MarketScale Pro AV, 11/22/18: A Thanksgiving “Best Of”

It’s the holiday season! With Thanksgiving putting a little pressure on everyone’s schedule, we figured this was the perfect time to give you, our audience, a charcuterie board of previous MarketScale Pro AV content. Plenty of one-time podcasts on our Pro AV publication haven’t gotten the love they deserve, so we wanted to infuse them with the holiday spirit and showcase three Pro AV podcasts that encapsulate some of the most important trends, troubles and talents in the industry. Kick back while learn how the industry has adapted over the last decade to be more inclusive to women professionals, how live streaming has become more powerful and commoditized at a commercial level, and how digital signage is powering more than a great football experience for schools and universities.

A STATE OF THE UNION FOR WOMEN IN PRO AV

Our first feature is a podcast with Jennifer Willard, founder of Women in AV. When we partnered together to create quality podcast content, it was important to lay the ground work for why WAVE was necessary in the first place. We threw it back to 2011, when Willard founded the organization, and looking at the industry even then, things were much different. Just look at the InfoComm tradeshow floor; Best of Booth Babes slideshows adorned the projector screens, and there was more hired female talent than actual women representing their organizations.

Since then, through efforts taken to recognize and advance women with training, awards, mentoring initiatives recently launched in the UK, and with AVIXA’s Women’s Council local groups taking off in the past year and a half, things have improved a lot for women in Pro AV. “When it comes to the Women in AV, the only requirement that you have to be a ‘woman in AV’ is that you support us,” Willard said.

LIVE STREAMING’S IMPACT BEYOND LIVE

Our next feature focuses on the looming power of 5G on the Pro AV industry, with insight from John Dudley, Founder & President of DC Webcasting by Dudley Digital Works. Like any emerging technology, the main conversation focuses around how you can use it intentionally, avoiding the trap of “chasing technology.” Live streaming is no stranger to this conversation; increased ease of access, competitive pricing and more efficient connectivity is making the technology an intriguing investment for Pro AV providers and customers. However, optimizing live streaming is the most crucial selling point of the tech.

“There’s life beyond the live event, and for us we see a lot of engagement continue beyond the live event through the on demand playback” Dudley said. He has dedicated his time to teaching both providers and clients the ins and outs of live streaming, the pitfalls of poor pre-production, and the impact the tech can have for pushing out and leaving a legacy for important messages, and he gives us the same insights on this podcast.

USING LED DISPLAYS FOR EDUCATION AND REVENUE

Our last feature really painted a mental image. Summery Friday night, crowd cheering, stands full of fans, the sound of crashing gear. High school football, a staple event in any sports-centric community, has many memorable aspects, but maybe what doesn’t immediately come to mind is a multi-million dollar LED display showcasing highlights in slow-motion and illuminating the crowd with sponsors and promotions.

Clint Burges, Senior Event Production and Onsite-Tech Manager for Nevco, joined us on the podcast to break down how this high quality technology brings amazing benefits and growing pains. After 11 years at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX, Burges knows the impact high school and collegiate football can have on an institution, both culturally and financially. “Curriculum directors are starting to realize there’s a lot of mitigating factors here that we can benefit a lot of areas, not just the football coach and not just the AD. We can benefit so much more within the community with it,” Burges said.

OTHER ARTICLES REFERENCED

• Consumers embracing AR, VR
• NBCU and Verizon Add AR Elements to Bring Back Classic Balloons to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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