaders,” said Amanda Eberle Boyer, senior director of member services, AVIXA. “The desire for women in the industry to meet on a regular basis, the dedication of our leaders to make that happen, and their collective efforts and commitment to this vital program is deserving of special recognition. Proud doesn’t begin to convey the emotion, excitement and gratitude I feel toward the work these professionals have done in the name of bettering the industry’s culture and community. I am honored to be a small part of recognizing their efforts.”

[Shure CEO Christine Schyvinck to Keynote the AVIXA Women's Council Breakfast at InfoComm 2019, March 7, 2019]

“I want to congratulate the council leaders for all their efforts on putting together such an impactful event,” concluded Alvarado. “Cheers to another year of tremendous growth and opportunities and I look forward to connecting again next year!”

To learn more about the AVIXA Women’s Council, visit avixa.org/womenscouncil.

The AVIXA Foundation is working hard to inspire the next wave of AV professionals, and this effort is on display at this year’s show. “Our mission at the foundation is to show the next generation of AV professionals that this is the industry of choice for them,” says Joseph Valerio, director of workforce development at AVIXA and the program director of the AVIXA Foundation. “And we do so by bringing many partner schools of ours and nonprofit community partners who run workforce development around the country and the globe to check out the show.”

At InfoComm 2019, Friday will feature an AV Career Day, in which companies will conduct “speed networking” with students and nonprofit organizations, and demonstrate to these individuals the variety of job roles that exist in the industry. There will also be a reception with young professionals who will share their own personal experiences working in AV. “We use this day as a way for them to hear from our great exhibiting companies why to get into AV in the first place, why they’re important for the industry and to help them make connections for potential jobs in the future,” Valerio said.

[AVIXA Foundation Updates Mission, Hosts 5K, by Megan A. Dutta, May 19, 2019]

Prior to Friday's Career Day, the foundation hosted its first-ever 5K Walk/Run that morning. According to Valerio, more than 400 runners registered for the event, which raised funds for the charitable foundation and helped raise awareness of the work it does for the industry. “We think it’s just a great way to get everyone together while we’re at this reunion that we have, and to have a healthy competition race to benefit the foundation, its charitable programs like our scholarships, internship programs and tech crew programs that we’re starting at high schools around the globe,” Valerio said.

“Come and experience, be transformed, be changed by the innovations of what we offer at InfoComm, including in our audio demo rooms,” says Rochelle Richardson, senior vice president of expositions and events for AVIXA.

With nearly two dozen demo rooms to drop in on, there’s plenty to take in. Over in W224G, Eastern Acoustic Works has a lot on hand to check out, like its KF810P installation line array, RS Subwoofer Series, RS Series of two-way, self-powered loudspeakers, its MKD800, 1000 and 1200 loudspeaker family, Radius, Adaptive and far more.

Next door in W224H, DB Technologies has plenty to offer, including two new entries in its VIO Series of loudspeakers—the VIO L208, a compact stand-alone line array system, and VIO S118R, a bass reflex sub designed specifically for the VIO line array systems.

There’s plenty on display at KV2 Audio (W225AB), but one of its newest products could get overlooked if you’re not careful: the ESD Cube System, a compact (6-inch x 6-inch x 6.5-inch) passive speaker utilizing a trans-coil design for vocal reproduction, high-frequency response and more.

Dutch manufacturer Alcons Audio (W231A) is presenting its pro-ribbon sound systems, while over in W230D, Pioneer Professional Audio is doing demos on the hour, showing off all its loudspeakers in a presentation that culminates in a high-energy Dolby Atmos immersive audio technology demo that utilizes every speaker in the room.

d&b audiotechnik has set up in W232AB to introduce its new A-Series augmented array loudspeakers. Combining the design attributes of a point source cluster with the control options of a d&b line array, the system comprises the AL60 and AL90 loudspeakers, with ALi60 and ALi90 offering cabinets designed specifically for permanent installation. Designed for medium-scale applications, the AL60/ALi60 and AL90/ALi90 can be set up in arrays of two to four loudspeakers and deployed horizontally or vertically, covering areas of 50 to 150 degrees.

[Touring the Audio Demo Rooms: A Proper AV Experience, by Clive Young, June 12, 2019]

After visiting all that, you might need a nap, but CODA Audio (W232C) has the next best thing—N-APS, its new ultra-compact, two-way arrayable point source loudspeaker that brings together aspects of line arrays and point source systems.

Spread out across W231BC, W235 and W236, Bose Professional’s demo room offers attendees a chance to listen to a mix of products (the company’s recently released more than 50) with a specific focus on systems for hospitality and higher education spaces. An assortment of products, including new DesignMax and ArenaMatch loudspeaker lines, join loudspeakers like the digitally-steerable Panaray MSA12X and in-ceiling EdgeMax loudspeaker to create an immersive, informational experience.

Closing things out is the massive demo room (W240A-D) of Meyer Sound, which is showcasing multiple new products—most notably the ULTRA-X40 point source loudspeaker—and immersing visitors in a preview of Spacemap LIVE, a prototype spatial sound mixing tool. The Spacemap LIVE demos are conducted on even hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through today (Friday), and in between demos, the room transforms into the Sonic Lounge, a quiet and hospitable refuge for relaxed conversation and personalized product demonstrations.

[Want more stories like this? Subscribe to our newsletter and get it delivered right to your inbox.]

While standing in the lobby, if you were to look up, you would catch lighting director/programmer Karen Cooper of Cooper Productions in her perch opposite the main entrance. Cooper was brought in by Freeman Audio Visual to produce an excitement-inspiring display for a convention full of people who make them for a living—not too much pressure.

“I lost sleep about it,” Cooper says with a grin. “There’s a ton of pressure in this industry, but I had to get rid of that feeling of being bothered by it because I’ve got a job to do.”

In addition to performing for her peers, Cooper also had to contend with a wide-open space with skylights that constantly changed the amount of light. “First thing in the morning, on opening, the light was extremely bright. We have InfoComm’s gobo, and you wanted it to be able to be seen, so we brought in the PRG Bad Boy moving lights, which have a really great projection and are very bright. It was a little more difficult when we had all the streamers coming out at the ribbon cutting. I fully opened the zoom on the Bad Boys and took the gobo out to cover the entire area, but the difference was minimal compared to the sunlight.”

The festive vibe in the lobby presented by the lights and music is appreciated by all those who congregate there for quick meals or meetings prior to hitting the show floor or in between sessions, but the scene almost played out differently. “Originally the lighting control was going to be in the small room behind the deejay,” says Cooper. “I was going to program a few looks for the show and leave it, but I knew it would look a lot better if I was out here reacting to what was happening—if the music gets faster, let’s do this—and so on. I pitched it, and Freeman bought it.”

Despite the sleepless nights, Cooper is having a great time at this gig. “I’m just very thankful for the opportunity to be here,” she says. “This is really awesome, and I’ve had a fun time.”

In January, QSC president and CEO Joe Pham, Ph.D. (Electrical Engineering, UCLA) was named chairman of the 2019 AVIXA Board of Directors, after serving as vice chair last year. This will be Pham’s fifth year as a board member. As such, he is intimately familiar with the process AVIXA went through to identify and enable the industry’s role in integrated experiences of all kinds. Pham is also celebrating his 15th year with QSC, having joined in 2004 as chief strategy and technology officer.

He has a lifelong passion for music and for connecting people, so the integration of audio, video, IT and experience informs his work across his many industry roles and relationships. Just as multidiscipline collaboration got us this far, it is launching the next evolution of AVIXA and our industry.

How will AVIXA focus on the integrated experience in the coming year? How will it equip members to be part of that? How will it inspire and drive the market to embrace AV-enabled experiences?

JOE PHAM: Delivering exceptional experiences is critical to [AVIXA’s] vision and core mission, and we will continue to develop new content, training and other supportive materials that not only help our members serve a functional AV need, but enable them to powerfully combine content, technology and spaces to conceive, design and deliver those integrated experiences.

What are some of the technology trends you’re seeing in the industry today?

JP: It’s not about new technologies in isolation, but how technologies come together to create new customer value and transform the economics of our industry. Over the last several years, our industry has converged and evolved—shifting from discrete, purpose-built functional hardware to integrated AV hardware/software platforms that are becoming a critical part of a broader IT ecosystem. As with other industries that have taken a similar journey in the past, these unified AV/IT ecosystems will produce powerful new types of data, creating new insights that will transform the economics of our industry.

[QSC's Pham Named 2019 Chairman of AVIXA Board of Directors, Jan. 24, 2019]

What are some of the business trends you’re seeing?

JP: Marc Andreessen’s 2011 WSJ article “Software Will Eat the World” really resonates for our industry today. On the business innovation side, we’re seeing new cloud-based delivery and consumption models, along with platform and ecosystem solutions that create value over an entire customer lifecycle, not just at the point of AV commissioning and installation. A business strategy to produce, harvest and analyze AV data within the broader IT ecosystem is the next great era in our industry.

What do you think will surprise people at InfoComm this year?

JP: There will clearly be many new exciting products, solutions and technologies debuted at InfoComm this year, but perhaps more compelling and surprising is the conversations people are now having in our industry. We are witnessing our AVIXA community of exhibitors and attendees coming together in exciting new ways, combining their passion and broad range of talents to produce new insights and craft incredible new AV experiences that will change the way people communicate, collaborate, create and have fun.

[InfoComm Inspo: QSC, by Megan A. Dutta, May 22, 2019]

InfoComm 2019 has been a success for exhibitors and attendees alike. Starting on Saturday, June 8, with the AVIXA Three-Day Courses, which included intense training on AV essentials, networking systems, management and exam preparation, the educational, networking and experiential opportunities have been virtually nonstop.

This year’s show has seen more CTS exam sign-ups than ever before, showing the deep commitment by industry members to continue their education and learn new skills. Perhaps not coincidentally, the number of younger attendees has also increased, showing that the future of the industry is well secured.

On the first two days of the exhibit floor, crowds gathered to see the latest technologies in unified communications, digital signage, projection mapping and much more. Special show tours for retail and hospitality professionals increased awareness for the power that AV brings to those verticals, while Center Stage brought leading thinkers and practitioners from the fields of retail, entertainment, hospitality, events and education to participate in special sessions that inspired creative dialogues among attendees.

And it isn’t over yet—there is still plenty of additional opportunities today to learn, network, and experience the latest in AV here at InfoComm 2019 before heading back home to apply your newly acquired knowledge.

Highlights from day 2 at InfoComm 2019 in Orlando, FL.

Alesia Hendley chats with Intel on June 12 at InfoComm 2019.

Alesia Hendley interviews Blackmagic Design on June 12 at InfoComm 2019.

Alesia Hendley interviews Ashly Audio's Noel Larson on June 12 at InfoComm 2019.

NewTek has turned its InfoComm booth (1925) into a real-world example of NDI, its royalty-free and resolution-independent AV over IP standard, demonstrating its benefits for system integrators, designers, and installers looking to modernize their capabilities.

The booth features a single vertical cabinet containing 16 NewTek hardware devices and an array of cutting-edge software tools designed to create, stream, publish, convert, and monitor AV content. Connected only to electricity and a 1Gb Ethernet local area network, these assets are controllable from any of the networked demonstration pods at the booth, allowing users to access and use any capability or feature from any device.

The end result, according to NewTek, is a powerful networked system for AV over IP that saves time, money, space and other precious resources while creating new possibilities for customers that previously did not exist.

“NDI allows anyone integrating AV over IP solutions to be far more dynamic than ever before, with our own InfoComm booth demo being a great example. Every device and application we’re showing can be controlled at any touch point,” said Dr. Andrew Cross, president and CTO of NewTek. “Compare it to other IP-based AV solutions that send a single signal from point-to-point at a high cost and you realize you are looking at the future and it is here now.”

NDI Product Showcase

NewTek will also showcase an array of third-party NDI products in its booth, including:

•   Sony IP&S Inc. BRC-X400 IP 4K Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera with NDI®|HX capability

•   BirdDog P200 NDI PTZ Camera

•   DELTACAST DELTA-neo N2H Converter

•   Exterity AvediaStream Transcoder

•   Kiloview N1 NDI Hx Encoder

•   Lumens VC-A505PN PTZ Camera

•   Magewell Pro Convert HDMI TX

•   Switchblade Systems Splyce X4 NDI Encoder

•   Vaddio RoboSHOT 30E NDI Elite Series Professional PTZ Camera.

Alesia Hendley interviews Jon Grodem, senior director strategy & planning for Optoma, on June 12 at InfoComm 2019.

Kramer Electronics has announced a partnership with Enterprise digital signage leader Zignage — a move that delivers enhanced functionality and additional value to Kramer’s VIA platform.

The latest alignment with Zignage further reinforces Kramer’s VIA product line as a versatile, all-in-one AV solution following the integration of popular software and video collaboration offerings by Blue Jeans and Zoom. This move also highlights the innovative strategy behind Kramer Platforms, the company’s software-driven approach to AV functionality. With Kramer Platforms, AV professionals can leverage multiple software-licensed functionalities on single and easy-to-install hardware platforms.

Zignage specializes in flexible and reliable digital signage software. The company’s use of scalable and open-source standards has put Zignage at the forefront of modular, customizable, and interactive digital signage solutions.

Kramer’s VIA line consists of hardware and software-based wireless presentation and collaboration solutions empowering participants to instantly share and collaborate using any BYOD laptop or mobile device.

Users can turn any idle display into an inspiring welcome screen, company messaging, advertising, and much more. The ability to optimize displays not in use for UC or presentations provides more tools for internal and external communications while ensuring maximum return on investment (RoI). The added Zignage features will prove to be a powerful add-on to the free existing digital signage capabilities offered by VIA. Users who require more demanding digital signage capabilities can purchase a license for expanded features.

Neta Lempert, Vice President of Digital Business Development Kramer Electronics Ltd., explained: “This partnership brings an inclusive digital signage suite to Kramer’s all-in-one VIA platform. With many digital signage templates, media scheduling, browser and mobile CMS, dynamic widgets, and Internet live streaming, VIA users subscribed to Zignage services get the maximum value for their spend.”

Vadim Kern, COO at Zignage, added: “Kramer are one of the most respected names in pro AV and we are delighted with this alignment. Zignage brings a wealth of powerful, creative options to VIA users wishing to get the best from their displays during ‘downtime’.”

Join Kramer at InfoComm 2019 in Orlando Florida at booth #2929 to see this partnership in action and discover new "AV over IT” technologies.

Leyard and Planar is showcasing their widest range of LED display solutions, including the new Leyard TVF Complete, along with other display innovations, at the Leyard and Planar InfoComm 2019 booth #3143.

“Our comprehensive portfolio of cutting-edge LED display solutions offers something for every customer, including those looking for a more plug and play experience,” said Steve Seminario, vice president of product marketing at Leyard and Planar. “The new Leyard TVF Complete is a seamless high resolution LED display family available in diagonal sizes from 109in. to 219n. and is designed to make seamless large size video walls easier and more cost-effective to deploy.” 

Leyard and Planar introduced the new Leyard TVF Complete, a family of LED video wall solutions designed for a wide range of environments and applications. Leyard TVF Complete is optimized for Full HD and 4K resolutions and comes in 109in., 137in., 164in. and 219in. diagonal sizes. Each Leyard TVF Complete model includes precisely configured LED display cabinets, video controller, cables, wall mounts, trim and spare modules, making it easier and more affordable than ever for customers to select, purchase and install an LED video wall.

Leyard and Planar is also demonstrating the new 1.2 millimeter fine pixel pitch model addition to the Leyard TVF Series LED video wall line. Introduced in April 2019, the Leyard TVF 1.2 delivers clear, crisp images at nearly every angle and viewing distance and features a 16:9 aspect ratio that allows every pixel pitch to achieve popular resolutions, including Full HD and 4K. The Leyard TVF Series offers front serviceability and a creative, stackable design that eliminates cabinet-to-cabinet cabling and reduces installation and alignment complexity. The Leyard TVF 1.2 joins other models available in 1.5, 1.8 and 2.5 millimeter pixel pitches.

In an effort to enable customers to deploy seamless LED video walls in a wider range of environments, Leyard and Planar will demonstrate Leyard ERO-LED (Extended Ruggedness and Optics) on the Leyard DirectLight X LED Video Wall System. Leyard ERO-LED technology is a proprietary coating that delivers protection and durability to Leyard LED display products. Leyard ERO-LED protects LED displays from dust, electro-static discharge, humidity, casual human contact and impact at both the front and edges of LED displays. It also improves the visual sharpness of LED video walls by significantly increasing contrast in ambient light.

Also demonstrated on the Leyard DirectLight X LED Video Wall System is the high contrast ratio and color accuracy of high dynamic range (HDR) content. This emerging technology is now available on a range of Leyard LED video wall product lines including the Leyard TVF Series, Leyard VVR Series, Leyard VersaLight Series and Leyard CarbonLight CLI Series. HDR content produces life-like images with a broader range of color and contrast to create a next-generation visual experience. 

The company will also showcase the Leyard DirectLight X 0.7 with a pixel pitch of just 0.7 millimeters. Announced in 2018, this industry-first pixel pitch allows for 4K and 8K resolution video walls in smaller spaces, matching the pixel density seen in traditional control room video walls but with a completely seamless and uniform image. 

At InfoComm 2019, Leyard and Planar will offer visitors the opportunity to experience its curved video wall comprised of Leyard CarbonLight CLI Series displays, a line of lightweight LED video wall displays ideal for rental and staging or fixed installations. Measuring 23-feet-wide by 10-feet-tall, the Leyard CarbonLight CLI Series video wall features a 1.9 millimeter pixel pitch and curved wings to create an immersive visual experience. The video wall seamlessly blends a combination of Leyard CarbonLight CLI Series LED displays with Leyard CarbonLight CLI Flex bendable LED modules that are ideal for applications requiring smooth curves, waves or column wraps. 

LG Electronics (LG) is showcasing its newest business solutions in Orlando, Florida (USA) this week at InfoComm 2019, including Micro LED signage, Transparent OLED signage, Open Frame OLED displays to a diverse lineup of LED products.

Welcoming visitors to LG’s InfoComm booth is the immense LG OLED Falls exhibit that offers a unique, immersive installation of eye-popping Open Frame commercial OLED displays. Open Frame LG OLED displays enable a new approach for innovative and flexible digital signage designs. With no separate light source, the displays are extremely thin and lightweight, and flexible enough to be bent and angled at the installation site.

Making its world debut at InfoComm 2019 is LG’s one-of-a-kind Micro LED signage, which relies on arrays of microscopic LEDs that form individual pixels, working independently to express image detail. At less than 50 micrometers in diameter, each LED is about the size of a speck of dust or approximately half the width of a human hair.

LG’s new LAPE series uses a specially designed flexible LED display module that supports true concave and convex curvature up to 1000R for virtually limitless design flexibility. The fine-pitch LAPE series delivers vivid images thanks to the Dynamic Contrast Algorithm, LG-exclusive technology for a wide range of color and deep contrast.

LG’s new 130in. LED screen is designed to be easily specified, ordered and installed. Considered the ideal replacement for conference-room projectors, this LAAF series screen features embedded speakers and AV connections to meet a host of business needs. In addition to compatibility with leading partners such as Crestron and Cisco, the LAAF will be supported by LG Signage365Care for real-time device monitoring and diagnostics.

Also available in Canada, LG’s Transparent LG OLED display is designed to offer a unique customer experience in specialized commercial applications, particularly retail and hospitality. The versatile 55in. class display (model 55EW5F) delivers LG OLED’s superior picture quality, meaning customers will be able to view video on the screen and simultaneously see objects behind the screen.

New to LG’s large-format display portfolio for 2019 are advanced IPS In-cell Touch Interactive Digital Boards (IDBs). The 86in. model in the LG TN3F series are designed to enhance the user experience in meeting rooms, classrooms and other collaborative spaces with easy and reliable touch performance. These IDBs feature intuitive In-cell Touch technology that employs an innovative direct bonding process to eliminate the gap between the LCD panel and protective glass. This combination delivers a faster response time for a realistic writing experience that is perfect for corporate conference rooms and university lecture halls.

“Advances in B2B technologies are opening up new opportunities for digital signage, exemplified by the diverse OLED and LED portfolio LG is featuring at InfoComm,” said Lee Choong-hwoan, head of the Information Display business unit of LG Electronics Business Solutions Company. “Our knowledge and expertise in both OLED and LED displays allows us the privilege of being the only company that can deliver this wide collection of signage solutions to our customers.”

Click here to read Day 2 of the InfoComm 2019 Show Daily.

Featured Articles

Enhanced Programs Greet AV Pros as InfoComm 2019 Opens
By Megan A. Dutta
InfoComm opened yesterday with AVIXA’s Board of Directors cutting a ribbon to welcome attendees to the 2019 show.

Turning Heads with Projection Mapping
By SCN Staff
If you have ventured down toward The Park at InfoComm 2019, you must have met Sviatovid, the projection sculpture from master projection designer Bart Kresa and his company, BARTKRESA.

Digital Signage on Display
By Sydney Braat
The AV industry’s latest technology and best educators are co-habitating at InfoComm’s Digital Signage Pavilion.

Touring the Audio Demo Rooms: A Proper AV Experience
By Clive Young
The exhibit floor at InfoComm is packed with new products, but there’s some audio gear you just can’t check out properly without either getting loud, such as with P.A.s, or needing quiet, like when you’re learning about intricate new technologies. Luckily, that’s what the nearly two dozen audio demo rooms just off the exhibit floor are for.

Here to Stay: AVIXA Focuses on Hospitality Industry at InfoComm 2019
By Matt Pruznick
To deliver on its core mission of helping to grow the industry, AVIXA is always on the lookout for ways it can bring AV technology in front of decision makers in booming markets.

Want more stories from InfoComm 2019?

InfoComm 2019 Show Daily—VIP Edition 

InfoComm 2019 Show Daily—Day 1

InfoComm 2019 Show Daily—Day 2

InfoComm 2019 Hub

Underscoring its commitment to make national trade shows major sales events for its manufacturer partners, Stampede will host its first “Stampede Solutions Showdown” at InfoComm 2019 at Booth #1329 on Level 2 of the convention center.

The sales-focused Stampede Solutions Showdown will consist of four specific product areas—with two to three solutions in each that support the use case of each product area. The solutions will be bundled SKUs to enable resellers to place orders after the show. Each solution will be specially priced to drive sales and include the option of receiving on-site training during the show. The four areas are Collaboration, Digital Signage, Commercial VR, and Education.

The Collaboration area will focus on both huddle rooms and large conference rooms. Participating vendors in this area include Christie, Sharp, 3M, Dalite, Kramer, Lumens, Ashly Audio, Sonos, Bose, Vidyo, and ONELAN.

Digital Signage will have two areas focused on dvLED and retail applications. NanoLumens will be featured in dvLED, and retail will include offerings from Atlona, Hiperwall, Philips, Samsung, and Planar.

[Stampede to Host 'Product Pop' Product Demos at Its InfoComm Booth, June 11, 2019]

Commercial VR area will include VR Health, showcasing healthcare applications, and Hamilton Buhl, featuring their VR offerings, both utilizing Oculus/Facebook solutions.

The Education area will be broken down into sections focused on Interactive, STEM, Classroom, and Security. Participating vendors include TAPit, 3M, Hamilton Buhl, 3Doodler, DJI TELLO EDU (in the fly cage), Epson, Elmo, Hamilton Buhl, PanaCast, NEC, RippleSafety, and SafeZone.

“The Stampede Solutions Showdown is one more way Stampede distinguishes itself from other distributors,” said Stampede president and CEO Kevin Kelly. “We actually take the time to configure products into specific solutions that meet specific vertical market needs—and now we are doing so with specially priced bundles that can be ordered right after the show.”

According to Kelly, the program was promoted to Stampede’s database of resellers in advance of the show to drive booth traffic during the show. At InfoComm, more than 25 Stampede sales professionals will be working the booth and driving traffic to the specific product areas. “It’s a well thought out and integrated approach to creating very attractive bundles that are ready to be delivered as soon as InfoComm 2019 ends.”

[Stampede Gold Rush Digital Scavenger Hunt Returns to InfoComm, June 10, 2019]

Vendors participating in the Stampede Solutions Showdown at InfoComm 2019 include 3M, Ashly Audio, Christie, NEC, Philips, DJI TELLO EDU, Hamilton Buhl, RippleSafety, 3Doodler, PanaCast, Atlona, Chief, Lumens, NanoLumens, OneLan, Sharp, Sonos, Bose, Elmo, Kramer, Omnicharge, Optoma, Planar, SafeZone, Planar, Hiperwall, Samsung, Epson, VR Health, and TAPit.

Other Events in the Stampede Booth

In addition to the Solutions Showdown, Stampede will be hosting its popular Gold Rush Scavenger Hunt and new “Product Pops” series of 15-minute training sessions focused on specific products on display in the booth.

Stampede will be giving away one Planar EPX100 (100-inch display) in the booth at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 14. To qualify, attendees must stop by the booth on Wednesday and Thursday to view the EPX100 and enter into the drawing.

[InfoComm Inspo: Stampede, by Megan A. Dutta, May 12, 2019]

Finally, there will be a beer Happy Hour from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and from 2 to 4 p.m. on Friday. The Wednesday Happy Hour is being hosted by NEC, Legrand and BrightSign. The Thursday Happy Hour is hosted by Planar.

“Our mission is to bring these two worlds together to create better solutions and more opportunities,” says Brad Grimes, senior director of communications at AVIXA. “We go [to the hospitality industry] with a message that AV can be a strategic technology asset. It’s not just like email, it’s not your average technology; it’s an experiential technology that can result in a lot of great outcomes. And we’re meeting lots of people who get it, and more and more of them are coming to our show to meet our members.”

One of those rapidly expanding sectors is the hospitality industry, and AVIXA has crafted the Hospitality Executive Experience program for InfoComm 2019 to help make the most of opportunities in this ripe market.

“If the people who are making decisions on where to spend money in their enterprise are aware of the value and return they can get by investing in AV, they’ll invest more in AV,” says David Labuskes, CEO at AVIXA. “And one of the markets we’ve been working with respect to that is the hospitality market. [We’ve been] sharing with them ways that they can differentiate their brand; ways that they can enhance the guest experience. Bringing them to our show and allowing them to experience the broad palette of solutions that are available to them is a natural progression of that strategy.”

The Hospitality Executive Experience is designed to do just that, with events and education sessions from Tuesday through Thursday at the show. Covering technology areas ranging from digital wayfinding and kiosks to environmental controls and lighting, to AR and VR, the program aims to help the AV industry capitalize on a market vertical that AVIXA expects to grow nine percent per year through 2023.

“Unlike most trade show booths that have static displays of a company’s products or technologies, demo rooms provide exhibitors an opportunity to have attendees not only see new products, but also get a practical demonstration and learn how they work,” states Kyle Sullivan, manager, global marketing communications, for Bose Professional. “The demo could also show an application of a new product that is the perfect solution for the attendee or their client. Additionally, a demo room provides the opportunity to create a memorable experience that can separate a company from others at the trade show, giving visitors a demo experience they will remember long after the trade show is over.”

Vue Audiotechnik, in W221A, is presenting its Reimagine Loudspeakers concept, debuting new models for InfoComm that evolve its e-Class family with Dante integration, QSC Q-Sys integration options across the line, and Dante-enabled IP audio distribution with a POE enabled version of the e-351 “Nano” speaker and high-power local amplification for networked audio in the es-269V with built-in VUEDrive.

Renkus-Heinz (W221BC) is using its demo room to show off its IC-Live X series, consisting of two freely combinable, steerable-array modules, the ICL-X and ICL-XL, and two matching subwoofers, the ICL-XS and the ICL-X-118S. New for the Series is the Acoustic Source Multiplier waveguide, which allows the HF section to be coaxially mounted in front of the LF section.

In W221DE, L-Acoustics is discussing many of its offerings, from its new ARCS family to its L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology. Speaking of which, L-Acoustics is doing a live demo of LMG’s new L-ISA mix room offsite at the Coil Learning Center; registration is required so RSVP at LMG.net.

Over at W222A, Danley Sound Labs is introducing the J7-95 Jericho Horn, which has the smallest footprint in the series: only 3 feet tall and 265 pounds. It merges the output of 12 of the 18 drivers through the fifth-generation combiner to deliver “near-perfect magnitude and phase response,” according to the company. Also, Danley’s debuting its new Studio One studio monitors, marking its first move into the studio monitor space, and showing its FLX12 Utility speakers.

There’s a lot to see in Dynacord and Electro-Voice’s demo room (W222B), as they are presenting a slew of products that ultimately can be combined for a full system. On hand is the new XLAi installation-dedicated addition to EV’s flagship X-Line advance line array family; the new 12-inch and 15-inch passive/biamp coaxial MFX multifunction monitors; new pendant, low-profile and 6-inch ceiling EVID speaker models; EV’s new PREVIEW software app for configuring and optimizing EV line arrays; and Dynacord’s SONICUE software for quick setup, tuning and operation.

Inside W224A, you’ll find Crest Audio presenting its Tactus digital mixing system, Versarray Pro powered ribbon line array, Versarray MKIII passive ribbon line array, Elements line of IP56/marine-grade weatherproof loudspeakers and the RBN-powered ribbon loudspeaker system.

QSC will show its AcousticDesign Series of loudspeakers in W224B, while also debuting the AD-S402T, which consists of four weather-treaded 2.5-inch transducers and is capable of 70V/100V or 8-ohm bypass loads.

Behind the doors of W224C, Martin Audio is presenting live demos of its new WPS line array and other models in the Wavefront Precision line array series, as well as items from its CDD Coaxiel Differential Dispersion series, Adorn loudspeaker line and its iKON and Via offerings.

Yamaha Corporation of America is using W224D to demo items from both its Unified Communications and Commercial Audio divisions, highlighting the newest additions and enhancements to its commercial, installation and live performance audio lines, including mixing consoles, speakers, amplifiers and the latest versions of ProVisionaire software.

Next door at Community Professional Loudspeakers in W224E, the big focus is the new L Series Beamforming Venue Horn; catch a demo at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. each day.

If you step into AtlasIED’s demo room in W224F, look for their SHS (Strategically Hidden Loudspeaker), which is able to blend into a ceiling with compromising the architectural aesthetic. They sport a patented waveguide with user-selectable adaptive dispersion lenses. Also on hand are the company’s Z Series and IPX Series IP endpoints.

Featured at the Digital Signage Pavilion are products such as displays and display walls, digital signage processors, content playback and management, content management software, media players, mounts, network infrastructure, narrowcasters and content distribution solutions.

“Digital signage is a very healthy market for AV firms to put energy behind,” says Sean Wargo, senior director of market intelligence, AVIXA. “The solution segment is forecast to reach $34 billion in revenue for 2019 and grow to $45 billion by 2024 globally. Digital signage’s ability to disseminate timely and accurate information to enhance the customer experience is gaining traction in high-growth markets such as restaurants, banking, retail, healthcare and hospitality facilities.”

The focus on digital signage also includes an education program with five sessions that explore new markets within digital signage. The goal is to bring awareness to this exciting market that many simply classify as “technology.”

“Digital signage is much more than technology—it’s the orchestration of concepts, content and context,” says Florian Rotberg, managing director of Invidis. “The sessions will enable AV integrators to improve their skills to analyze customer needs and pain points within different markets to provide valuable solutions.”

Being part of the Digital Signage Pavilion has helped Datapath make its presence felt at InfoComm 2019. “The Digital Signage Pavilion is certainly an exciting place for Datapath to be, and to be seen,” says Kay Mumford, marketing communications manager, Datapath. “It’s particularly great to see how creativity is being matched with today’s latest technology to produce some really eye-catching solutions, and we are glad to play our part!”

With a rapidly changing industry, the Digital Signage Pavilion serves as a reminder of how far technology has come and the exciting potential for its future.

“This year’s Digital Signage Pavilion is a vibrant epicenter of the exciting present and the promising future of the digital signage industry,” says Pavlo Fedykovych of Kitcast. “Mixing the best new technologies, insightful networking and endless business opportunities, the Digital Signage Pavilion is the place to be if you’re from the industry.”

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The giant head that features a host of eye-catching projection mapping made its debut at ISE 2019, but makes the scene here in Orlando with all-new content.

Kresa’s first architectural projections took place in 1995. His diverse background, combined with his experience in lighting and multimedia, informed his early work in projections and continues to inspire his design process. He began working with still slides and now uses the most powerful projectors on the market. He founded BARTKRESA studio in 2006, a premier projection mapping company that specializes in developing one-of-a-kind experiences around the world.

[TIDE 2019: Q&A with Projection Master Bart Kresa, June 11, 2019]

“The technology continues to get more accessible, and requires less maintenance,” says Kresa. “When clients learn that new laser projectors can run for 20,000 hours, and have auto-align capabilities, they feel like a permanent projection installation is a more viable option. As a result, we have clients who see a projection-mapping feature as a unique add-on to mainstream attractions.”

And although projection mapping creates a memorable impression on its viewers, Kresa stresses the content over the technology used to create it. “Our clients choose projection mapping because our work and medium transform existing spaces to create new and impactful experiences,” he says. “Our work is so effective that the audience does not see projections; they see something brilliant and tactile.”

[Sviatovid Projection Sculpture Makes U.S. Debut at InfoComm, June 10, 2019]

Even after all his time and experience in projection mapping, Kresa still is excited by its prospects. “I have been working with projections for 28 years, and continue to discover new possibilities within this medium,” he says. “The opportunity to create new experiences is the most exciting part of this job for me. Each new space provides a new challenge.”

After spending the last several days in exciting educational sessions like the CTS Prep course, TIDE and Emerging Trends Day, attendees were eager to walk the show floor and discover the latest pro AV innovations.

This year’s event has a focus on various market sectors—like retail and hospitality—that are predicted to become even more lucrative for the pro AV field, according to AVIXA’s various Market Opportunity Analysis Reports (MOAR). In these markets, particularly hospitality, pro AV will benefit from “the shift from ‘basics’ to ‘beyond,’” says AVIXA.

In addition to those sectors, InfoComm 2019 will also feature traditional markets such as corporate and education. As always, exhibitors will have products for every segment and AVIXA has educational sessions on everything from “Storytelling with Sounds for Attractions” to “Designing Conference and Collaboration Spaces.”

“We started the show on Saturday with new and different course offerings followed by TIDE and Emerging Trends Day,” says Rochelle Richardson, AVIXA senior vice president of expositions and events. “We’re also offering new tech tours, along with the tradeshow, which began yesterday.”

Most importantly, perhaps, the show floor will be filled with the heart of the industry.

“One of the aspects that is most exciting to me every year is the number of new attendees that we have at the show,” says David Labuskes, CTS, CEO of AVIXA. “One of the greatest assets of an experience is the people that you meet and the relationships that you build.”

Check out some highlights from InfoComm Day 1.

Click here to read Day 1 of the InfoComm 2019 Show Daily

Featured Articles

Off and Running!
By Cynthia Wisehart
Kicking off the second InfoComm show under the AVIXA mantle, the association’s new identity has taken hold: InfoComm itself is an experience.

TIDE Creates a Bonding Experience
By Megan A. Dutta
Jeff Day, CEO of North of 10 Advisors, kicked off the annual TIDE (Technology. Innovation. Design. Experience.) Conference by inviting everyone to gather round. “TIDE is the campfire of this industry—you have found your tribe, you have found your home.”

Taking Center Stage for All It’s Worth—and More
By Clive Young
There are countless paid educational events at InfoComm, but don’t overlook Center Stage just because it’s free. Take in a few educational sessions at Center Stage on the exhibit floor (Booth 3161) and you’ll get far more than you paid for.

Tracking Trends
By Matt Pruznick
Are you ready to dive into the sea of innovation that is InfoComm? With so many new ideas and inventions to take in, it’s helpful to have a solid frame of reference before hitting the show floor. Enter Emerging Trends Day.

Razzle Dazzle Retail
By Anthony Savona
Retailers have figured out how to attract customers back to their physical stores and away from the convenience of shopping online—by using experiential AV.

SCN Announces 2019 SCN InfoComm Products Installation Award Winners
Systems Contractor News (SCN) announced the winners of its 2019 SCN InfoComm Product Installation Awards at a reception on June 11 during InfoComm 2019. 

Want more stories from InfoComm 2019?

InfoComm 2019 Show Daily—VIP Edition

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InfoComm 2019 Show Daily—Day 2

InfoComm 2019 Hub

Systems Contractor News (SCN) announced the winners of its 2019 SCN InfoComm Product Installation Awards at a reception on June 11 during InfoComm 2019. 

“The SCN InfoComm Installation Product Award winners represent the best the industry has to offer,” said Megan A. Dutta, content director, Systems Contractor News, at the reception. “These awards honor the most innovative commercial AV products of 2018. Each and every winner has made a significant impact on the lives of integrators—whether it’s allowing them to offer a new service, creating a strong ROI, or simply making their lives easier."

Most Innovative Audio Hardware (TIE)

AtlasIED Strategically Hidden Speaker (SHS)
Today’s business, retail, corporate and hospitality environments put as much emphasis on interior design as they do on the quality and functionality of the integrated technology. The SHS is carefully designed to blend into any ceiling while retaining optimal sound performance. Exotically different and perfectly disguised, the SHS is ideal for applications like background music, paging/notification, and sound masking, and is easy to install in venues where the technology shouldn't detract from the environment's aesthetic.

Meyer Sound UP-4slim Ultra Compact Installation Loudspeaker 
The UP-4slim ultra-compact installation loudspeaker is a slender new solution for applications that demand impeccable performance and exceptional power-to-size ratio together with elegant aesthetics. The UP-4slim incorporates Meyer Sound’s exclusive IntelligentDC technology, integrating the inherent sonic advantages of self-powered loudspeakers with the installation ease of low voltage systems. It is the first IntelligentDC multi-way loudspeaker to be housed in an all-aluminum enclosure.

Most Innovative AV Installation Accessory

Crestron DM NVX Director
DM NVX Director is an enterprise-grade network appliance that facilitates configuration, control and management of a large-scale AV network. The DM NVX Director provides a means for managing large networks of DM NVX devices, routing AV signals and simplifying integration with one or more Crestron control systems. By virtually emulating the functionality of a traditional hardware-based DigitalMedia matrix switcher, the DM NVX Director routes high-quality 4K streaming AV signals throughout a room, building or campus.

Most Innovative Collaboration Product

Mersive Solstice
Mersive Solstice, a flexible and powerful meeting space platform, provides both industry-leading wireless collaboration capabilities and the analytics and insights needed for meeting space optimization. Solstice delivers not only the ability to share any amount of content seamlessly from any device, but also includes dual screen support through dual HDMI output, wireless 4k streaming support and PoE+. Meeting room monitoring and analytics empowers organizations to drive greater meeting space usability, productivity and ROI.

Most Innovative Digital Signage Product

BrightSign XT1144
BrightSign XT1144’s 4K video engine is capable of dual video decoding of two 4K videos simultaneously and supports full resolution 4K graphics. It supports H.265 and H.264 encoding, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ and offers a powerful enterprise-level HTML5 engine. Plus, it includes HDMI for live TV, PoE+, interactive controls (GPIO, IR, dual USB and serial), analog/digital audio and an M.2 SSD PCIe slot for extra storage.

Most Innovative Emerging Technology

Crestron DM-NVX-350
DigitalMedia NVX technology transports ultra-high-definition 4K60 4:4:4 video over standard Gigabit Ethernet with no perceptible latency or loss of quality. Leveraging standard network switches and CAT5e UTP wiring, DM NVX delivers a rock-solid, high-performance virtual matrix routing solution that is economically advantageous and infinitely scalable for any enterprise or campus-wide 4K content distribution application. Now, with revolutionary pixel perfect processing technology, DM NVX offers the densest image with the finest detail.

Most Innovative IoT Product

AVI-SPL Symphony
AVI-SPL Symphony is a user experience management application that proactively monitors and manages collaboration technologies to guarantee optimal performance, simplify user engagement and unlock new business value like reduce real estate costs. Organizations worldwide are deploying Symphony’s full capabilities to benefit from an integrated end-to-end collaboration workflow, a single pane view into the supporting technology estate and actionable business intelligence that will drive the desired user experience and adoption.

Most Innovative Mounting Solution

Chief Impact On-Wall Portrait Kiosk
The Impact On-Wall Kiosk brings a new level of flexibility to the digital signage enclosure market, while maintaining a sleek aesthetic to complement a variety of environments. A depth-adjustable exterior frame allows for a variety of displays to be used. Reversible hinges help to avoid installation and service obstructions, and the exclusive design keeps the display mounted to the frame when opened, providing unparalleled service and maintenance access. Multiple storage options are available.

Most Innovative Signal Management Product

Aurora Multimedia IPX-TC3 Pro
IPX-TC3 Pro is based on 10G SDVoE technology, but takes it to another level unique to Aurora—transceiver allowing encoding or decoding in same unit, 8-channel Dante/AES67, Reversible USB 2.0, Audio DSP, 10G PoE+, Dual Fiber, and copper fiber combo versions, and encrypted connection to server. It is also the first to implement ReAX IP Control, eliminating the need for external control systems by integrating control intelligence into the AV over IP.

Most Innovative Video Conferencing Product

Lifesize Icon 700
Lifesize's Icon 700 is the world’s first video conferencing system to deliver 4K video and full-motion content sharing from a device featuring sleek design and an integrated camera that pans, tilts and zooms 20x. It’s cloud-connected, and ultra-high definition 4K content can be shared at full frame-rate locally and remotely, providing unmatched quality for meeting room communication and collaboration. Simple setup and intuitive control are achieved via an accompanying Lifesize Phone HD touchscreen.

Most Innovative Video Display Product

Samsung OMN/OMN-D Series
Samsung OMN/OMN-D series presents innovative designs in 46- and 55-inch sizes showcasing accurate details with full RGB colors in every pixel. OMN series’ slim design with 54.5mm depth makes the display a natural extension of the store, not taking up valuable space. OMN series delivers vivid content even in direct sunlight through high brightness of 4,000nit and contrast ratio of 5,000:1. OMN-D series features a double-sided screen, facing both the window and in-store.

Most Innovative Video Processing Product

Datapath VSN1192 Video Wall Processor
Datapath’s next generation VSN1192 is one of the most powerful video wall processors available to the market, equipped with dual Intel E5 processors to provide unparalleled power with the proven reliability of Datapath’s VSN range. Backplanes are designed by Datapath engineers to ensure stability and cool operating temperature, along with all the processing and connectivity required for today’s high impact control rooms.

Most Innovative Video Projection Solution

Christie D4K40-RGB
Featuring Christie TruLife electronics and Christie RealLaser illumination, the Christie D4K40-RGB produces greater than 90 percent of the Rec. 2020 color space for vibrant visuals. Delivering over 30,000 hours of operation to 80 percent brightness, 5000:1 contrast ratio and up to 120 frames per second, the Christie D4K40-RGB has a patented, sealed optical path. For typical installations, this means eight-plus years of stable, virtually maintenance-free operation. The Christie D4K40-RGB operates on single-phase 220V power.

Editor's Note: Manufacturers nominated their products, and the finalists were chosen by an independent panel of judges. The judges, all experienced integrators, read through each and every entry, and chose no more than three finalists per category. The winners were chosen by SCN readers via online voting.

Jeff Day, CEO of North of 10 Advisors, kicked off the annual TIDE (Technology. Innovation. Design. Experience.) Conference by inviting everyone to gather round. “TIDE is the campfire of this industry—you have found your tribe, you have found your home.”

The AVIXA team worked hard to create that campfire camaraderie. The full-day event, held on Tuesday, was filled with engaging storytelling and community-building.

Srinivas Rao, chief creative investigator and founder of Unmistakable Media, gave the morning keynote and discussed the art of being unmistakable. Rao’s message focused on making your craft—whether it’s installing AV systems or producing events or creating content—unmistakable. He questioned why people look at something that works for someone else and then try to replicate that success instead of doing something that’s never been done. “Best practices are your worst enemy when it comes to creativity and innovation,” he said.

Fear, Rao says, is a learned behavior. “When you attempt to do something unmistakable, by the definition, you are doing something that has not yet been proven to work. Which means that you get all the credit when it works in your favor, and all the blame when it doesn’t. It’s a decision and a commitment to seek out the very thing that amplifies your fear and that possibility that just maybe, maybe you’ll be wrong.”

After the morning sessions, attendees proceeded to a lunch where they were encouraged to share their successes. Creating a bonding experience, attendees shared their wins—both big and small— and the collective wins at the table were shared with all conference attendees in a one-minute-per-table summary.

Miral Kotb, founder of entertainment technology company iLuminate, gave the TIDE 2019 keynote address. Kotb received a degree in Computer Science from Columbia University while honing her dance skills in New York City. In 2009, she combined those two passions to create iLuminate, which mixes wearable LED technologies with choreography performed in the dark to create interactive audience experiences.

Having realized during the course of her career that “there is a divide between the creative and the technology,” Kotb offered attendees three concluding thoughts: Build your mission statement and let your true self shine beyond the lights; cultivate the right team and cultivate an environment of co-inspiration and co-collaboration; trust your team and let them fly.

According to AVIXA’s Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) report, the global market for pro AV products and services in retail is forecast to reach $20.3 billion in 2019 and grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5 percent through 2023.

To support integrators in taking advantage of this growth, AVIXA has partnered with retail customer experience research firm PSFK and media platform VMSD (Visual Merchandising and Store Design) to provide a number of educational tracks and sessions devoted to retail.

At Tuesday’s “Interactive Content and Experiences in Retail,” presented by PSFK, CEO of Perch Interactive Trevor Sumner described the need to find what engages shoppers and what creates sales growth. “There is a real sea change in retail,” he said, which was powered by many forces, including the move to the experience economy to comply with the preferences of millennial and Gen Z shoppers.

Sumner’s session covered the ROI for brands when deploying responsive displays that engage customers and enhance the shopping experience to increase overall sales, offering many examples such as Jo Malone, Johnson & Johnson and Macy’s.

Educational opportunities continue today through Friday, covering topics such as using visualization technologies to increase sales, customizing content for customers, using artificial intelligence and virtual reality to enhance shopping environments, and much more.

There are also a host of products on the floor that can add a wow factor to any retail environment. Examples of technology that is changing the retail landscape can be seen throughout InfoComm, with a heavy concentration in the Digital Signage Pavilion.

Now in its third year, Tuesday’s daylong Emerging Trends Day program paired presentations from experts with spirited panel discussions to inspire and educate attendees on what’s happening at the frontiers of the industry.

“Here is the story of cloud, here is the story of hardware giving way in some cases to services, as we start to build out solutions that require a lot more IP as the fundamental language and connective tissue,” said Sean Wargo, senior director of market intelligence at AVIXA and the master of ceremonies for the program, in his introduction to the day’s first session, “IP as the Universal Language of AV.” “This story is about connectivity.”

New for this year, presentations were followed by panel discussions, concluding with an opportunity for attendees to ask questions. In addition to the aforementioned leadoff session on the ever-evolving landscape of AV over IP, which had an introduction by Anthony Brennan of Futuresouce and panel moderated by AV Nation’s Tim Albright, the program included discourse on “Disruptive Audio Technologies,” with an intro by Paul Erikson of IHS Markit Research and a panel moderated by Janice Brown of RLab; “Disruptive Video Technologies,” presented by Pete Putman of ROAM Consulting and a panel moderated by Sanju Kahtri of IHS Markit Research; and “Disruptive UCC Technologies,” with a presentation by Ira M. Weinstein of Recon Research and a panel discussion moderated by Owen Ellis of the AV User Group.

“The key theme today is that you are the disruption,” Wargo said. “By listening to what you have today, and the perspectives that the panelists brought forward, we’re hoping to arm you with questions so that you can go to the floor, to manufacturers, the vendors of solutions and technologies and say, ‘How does this help? How does this address key end user needs? How can we be disruptive and ask the difficult questions out there to make sure we’re providing simplicity, ease of use, and actual usability?’”

Take in a few educational sessions at Center Stage on the exhibit floor (Booth 3161) and you’ll get far more than you paid for. Each day of the show, top thinkers and practitioners from the fields of retail, entertainment, hospitality, events and education will share their knowledge and insights on a wide variety of topics, all exploring AV’s role in creating a better-designed world.

The 2019 Center Stage—sponsored by Mvix, Samsung, Shure, Dolby, LG and Philips—takes on a new form. “New this year, we are having the opportunity for the participants to meet the experts on Wednesday and Thursday, and then on Friday, we are also offering what we call the Cohort Lab,” said Rochelle Richardson, senior vice president of expositions and events for AVIXA.

The first two days of Center Stage will feature presentations and discussions, with offerings like “How Online Brands are Changing Brick-and-Mortar Retail” and “Optimizing Digital Signage Design with Retail Behavioral Analytics” on Wednesday, while Thursday’s talks will provide in-depth looks into esports arenas, hospitality meeting room experiences, using tablets and displays in classrooms, and even live production on cruise ships. On both Wednesday and Thursday, attendees will get opportunities to literally meet the pros with two “Center Stage Meet the Experts” sessions each day, bringing together the day’s presenters for eye-opening panel discussions.

On the last day of InfoComm, things will start the same at Center Stage, with more insightful presentations, before taking an intriguing left turn. Presentations will explore different ways AV can be part of the retail experience, from translating live event technology for pop-up retail to influencing behavior and enhancing experience with audio.

The massive two-and-a-half-hour last session of the day, however, changes up everything. “The last part of Center Stage is what we call a Cohort Lab,” says Brad Grimes, senior director of communications at AVIXA. “It’s a very interactive, brainstorming, creative session. How do we apply technology to design principles and some other experiential challenges? That’s going to be a very cool, interactive session to wrap up Center Stage on Friday.”

So even those who have visited Center Stage in the past should make a point of dropping in again. “Virtually every program on Center Stage is new this year,” says David Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA. “They are amazingly creative and inspirational experiences; I think it would be a true shame for any attendee to not stop by there and learn and be inspired.”

Under the new name and mission, AVIXA has found inspiration and purpose in the global, experience-driven culture. That confidence is in evidence all over the show floor, which will hum with fun and connection, theatrical displays and audio, new technologies and the sense of reunion that goes with seeing your peers in person. So what will you do to contribute? What energy will you bring to the show floor? What will you explore? Who will you help?

We can orient off two broad themes. First, InfoComm is the hub where we network and see things with our own eyes and build professional knowledge.

Second, InfoComm is where AVIXA demonstrates the work it does all year to be a catalyst for growth in the AV market.

So look around with a discerning eye to see the connections for your business or enterprise. For example, AVIXA’s market intelligence has identified hospitality as a growth market, growing 9 percent as compared to 5 percent for the industry as a whole. Just one example: today through Friday, AVIXA is hosting an invitation-only experience for hospitality executives to expose them to everything from wayfinding to video-mapping.

“We’re letting these executives experience the broad palette of solutions available. We are making sure people who are investing in hospitality are aware of the benefits of AV and plan for that,” explains AVIXA CEO David Labuskes, CTS.

Labuskes says the show floor is key to delivering that message, regardless of vertical. And whatever your vertical, there will be programming at AVIXA’s Center Stage (booth 3161) to fuel your imagination—thanks to Program Director Kirsten Nelson and a great lineup of speakers who will discuss retail, hospitality, esports, behavioral analytics, branding and more, along with classics such as speech intelligibility.

Networking events will include the AVIXA Women’s Council Breakfast, Thursday at 7:30 a.m., the AVIXA Foundation 5K Walk/Run on Friday at 7 a.m., and the Diversity in AV reception at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Don’t miss the Audio Demo rooms—an outstanding chance to tune in to the specifics of a wide variety of world-class speakers. On the video side, new this year is a dramatic 360-degree projection-mapped installation inspired by the all-seeing ninth century Slavic god Sviatovid. It’s located in Hall E of the Convention Center and makes a vivid statement about what is visually possible in AV.

Over the next three days, the InfoComm show floor will be a three-dimensional platform of technology and networking—a chance to experience many aspects of the AV industry first-hand. As Labuskes sums up, “It’s a physical manifestation of the global marketplace.”

During TIDE 2019, Dr. Margot Douaihy, editor-at-large of AV Technology and frequent SCN contributor, took the stage to interview Bart Kresa, master projection designer and founder of BARTKRESA studio. 

MARGOT DOUAIHY: Which comes first, the story or the technical challenge?

BART KRESA: The story is very important. The most important thing is to look at is the architecture and design. We take every element into consideration and my goal is to design it so that you don’t see that it’s projection.

MD: How do you balance the demands of not distracting viewers with your use of  projection, light, and sound to create a mood?

BK: After you do this work [projection mapping] for awhile, it comes naturally. We have to use colors and texture in such a way that we don’t use too much light in a room. Since we want to create a very vibrant environment, we have to use the projection sparingly. If we have to project the whole room, we need to use deep colors and texture. 

MD: How do you balance the personal and impersonal elements of tech? How much of the technology are you showing?

BK: We try to hide as much as possible. The technology is visible, but when it’s done correctly, the design is beautiful and people can't see the technology. When we do something interesting, people are looking at us, but not at the projectors that are hanging over there.

MD: What do you think about immersive design as a new form of public art?

BK: It’s a very exciting medium because we can do things that don’t exist in nature—we can move things around very quickly. Design, when done correctly, is very physical. It’s very deceiving. 

[Related: 'Sviatovid' Projection Sculpture Makes U.S. Debut at InfoComm, June 10, 2019]

MD: What about audio? How does it play into the storytelling process?

BK: Audio is a bigger part of the production and should be treated in a more important way than everything else. When the visuals are missing, the brain can re-create them, but when the audio is not good quality, it actually hurts. I wish we all had more focus on the audio.

MD: Is seeing believing, or is audio believing?

BK: Ideally, all of the senses are satisfied. But definitely hearing should be considered more in our work than it is.

[Related: Bart Kresa Projection Maps King Tut's Tomb with Support from WorldStage, June 26, 2018]

The What: Brompton Technology  has announced that LED screen manufacturer digiLED will feature its Tessera SX40 LED processor and XD 10G data distribution unit on its booth at this year’s InfoComm.

The What Else: As well as displaying the SX40 and XD units on a dedicated plinth, an SX40 will also be running digiLED’s new patent-pending digiTHIN HD screen. This 1.5mm pixel pitch LED screen offers a true 16:9 ratio, native HD resolutions and is designed as the perfect replacement for fixed installations that would traditionally be serviced by high end projection screens. The 1.5m x 0.85m screen section on display at InfoComm will sit on digiLED’s new Squashed Frog plate, which adds extra versatility for rental style users of the ultra-thin HD panels by allowing it to be used on temporary mounts and stands.

“We’ve been keen to work with Brompton for a long time,” said digiLED Technical Director, Tom Mudd. “We’ve always been customer driven and recent enquiries for digiTHIN that need extremely accurate color reproduction have prompted us to add Brompton to our processor offering. We know Brompton processors have the right capabilities and, along with highly accurate screen calibration, gives us the confidence that our clients will get a VIP processing solution on a VIP screen product.”

The Bottom Line: See Brompton’s SX40 and digiTHIN LED on digiLED’s booth 1775 at InfoComm from June 12 - 14.

A couple of weeks before InfoComm, the press was invited to Crestron’s headquarters in Rockleigh, NJ, to gain insight from product managers and team members on significant announcements. We’re highlighting eight announcements below in random order. They are numbered only to correspond with the product collage and not order of importance. 

1: Crestron DM-NVX-D80-IoAV Connects Displays to the AV-over-IP World

Crestron is debuting its DM-NVX-D80-IoAV at InfoComm 2019. Crestron worked with Intel to deliver a native network AV solution for some of the biggest display manufacturers: LG, NEC, Philips, Avocor, and Smart. The OPS- (Open Pluggable Specification) based DM NVX network decoder can instantly transform a display into a native DM NVX endpoint. The DM-NVX-D80-IoAV is a plug-and-play solution that enables displays to deliver audio and 4K video across any network.

“Working with top talent at Intel, we created a 1Gb, 4K/60, AV-over-IP solution based on Intel’s open standard OPS slot,” said Fred Bargetzi, Crestron CTO. “The DM-NVX-D80-IoAV drops into native OPS slots in the back of professional displays, adding enterprise-grade security and Crestron XIO Cloud management and provisioning based on Microsoft Azure technology.”  

“The D80 is all about connecting display manufacturers to AV over IP and DM-NVX,” said Crestron’s DigitalMedia technology manager, Alex Peras.

Interoperability and flexibility were the key drivers in the design of the DM-NVX-D80-IoAV. The variety of OPS-supported displays allows for tailor-made solutions that fit nearly any application. In addition, the form factor of the allows displays to be flush-mounted to the wall. 

The DM NVX network AV is a complete, infinitely scalable solution that also transports audio, USB, and control. With the new Pixel Perfect Processing technology, DM NVX delivers a clear image every time over any network (1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb, and 10Gb).

This technology also allows for integration with Crestron XiO Cloud, an IOT-based platform that enables system deployment without programming with the ability to monitor, manage, and control each display from one centralized location.

2: Crestron Mercury X and Enhanced UX on all Mercury Models 

Having listened to a lot of feedback from end users and customers about what Crestron can do to evolve the Flex platform, Joe Sarrasin, technology manager, unified communications at Crestron said, “We’ve taken that to heart, and we'll be debuting what we're calling Mercury X, which features two big advancements for us.” One advancement is the flexibility to run native software, including Microsoft Teams and Zoom Rooms, and the ability to switch to a BYOD on the same device.

Second is Crestron’s response to requests for a simple “one cable-to-table” connection and a cleaner, simpler user experience. “You have the regular presentation with HDMI like we've had the whole time, but now there will be another USB cable available,” Sarrasin said. “When you plug the USB cable in, you can take away the camera and the audio device from the room system and use it with your laptop.

“On a more practical level, a lot of our integration partners are very excited about having to just pull the Cat cable between that device and the front of the room. It really simplifies the installation of the wiring.”

Crestron Mercury X, and all Crestron Mercury models, will also feature a more modern UI for a simpler user experience.

3: Evolution of Crestron XiO Cloud 

The latest version of XiO Cloud, Crestron’s IoT-based technology provisioning and management solution further empowers technology managers with remote support for touchscreens, support for a growing portfolio of third-party devices, and an API to pull intelligence data. Crestron is also introducing a Developer Kit. 

“The new features and developer tools, plus support for even more devices, speaks to our commitment to support technology managers by evolving the Crestron XiO Cloud platform—and without requiring any additional infrastructure investment,” said Brian Donlan, Crestron technology manager, enterprise software.

Crestron XiO Cloud now enables managers to remotely view and control Crestron touchscreens (TSW and TSS), making technical support faster and simpler. A new API enables managers to pull data by connecting Crestron XiO Cloud to business intelligence platforms via cloud-to-cloud connections, and the new Developer Kit enables third-party technology manufacturers to integrate their devices with Crestron XiO Cloud, so they can be managed like Crestron devices.

4: Expanded Room Scheduling Platform

Extending what was already a broad range of supported third-party scheduling software, Crestron is debuting the latest additions to its family of room scheduling platform. 

Ad Astra, CollegeNET, New Wave Apps, and SpaceIQ now run on Crestron room scheduling touchscreens. “Now that the third-party scheduling software is direct and native, they all have the exact same appearance and deliver the same user experience,” said Julian Fernandez, program group marketing manager at Crestron. “In the back-end they're actually controlling different databases. It’s all about providing organizations with the ability to decouple the scheduling hardware from the software application.” 

Crestron is also debuting the latest additions to its family of room scheduling touchpanels with the TSW-560 and TSW-560P, both of which support direct connect scheduling.

5: Crestron Flex M-Series and B-Series Single Display Kits

Crestron Flex Unified Communications Platform adds functionality and options with its new M-Series and B-Series single display kits. These were designed to address market demand for greater access to a native Microsoft Teams experience in a wider range of spaces, and greater demand for the consistent simple user experience Crestron Flex affords.

The continued expansion of certified Microsoft Teams devices reflects the deepening relationship between Crestron and Microsoft, and the commitment to provide the full Microsoft Teams experience to any meeting space affordably, consistently, and securely. With these single-display options, more businesses can access the Microsoft Teams experience in more spaces.

Heading into InfoComm Joseph Sarrasin said that beyond having the full line of products, he is really excited that, “We're part of the GPA Velocity program, [Global Partner Alliance Velocity Program, which is Whitlock is a founding partner]. What's nice is that we now see our integration partners coming on board with the idea of an all-in-one solution they can sell as a packaged solution for global company.”

The Crestron Flex M-Series MX models combine BYOD connectivity and a native Microsoft Teams experience, providing users with multiple ways to collaborate within their space.

Crestron Flex M-Series, B-Series, and C-Series room systems also integrate seamlessly with Crestron AirMedia 2.0.

6: Network Media Endpoint (NME-100), Digital Signage and Media Player

Crestron is debuting its new Network Media Endpoint (NME-100), a device that enables organizations to deliver consistent communications enterprise-wide via digital signage and media playback. Combined with in-room signage solutions, including AirMedia 2.0 presentation systems and the Crestron Mercury tabletop meeting and collaboration systems, Crestron has signage needs covered for nearly every enterprise space.

“Until now, we offered only ‘light’ signage solutions in the form of Crestron Mercury and AirMedia products integrated with Appspace,” said Nic Milani, executive director, commercial product marketing at Crestron. “These solutions are great for ambient signage, when the room display is inactive. Now, with the NME-100, we offer a robust solution that makes it easy to add live and interactive content to a full range of spaces using powerful Appspace software.”

The NME-100 is designed to eliminate the need for programming and is ready to use right out of the box, with provisioning and management from the cloud using the Crestron XiO Cloud. The NME-100 will be released with Appspace integration to take advantage of its digital signage content creation, management, and interactive playback capabilities.

7: Expanded DM Lite Product Line 

Crestron is showcasing its expanded DM Lite endpoint product line, including the new HD-RX-4K-510-C-E and HD-RX-4K-410-C-E receivers. Both models provide auto-switching, amplified audio outputs for speakers, and network connectivity for management and setup. 

“For smaller rooms, the product line allows you to take transmitters and receivers and then put a single one of these DM Lite receivers behind the display or up on a pole or in a rack,” said Alex Peras. “They're really small devices.”

You can mix and match for whatever room configuration you need. “For instance, you could select the two-gang transmitter, one-gang transmitter, or individual transmitters that could sit underneath the table or on a podium,” Peras said. “It's very versatile how it can be used.”

Pair any DM Lite receiver with a Crestron MPC3 media presentation controller to add low-cost room control. Engraveable buttons and dials on the MPC3 can be configured with the built-in .AV Framework software. The system can be provisioned, monitored, and managed using any web browser via the Crestron XiO Cloud IoT-based provisioning system.

8: AirMedia 2.0 Wireless Presentation Systems and Upgrade Offer

The enhancements to AirMedia 2.0 are significant. “It is a totally different platform than the 100, 101 that we started with, which was based on somebody else's chipset,” said Nic Milani.

The AirMedia 2.0 Wireless Presentation Systems (AM-200, AM-300) feature a simpler user interface, quick connection via all operating systems, and native integration with the Crestron AirBoard whiteboard capture system and Crestron Flex UC solutions. 

“Using page flip, now you can use AirMedia and inject wireless content into a team's experience” Milani said. 

The AV industry mantra continues to be a consistent user experience from room to room. “There has been a customer demand for consistency across the board,” said Joseph Sarrasin. “We can be that bridge that lets you take in these kind of diverse presentation formats natively into these UC systems.”

AirMedia already supported Chrome, and this summer Miracast will be added. This will have a significant impact, according to Milani. With Miracast, guests can directly connect to a guest network via Wi-Fi without creating a security risk to the corporate network.

“AirMedia 2.0 will support all the formats, all the devices, and then plug into all the different gear that we sell,” Milani said. “That's a big change.”

For a limited time, Crestron is offering customers the opportunity to trade in existing AirMedia AM-100 and AM-101 units and get the AM-200 at 70 percent off MSRP.

Stampede hopes to help resellers use their InfoComm free time effectively. The value added distributor is hosting a series of "Product Pop" product demonstrations at its InfoComm booth (Booth 1329) during the show. In these sessions, individual manufacturers will present 15-minute on-site demonstrations of one of their new and featured products.

The demonstrations pop up daily during InfoComm at Booth 1329 at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. Participating manufacturers include Christie, Lumens, NanoLumens, Sharp, Sonos, Elmo, Kramer, and Planar.

“Trade shows are incredibly busy events,” said Stampede president and CEO Kevin Kelly. “Oftentimes resellers end up waiting for their meetings to start, or they arrive early for a scheduled meeting. Stampede is now transforming this traditional downtime into an opportunity to receive a brief but effective 15-minute overview of an exciting new product that can add value to the product portfolio they offer their customers.”

[Stampede Gold Rush Digital Scavenger Hunt Returns to InfoComm, June 10, 2019]

Kelly points out that the plan is to make Stampede Product Pops a standard of the Stampede in-booth experience at future trade shows. “Product Pops, together with the Gold Rush Digital Scavenger Hunt and Solutions Showdown, reinforce the Stampede commitment to continuously redefining the experience of learning about and buying the many new products and solutions being developed by our manufacturer partners. This is the way that Stampede stays ahead of the herd!”