Commercial Integrator March 2021 - 31

which was one reason AVIXA is focused on
keeping InfoComm 2021 intact rather than
going with a virtual model this year.
" At the beginning of this, as the world
shut down and we all moved to working
from home and digital events, there was
some talk that we'd never do a face-to-face
again, " he says. " There's no one in my
sphere who believes that anymore.
" We all recognize the communal need
we have as human beings to connect with
one another. We know the value an event
like InfoComm has for our community is
incalculably higher in person than it is digitally.
You can't experience digital signage
or loudspeakers on a Zoom call. That's our
industry. "
Labuskes says InfoComm 2022 is
scheduled for the traditional June slot in
Las Vegas. He notes AVIXA will likely follow
a similar timeline as ISE when it comes to
whether the October dates will remain
viable for InfoComm 2021, meaning a decision
will likely come about three months
ahead of the ribbon cutting.
" The plan is the plan until it's not the plan
anymore, " says Labuskes. " We'll make a
decision in time to ensure people don't
waste money. "
He hopes conversations about trade
shows move away from attendance.
" I think more people are going to come
to a show in October than would have
come in June but does it really do any good
to guess back and forth on that? People are
more optimistic they will be traveling and
attending events in the fourth quarter than
in second, " says Labuskes.
" I'd like to get the industry to look at the
real value of the trade show-meeting right
people, engaging in the right conversations,
identifying and discovering the right
solutions, " he says. " It doesn't have to be
about quantity anymore. We've got the
ability to be a lot more sophisticated in targeting
information and targeting solutions
to those who need it.
" People aren't going to just decide
they're looking for somewhere to travel at
the end of October and go to InfoComm.
I'm not sure if it's going to be 20,000 people
or 500,000 people if everyone who's
been trapped in their homes decides they
want to come to the show, " says Labuskes
commercialintegrator.com
What to Do without InfoComm 2021 in June
By Zachary Comeau
InfoComm 2021 has been rescheduled from its traditional June dates to October.
Here are a few things you can do to help improve your business during those few days
in June:
Rethink your business. COVID-19 has changed the way your customers live and
work. When the virus subsides and employees come back to the office, it likely won't
snap back to how it was pre-pandemic. Hybrid work is the buzz word of late, and it
really remains to be seen if remote work has any staying power at all. With vaccines
being distributed, we should start to see some semblance of normalcy later this year
- possibly this summer. That should give you a better idea of where the unmet needs
are and how your integration firm can adapt to the changing economy.
Network virtually. The pandemic took away the possibility to meet each other
and network, which is a huge draw for these events. However, the tech industry continued
to innovate throughout 2020 and beyond and created new opportunities to
network digitally. Companies like LinkedIn have created new opportunities for virtual
networking, and some in the pro AV space already make use of those tools. The team
at Commercial Integrator and our connected brands created virtual networking
opportunities as part of Total Tech Summit. If you were a part of that, we look forward
to helping you replace those lost trade show connections.
Build and improve your workforce. Workforce development has been one of
the main grievances of most integration firms that I've interviewed. Unlike similar
fields like IT, there's not really any school or university that specializes in this relatively
obscure and niche industry. Instead of running around the trade show floor, use those
days to reach out to local community colleges or technical schools to see if there are
any partnership opportunities that can help create a pipeline of talent to your company
and the industry as a whole. Take a look at your company and ask yourself if young
professionals would want to work there. Make necessary changes to your company to
make it more inviting to today's entry-level workers.
Work on your training and certifications. AVIXA, NSCA, Crestron and others
offer classed, trainings and certifications for AV technicians, so check those out and
study up to take the affiliated exams and get certified. If you've done that already (as
most of you have), consider educating yourself in IT. AV and IT are merging and you
can't stop it, so check out certifications from organizations like CompTIA, Microsoft,
Cisco, and others to get schooled in networking, programming and other IT-related
disciplines that you'll eventually need to learn to stay with the times. Learning a new
skill that can help your business is always time well spent.
Attend ISE. Integrated Systems Europe is still scheduled for Barcelona, Spain, for
June 1-4. If you were planning on flying across the Atlantic Ocean and then go down to
Florida for InfoComm a week later, more power to you. If you were only planning on attending
one trade show in June, your decision is a little bit easier now. ISE is in Barcelona
this year for the first time, so if you've never been to Spain, now is your chance.
with a laugh.
" Those who are there and have the
opportunity to connect with our community
will be richer than those who aren't, "
he says.
Labuskes says it's incumbent upon everyone
who comes to InfoComm 2021 or any
other trade show to " be grownups and follow
the protocols that have been put in place
to make this as safe of an event as possible. "
" That's not solely AVIXA's responsibility, "
he says. " It's the exhibitors' responsibility,
the sponsors' responsibility and the attendees'
responsibilities. Part of the magic of a
trade show is having those events but we all
need to follow the guidance. " CI
MARCH 2021 Commercial Integrator
31

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Commercial Integrator March 2021

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