Summer is upon us, and the Pro AV news is heating up. Get caught up on what you missed this week.
[Three Days at InfoComm: Wayne's Quick Hits from the Show Floor]
People News
Datapath Welcomes Craig Childs
Datapath appointed Craig Childs as senior regional sales manager for the Midwest U.S. region. He brings expansive audio visual knowledge to the role, with over 30 years of AV experience across brands such as Polk Audio, Atlona, Biamp, and Crestron.
Childs' new role will see him working closely with Datapath’s senior sales team to drive new business, particularly solutions involving Datapath’s Aetria solution for control rooms and multi-source video management. Covering Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota., he is relishing his new role and the opportunities it brings.
Company News
Almo Pro AV Named AVPro Edge’s First National Distributor Dedicated to Pro AV Market
Almo Pro AV announced a new partnership with AVPro Edge, manufacturer of high-performance signal management and connectivity products. Through this partnership, Almo Pro AV becomes AVPro Edge’s first national distribution partner focused exclusively on serving the commercial and Pro AV markets, including enterprise, education, government, hospitality, and marine. As a result, Almo Pro AV integrators now have access to the AVPro Edge’s complete product portfolio, including AV over IP, HDMI extenders, matrix switchers, audio solutions, video essentials, bullet train cables and more.
AVPro Edge will also participate in Almo Pro AV’s fall E4 Experience tour, making stops in Santa Clara on September 10 and Chicago on October 7. The E4 Experience offers and full day of education, emerging trends, hands-on demos, and networking with nearly 50 manufacturing and service exhibitors, endless networking opportunities, along with the ability to earn valuable AVIXA CTS Renewal Units.
Boom Collaboration Partners with Aldous Systems
Boom Collaboration has announced a new distribution partnership with Aldous Systems (Europe), expanding its presence in the U.K. market. This partnership allows Aldous Systems to offer Boom’s complete range of videoconferencing solutions, including videobars, cameras, speakerphones, and connectivity hubs.
Aylesbury-based Aldous is a distributor of networking, control, and audio/video equipment to the trade. Established in 2002 with a commitment to excellent customer service and a strong engineering background in networking products, Aldous has built an extensive customer base in the U.K. and mainland Europe, continuing to research new and innovative solutions for residential and commercial integrators. Product lines currently cover a range of technologies including voice, data, video, audio, CCTV, automation, and access control.
Black Box and CREON to Present Live Webinar on Control Rooms
Black Box is joining with control room design specialist CREON to co-host a live 30-minute webinar titled “Ergonomics + Technology: The Blueprint for Modern Control Rooms.” Scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, from 11–11:30 a.m. CT, the event is designed for control-room planners, designers, and operations managers seeking to enhance team performance through thoughtful workspace design and intuitive system integration.
During the webinar, Black Box and CREON experts will share best practices and innovative approaches to designing control rooms that prioritize operator comfort and efficiency. They will cover: ergonomic workplace design, technology integration, and use cases.
Registration for “Ergonomics + Technology: The Blueprint for Modern Control Rooms” is open now at register.gotowebinar.com/register/1268148571774676567.
D-Tools and FireCAD Announce Strategic Integration
D-Tools and FireCAD, powered by Inspect Point, a cloud-based fire alarm CAD solution, announced a strategic integration.
This partnership represents a significant opportunity for fire and security industry professionals, combining D-Tools' end-to-end business management capabilities with FireCAD’s purpose-built tools for fire alarm system design and documentation.
This integration marks a pivotal step in bridging a critical gap that currently exists between system design and ongoing project execution for fire and life safety contractors. By connecting FireCAD’s submittal-ready design tools with D-Tools’ comprehensive System Integrator (SI) platform, the collaboration empowers teams to move seamlessly from riser diagrams and device schedules to estimating, selling, and managing projects, all within a unified workflow. FireCAD streamlines fire alarm system layout with automated calculations, an extensive manufacturer parts library, and code-aligned outputs that simplify AHJ approvals. Once finalized, system designs can be pushed into D-Tools for quoting, project management, procurement, and field execution, closing the loop between CAD and ERP.
Extron Network AV Specialist Certification Now Available Online
Extron's Network AV Specialist (NAVS) Certification is now available as a self-paced, online training program. Designed to equip AV professionals with essential knowledge and practical skills, the NAVS certification focuses on the design, implementation, and management of Extron NAV Pro AV over IP systems, including the powerful NAVigator System Manager. This flexible format allows learners to advance their AV over IP expertise at their own pace and convenience.
The NAVS Certification covers core topics including networked AV fundamentals, system planning and design, configuration, and troubleshooting workflows. Participants will also earn accredited continuing education units (CEUs) from AVIXA and BICSI. Ideal for system designers, field engineers, and technicians, certification is awarded upon successful completion of all online modules and the final exam.
JBL VTX A Series Powers Recovery Benefit Concert for Ladders to Leaders
In early 2025, the city of Hagerstown came together for an unforgettable evening of live music and community impact at the Ladders to Leaders Recovery Benefit Concert. Organized by Ladders to Leaders, a local non-profit that supports individuals in achieving lasting recovery, and powered by All Sound Pro LLC, the benefit celebrated those transitioning from addiction to recovery and raised vital support for three local recovery homes operated by Ladders to Leaders.
Bob Ranalli of All Sound Pro and his team deployed a JBL VTX A Series system for the event, choosing it for its clarity, rider friendliness, and effortless deployment. The venue presented several acoustic challenges, including a large parabolic dome in the ceiling and a mix position located slightly house right and under a balcony. Using JBL Performance Manager, Ranalli and team fine-tuned the deployment to handle these challenges. The main JBL VTX A8 arrays were supported by VTX B28 subwoofers in cardioid configuration to keep the low end focused out in the audience, while JBL SRX906 speakers were used for front fill coverage of the VIP seating area. The house’s existing under-balcony loudspeakers were integrated into the system using Crown VRack amplifiers and tuned by ear to match the tonal character of the VTX system.
The performance featured a lineup of musicians with national credentials and deep local roots, including Brad Divens (Wrathchild America, Souls At Zero and KIX) as lead vocalist and bass guitarist, Shannon Larkin of Godsmack and Wrathchild America on drums, Bob Paré from KIX and Ever Rise on guitar and vocals, Brian Forsythe of KIX and Rhino Bucket on guitar, and Brad’s son Zach as a guest vocalist.