Systems Contractor News - July 2019 by publications

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Y O U R I N S I D E R B U S I N E S S R E S O U R C E F O R M O R E T H A N 2 5 Y E A R S / / / JULY 2019

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The InfoComm 2019 Rundown AVSELFIES4LOBBY LIGHT SHOW4TIDE CONFERENCE4PUPPIES! 8 industry insiders 27 Tech Tales

Pro Media Audio & Video’s Ted Leamy explains how cognitive bias impacts testing and verification.

28 Executive Q&A

Manny Linhares of Legrand AV talks about support through the Internet of Things (IoT).

58 Viewpoint

Elizabeth Newton discusses her struggles with burnout in her personal and professional life.

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CON TENTS

PEOPLE 27 THINKING CRITICALLY As AV systems have become more complex on enterprise networks, with so many different technical people sharing ownership of the quality of the system, subconscious prejudices are even more in play. By Ted Leamy

48 SNAPSHOTS 44 HIGH-TECH READINESS A new communications system gave Florida’s St. Louis Covenant School customizable tools and peace of mind. By Margot Douaihy, Ph.D.

TECHNOLOGY 46 TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE Often, we consider the economizing that has sharpened our work as an exhausting, and sometimes dangerous result of our industrial and profit-based society. But one area where that fine-tuning has been of incredible benefit to the AV industry is in installation efficiency—it is much quicker to install racks and mounts today than even a few years ago. By Mary Bakija

48 MICS FOR HOW Megachurches may attract a lot of attention in pro AV, but as many as 90 percent of U.S. churchgoers attend houses of worship with fewer than 500 fellow congregants. For microphone manufacturers and the sales outlets and integrators that support them, those numbers offer tremendous opportunities.

FEATURES

By Steve Harvey

30 | INFOCOMM 2019 WRAP-UP

InfoComm news can be overwhelming, and we’re sure the 2019 show was no exception. In case you missed it, here’s an overview of some of the most important show happenings. By Sydney Braat, Mark Coxon, Cindy Davis, Dr. Margot Douaihy, Megan Dutta, Matt Pruznick, Anthony Savona

VIEWPOINT 58 BURNOUT When

experiencing

burnout—whether

or professional—sometimes it’s best to unplug.

40 | AV TECH AND FURNITURE

By Elizabeth Newton

DEPARTMENTS

Forward-thinking AV professionals are setting the bar for a new brand of partnership between AV technology and office furniture design. By Camille Burch

ASSOCIATION NEWS............................................. 26 PEOPLE & REP NEWS............................................. 29 PRODUCTS............................................................... 50

Are You Online? So Are We. 46 Vol. 26 No. 7 July 2019 Systems Contractor News (ISSN 1078-4993) is published monthly by Future US, Inc., 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10036-8002. Periodical postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to: SYSTEMS CONTRACTOR NEWS, P.O. Box 1051, Lowell, MA 01853. Subscription rates are US: 1 yr $59, 2 yr $105; Canada: 1 yr $109, 2 yr $205, Foreign: 1 yr $169, 2 yr $325; Single copy price $10. Subscribe online at www.MySCNews.com. Please allow 6-8 weeks for address changes to take effect. ©Copyright 2019 by Future US, Inc. PRINTED IN U.S.A.

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editorial

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JULY 2019 VOL . 26 NO. 7

Power of the People

VP/Content Creation Anthony Savona Content Director Megan A. Dutta, megan.dutta@futurenet.com Content Managers Katie Makal, Jessika Walsten

Megan A. Dutta

Contributors: Mary Bakija, Sydney Braat, Camille Burch, Mark Coxon, Cindy Davis, Dr. Margot Douaihy, Steve Harvey, Elizabeth Newton, Matt Pruznick Managing Design Director Nicole Cobban Production Manager Fred Vega A DV E R T ISING SA L ES

VP/Market Expert, AV/Consumer InfoComm 2019 wasn't about the products—it was about the connections made.

Follow Me Online megan.dutta@futurenet.com facebook.com/ systemscontractor twitter.com/scnmag twitter.com/meganadutta @scnmagazine

InfoComm 2019 focused on the experience—like this projection-mapped sculpture from Bart Kresa.

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. 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. 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.

Electronics, Education & Pro Audio Adam Goldstein, adam.goldstein@futurenet.com, 212-378-0465 SUBSCRIBER CUS TOMER SERVICE

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News Highlights from SCN Online

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Rockefeller Plaza’s Top of the Rock Redefines Vivid Imagery new york, ny—For

anyone wanting to see New York City in all its splendor, nothing beats the Top of the Rock at the iconic Rockefeller Plaza, which provides 360-degree views of the New York City skyline. In the area that serves as the queue space for the elevator ride to the top, there is now a vibrant 25-foot-wide by 9-foot-high LED display that serves as a point of information about the observation deck and the museum that accompanies it. Installed by Synapse Audio Visual Designs, the display comprises 84 Rhodium P2.85 LED cabinets drawn from Vanguard LED Displays.

* Top 5 Online Stories

View them online at avnetwork.com/scn0719.

5. Collaboration Products You Need to See at InfoComm 2019 4. SCN Announces 2019 SCN InfoComm Products Installation Award Winners 3. The InfoComm 2019 Download 2. Top 8 Crestron Announcements at InfoComm 2019 1. The Sky’s The Limit for In-Ceiling Speakers

Blog bits Now on avnetwork.com By Luke Jordan, PMP, CTS-I The show floor was interesting this year. The obvious attractions, like the projection-mapped sculpture, Samsung’s 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 new abilities, firmware updates improved quality and added rich features, and the overall AV experience seemed to take fewer steps and feel better ... but that was it.

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Now on residentialsystems.com By Peter Zawistowski We are told that the more we accomplish, the more the reward we will receive. Sometimes the reward is financial compensation or an increase in job status—or maybe both. The more productive we are in a given time period, whether it is a work day or a special assignment, might lead to more free time, giving us more time in our personal and family life. Let’s try a few productivity habits that can help anyone. You don’t have to try all of them at once, but using multiple techniques may lead you to success more quickly.

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Now on Installation-International.com By Jamie Adkin The use cases for KVM are clear, but for companies on the verge of first implementation, there can be a lot to learn. First there’s the question of KVM versus virtualized desktops, then direct connect versus IP, then lossless versus visually lossless—and that’s before you begin to consider the physical footprint, where you’re going to install your new infrastructure, how many units you need to accommodate, how many users you have, and how your needs are likely to grow.

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Synnex Teams with AVIXA to Launch U.S. Regional Learning Centers JOHNSTALEYPHOTO.COM

courses for AVIXA’s CTS certification. Synnex Corp. has signed an agreement with AVIXA “We are proud to partner with Synnex to to launch three regional learning centers in the add AVIXA training locations in North America. United States. Synnex is the first AVIXA partner Training, standards, and certification are hallmarks to invest in regional learning centers, which will of our profession, and we are grateful for Synnex’s be located in Greenville, SC, Fremont, CA, and support of the industry’s success,” said Amanda Downers Grove, IL, just outside of Chicago. Beckner, CTS, AVIXA’s vice president of learning. “We are pleased to invest in continuing “Synnex and AVIXA both value lifelong learning education and certification offerings for our and peer communities. Through our partnership, partners through this exciting new agreement,” those values come together to create a learning said Sandi Stambaugh, vice president, product environment our customers can rely on—a place management, Synnex Corp. “By working with Sandi Stambaugh of Synnex Corp. (left) and Amanda AVIXA and our team of industry experts, our Beckner, CTS, of AVIXA celebrated their organizations’ to gain confidence in new skills, prepare for certification, and gather sources of inspiration.” goal is to help partners grow their businesses by education and certification partnership at InfoComm. Additional offerings include AVIXA courses in providing the proper training and tools needed to AV installation, AV design, networking technology, better service end customers.” project management for live events, and managing AV staff. The three Each regional learning center is configured to keep integrators up regional learning centers will open to current AVIXA members and nonto date on industry best practices while introducing them to the latest members in Q3 of this year. In addition to pro AV integrators, vertical audiovisual technologies. Powered by Synnex VisualSolv, the program market end users—as well as those interested in attaining education for is part of Synnex’s larger ServiceSolv training initiative, which includes future AV career opportunities—are eligible to participate. education from dedicated design engineers, including licensed prep

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alleeroed, denmark—Producer and engineer Chan Pui Ching captured live performances on Buddhist singing bowls by Chinese artist and wellness guru Tsang Man Tung with the help of DPA’s d:vote 4099 instrument microphones. Thirty-nine tracks were recorded live over a period of three days for the album The Seed of Sound, which is relieving stress and assisting personal meditation among Tsang’s followers.

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Samsung Opens Executive Briefing Center in Irvine

©DALI LIVES ©SALVADOR DALI MUSEUM, 2019. FUNDACIO GALA-SALVADOR DALI RESERVES PHOTOGRAPHIC RIGHTS OF DALI’S PERSON

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st. petersburg, fl—The Dali Museum is celebrating Salvador Dali’s art and legacy with Dali Lives, an experience enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) that reimagines the artist in the present day. Dali Lives employs machine learning to create a version of Dali’s likeness, resulting in an uncanny resurrection of the mustachioed master for visitors to experience. The charismatic life-sized Salvador Dali will greet visitors on a series of interactive screens throughout the museum, personally welcoming guests to The Dali, addressing present-day conditions, and speaking about the motivations behind his masterpieces. Digital Dali will even snap and share selfies with guests before they leave.

Samsung Electronics America has opened an Executive Briefing Center (EBC) in Irvine, CA. The state-of-theart, 7,500-square-foot facility features the full Samsung digital display, commercial TV, and monitor portfolio. This location is Samsung’s third U.S. briefing center, following the launch of sites in New Jersey and New York, and the first in California. Located in Orange County, the EBC will be open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Samsung has a rich history of innovative display solutions and we are thrilled at the opportunity to showcase our technology, built for business, at the new EBC,” said Mario DiAntonio, team leader—B2B technical account management, Samsung Electronics America. “This world-class center will be a space where we can highlight the latest in cutting-edge display technologies designed to drive meaningful engagement and accelerate growth in business.” Samsung leaders will host everything from customer meetings to large events and workshops at the new EBC. Technologies in use there include the 146-inch The Wall modular MicroLED display, QLED 8K digital signage, IF Series displays for commercial settings, and collaborative workplace solutions including the Samsung Flip digital flipchart.

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news AV Stumpfl Establishes U.S. Facility AV Stumpfl’s U.S. team offers direct support from its newly established Atlanta headquarters.

The AV Stumpfl team now offers its U.S. customers direct support, repairs, and sales consultation services from its U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, GA. “Last year’s establishment of AV Stumpfl was a new chapter in our company history,” said Todd Liedahl, managing director, AV Stumpfl. “Finding the right place was one thing, but building a strong U.S.based team was even more important. We continue to see a lot of growth potential for both our projection screen and media server systems. Therefore, we think it is important to clearly communicate to our customers that they have a direct line in the U.S. to purchase from the manufacturer’s domestic facility.”

D-Tools SI Users Gain Access to AV-iQ Database D-Tools and AV products database AV-iQ have completed a software integration that will provide D-Tools System Integrator (SI) users with direct access to AV-iQ’s sponsor manufacturer product data for use in their client engagements. D-Tools’ SI software uses product specifications from D-Tools’ comprehensive data library to drive estimation, system design, and project management of low-voltage systems. Providing users with access to AV-iQ’s database of AV products will provide D-Tools SI users with another powerful resource to quickly and accurately find, select, and use that detailed information for their proposals and project documentation. Linking AV-iQ’s product database to project documentation through D-Tools software will result in a singular, connected process capable of producing more accurate proposals and estimates, while simultaneously reducing time and errors.

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MARLA AUFMUTH/TED

Meyer Sound has inked a multiyear partnership agreement to supply audio reinforcement systems for the annual TED Conference. Inaugurated at TED2019, held in April at Canada’s Vancouver Convention Centre, the collaboration between Meyer Sound and TED is the result of what both enterprises regard as a common culture of excellence. “One thing I noticed when I first reached out to Meyer Sound was that we share the same values,” said Mina Sabet, director of production and video operations for TED. “TED is, of course, technology, entertainment, and design, and we start with those common interests. But there was also a level of integrity that I hadn’t experienced with other companies. Meyer Sound takes their work seriously, but I also sensed an underlying commitment to inclusion and kindness, which are values important to TED.” According to Sabet, the collaboration has reaped immediate benefits in that respect. “If you’re not feeling the audio in your bones when sitting in the TED Theater, then you’re not really getting the full experience,” she said. “That was my goal this year, and Meyer Sound helped us achieve it. They redesigned our theater audio system in a way that makes you feel the sound is blanketing you throughout the talks or performances.” At the close of TED2019, where more than 1,800 attendees from 53 countries gathered for more than 100 talks and performances, Meyer Sound’s John Monitto confirmed the value of the time and effort invested by the company in the ambitious project. “It was an incredible experience across the board, from the quality of the presentations through the quality of technical production and the way they curate the talks,” he said. “It was all just amazing.” Originally launched as a closed-door conference on “Technology,

Meyer Sound redesigned the theater audio system for TED2019 and signed a multiyear agreement to supply audio reinforcement systems for the annual conference.

Entertainment, and Design,” TED has become a global platform for sharing talks across a variety of disciplines. Videos of TED Talks are available at www.TED.com and on other platforms, with TED Talks Daily audio streams available on Apple Podcasts and other platforms.

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Meyer Sound Partners with TED

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news AIMS Releases Positioning Paper Focusing on Open IP Interoperability Standards for Pro AV

Sound Productions Awards 2019 Technical Theater Scholarship

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has released a positioning paper, titled AV over IP: It’s Real, and It’s Transformational, that examines the impact of the media-over-IP movement on the pro AV and installed systems markets. A key focus is AIMS’ efforts to promote a single set of common, ubiquitous protocols for interoperability over IP in the pro AV industry based on the SMPTE ST 2110 standards suite for video, audio, and data transport. “The pro AV industry is up against the same issues that the broadcast industry faced about three years ago: the inevitability of a transition to IP infrastructures and a decision about whether to adopt proprietary technologies and closed systems, or to unite behind an open standards approach,” said David Chiappini, chair of the AIMS Pro AV Working Group. “At AIMS, we strongly believe that a single standardized interface for IP is essential for the industry to thrive. An IP technology infrastructure based on open standards provides the industry with the maximum agility and flexibility to adjust business models, capitalize on new revenue opportunities, and add new capabilities and services without having to constantly rebuild workflows.” The AIMS AV over IP paper is now available for download at www. aimsalliance.org/white-papers.

Calliope “Cal” Thompson was awarded the $5,000 Technical Theater Scholarship at the Dallas Summer Musical High School Theater Awards (DSM HSMTA). The scholarship was donated by Sound Productions, which created the scholarship in 2017 and awards it annually to one student who plans to pursue a technical degree in theater. “Those who don’t invest in the future are doomed to the past. These kids are our future. I believe in them and want them to get a good education, without the burden of debt,” said Joshua Curlett, CEO, Sound Productions. “It’s not just about the money—it’s about investing in someone you believe in. We are trying to create a path so these kids have a career that they love for the rest of their lives.” More than 300 area high school students performed at the DSM HSMTA, and winners were announced in 18 categories representing outstanding artistic and educational achievement for both individual students and high school theater programs. “The experience of a regional competition like this is great for all of the participants,” added Curlett. “I’ve had the honor of supporting previous winners as they travel to New York, and the opportunity is unparalleled for anyone in performing arts.” Thompson, this year’s scholarship recipient, plans to pursue a technical theater degree at Centenary College of Louisiana.

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news Taco Bell Kiosks Win Elevate Award Elo’s self-order kiosk project with leading Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant (QSR) Taco Bell won the Interactive Customer Experience (ICX) Association’s 2019 Elevate Award for Best Restaurant ICX. The award category recognizes restaurant-specific achievement in using interactive technologies to create a transcendent brand experience. Customers are able to enjoy Taco Bell’s award-winning experience design on kiosks at thousands of locations across the country via EloView, a custom application managed in-house and deployed on Elo’s 22-inch large-format displays. All kiosks are managed from a central location to enable a consistent customer experience. The goal of the kiosk program is to give Taco Bell customers a modernized in-restaurant ordering experience. Taco Bell partnered with Elo to create the kiosks, whose foundation is a custom application that showcases the restaurant’s menu. “Taco Bell strives to stay relevant with customers’ ever-changing preferences and we are honored that the ICX Association recognizes our efforts,” said Rafik Hanna, senior director, IT, Taco Bell. “By partnering with Elo, we have succeeded in delivering a frictionless experience to our customers while streamlining our operations. We have unlocked the ability for our fans to make their menu items more cheesy, beefy, crunchy and more, all with the tap of a finger.” The Taco Bell kiosk program deployment began in Q4 of 2018. Self-service kiosks are now online in more than 4,000 locations in the United States. With continued momentum, Taco Bell is on track to complete its national rollout in 2019, bringing the self-service kiosks to nearly 7,000 locations across the United States.

Scholarship Recognizes Student Creativity on Video Scoreboards Watchfire Signs has endowed a scholarship that recognizes high school students who develop content for Watchfire video scoreboards or displays on campus. The Fired Up Watchfire Scholarship will provide $500 in financial assistance to a graduating high school senior who demonstrates excellence in the creation and use of content on a Watchfire sports display during a live event. Students can submit content created as part of a school’s curriculum or as an extracurricular activity. Entries will be judged based on the impact the content makes on creating school pride, as well as the student’s academic performance. Additional details are available at www. watchfiresigns.com/firedup. The deadline to apply is July 1; Watchfire will announce the scholarship recipient by Aug. 1.

trends

orlando, fl—LG

Electronics USA Business Solutions was selected by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) to provide video screens for the renovation of the departure processing facilities at Orlando International Airport, which serves 48 million leisure and business travelers each year. A total of 700 55-inch ultra-thin-bezel video wall screens from LG were installed at the airport to create a continuous 1,561-foot digital display wall behind airline counters, and another 500 LG displays were installed for wayfinding throughout the airport.

Legrand AV Gives Back Through Habitat for Humanity BY MEGAN A. DUTTA

Legrand AV’s teams worked with Habitat for Humanity to complete three builds in May: one in Minnesota, one in New Jersey, and one in Indiana.

The staff at Legrand AV has been working with Habitat for Humanity, assisting with building new housing near Legrand AV’s various facilities. In the month of May, the team completed builds in Minnesota, New Jersey, and Indiana. Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing association committed to a vision of “building strength, stability and self-reliance in partnership with families in need of decent and affordable housing.” Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. “It is rewarding to be able to spend the workday outside, making a difference in our local communities while team-building with fellow employees,” said Liz Hager, senior art director and Better Communities leader at Legrand AV. “We get so busy with our day-to-day work that I find myself meeting a handful of coworkers for the first time when we volunteer at Better Communities Committee events like Habitat. I love working at a company that is dedicated to giving back to the community and enables its employees to lead the charge.” Through its Better Communities program, Legrand AV supports employee volunteer and philanthropic efforts in the communities where they live and work. The company’s program is based on three tenets: Better Homes, Better Schools, and Better Recovery. To learn more about Legrand AV’s Better Communities program, visit www.legrandav. com/en/about_us/information/commitments/community.

Recording Industry Golf & Poker Tournament Supports A Place Called Home The 2019 Recording Industry Golf & Poker Tournament (RIGT) took place on June 3 at the Sand Canyon Golf Club in Santa Clarita, CA. The event was attended by dozens of recording industry leaders, including producers, engineers, and manufacturers, who attended as golfers, sponsors or both. This year’s RIGT was again organized by event producer Karen Dunn of KMD Productions and supported the music program at A Place Called Home, a dynamic community center and safe haven in South Central Los Angeles where underserved youth 8-21 years old are empowered to take ownership of the quality and direction of their lives through programs in education, arts, and well-being. Recording veterans Ed Cherney and Al Schmitt returned as honorary co-chairs for the afternoon’s festivities. Participants included a who’s who of the audio industry, and sponsors included Audio-Technica, Lurssen Mastering, NAMM, David Angress Consulting, Bob Hodas Acoustic Analysis, The Recording Studio Insurance Program, studioexpresso, Westlake Pro with Avid, TransAudio Group with ATC, Leapwing Audio, Slate Companies, AVN | Sys, and SSL. In addition to the 18 holes of golfing, poker, and the Harley Davidson hole-in-one, great food, a reception and awards dinner, Dunn and Rose Mann-Cherney made the rounds in the “world famous tequila cart” to make sure all of the day’s participants played their best.

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Engineer/producer Ed Cherney was the winner of the RIGT poker tournament.

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news Harman Pro Appoints Synnex as a Distributor for U.S. Harman Professional Solutions has signed a U.S. distributor agreement with Synnex Corp. The agreement makes the company part of a select group of preferred Harman Pro distributors in the IT channel through Synnex VisualSolv, which specializes in digital signage, professional AV, physical security, and collaborative communication offerings that unite the industry’s AV, IT, and CE technologies. Synnex customers now have access to the Harman portfolio of brands and products that are required to help grow business in the corporate, government, and commercial contracting business sectors. According to the companies, the agreement significantly strengthens Synnex’s audio portfolio and expands Harman’s reach in the AV and IT channels. “We are excited to partner with Synnex Corp. and expand our distribution channels within the U.S.,” said Michael Schoen, vice president of retail and distribution North America, Harman Pro. “We are looking forward to our collaboration with Synnex and are confident their experience and in-depth knowledge of the IT and pro AV markets will help us deliver the most relevant technology solutions to our customers.” “By working with Harman Professional Solutions, we are able to deliver a range of competitive new audio offerings to our customers,” said Sandi Stambaugh, vice president, product management, Synnex Corp. “Harman also helps customers meet strategic vertical market needs with one of the industry’s most trusted brands.” The agreement includes audio products from JBL, AMX, and BSS.

L-Acoustics Extends AVIXA CTS Certification to Two New Training Modules

L-Acoustics Variable Curvature Line Source and Loudspeaker System Calibration trainings are now AVIXA CTS-certified.

L-Acoustics has expanded its AVIXA Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) Renewal Unit (RU) Provider status to include two new training modules. Engineers participating in the L-Acoustics Variable Curvature Line Source (3.5 RU) or Loudspeaker System Calibration (3.5 RU) training modules, either at an L-Acoustics location or via L-Acoustics Certified Providers throughout the world, will now also be able to receive CTS

Renewal Units. This news follows the announcement at ISE in February that Soundvision Basics training (1.5 RU) and LA Drive System Training (2 RU) were the first L-Acoustics education program offerings to receive certification. L-Acoustics continues to partner with AVIXA to offer quality continuing education to AVIXA professionals around the world. “Across the globe, our L-Acoustics training programs are on track to deliver over 6,000 certifications in 2019,” said Etienne Corteel, director of scientific outreach at L-Acoustics. “Expanding the AVIXA CTS offering to two of our strategic trainings is a mark of quality for the engineers who look to L-Acoustics to provide not only the highest standard in equipment, but also the highest standard in education for the professionals who design, implement, and calibrate our systems around the globe.”

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sugar land, tx—Responding

to an expanding congregation, the Fort Bend Church recently opened Legacy Center, a 56,925-square-foot multipurpose facility housing two competition-sized basketball courts, 16 classrooms, a youth center, and ancillary spaces. Tasked with designing a flexible sound system that could economically and efficiently overcome the audio challenges of the new facility’s glassed atrium and additionally provide a multipurpose room solution and an immersive gaming experience, Houston-based integrator Covenant Communications installed Bose Professional EdgeMax in-ceiling premium loudspeakers.

Barco Sells Medialon to 7thSense Design 7thSense Design has reached an agreement in principle with Barco regarding the intended sale of the Medialon brand and ShowControl activities. The team behind 7thSense Design has led the acquisition to form a new company, Medialon Ltd., which will acquire the Medialon brand and ShowControl activities from Barco. The new company will join the 7thSense Design family. Medialon Ltd. will operate from Orlando, FL, with satellite offices in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. The company will provide dedicated solutions for the control, supervision, and monitoring of lighting, audio, video, and special effects at museums, attractions, and theme parks. The sale is intended to be concluded by July 1, 2019. Eric Cantrell, currently product manager for Medialon within Barco, will lead the new Medialon Ltd. business from the Orlando facility as vice president of business operations. Speaking about the acquisition, he said, “The decision by Barco to transfer the Medialon show control activity is driven by Barco’s continuous effort to focus on core activities comprising display and image processing technology, in conjunction with strengthened partnerships across the value chain in the entertainment market. This transfer will allow Medialon greater agility to further enhance its product offering and expand its scale. We are excited to bring a highly focused range of solutions and services to attractions and theme parks as part of the 7thSense Design family.” The team behind the newly formed Medialon are specialists in the niche markets of themed entertainment and attractions, and are positioned well to integrate and further scale the activity of the show control operation while sustaining the install base and guaranteeing continuity to its customers. Matt Barton, CEO of Medialon Ltd. and 7thSense Design, said, “7thSense Design’s products and technologies are often integrated into theme park and attraction installations alongside Medialon show control products. Medialon Ltd.’s acquisition of the Medialon show control product, and its new place in the 7thSense Design family, allows the two businesses to offer complementary media serving and show control solutions to themed entertainment and attraction markets.” The transfer of the Medialon brand and ShowControl activities does not include the Overture product suite, which will continue to be owned by Barco.

trends

news

Pro AV sales remain strong in 2019, according to AVIXA’s Pro-AV Business Index. Several surveyed AV professionals are relishing in the busy summer season. However, others report that tariffs are creating headwinds. In May, the AV Sales Index (AVIS) edged up to 63.8. Measuring comfortably above the neutral growth marker of 50, this number demonstrates the continued good health of the pro AV industry. The increased respect for integrated AV in the marketplace is driving higher revenues, according to surveyed AV professionals. “Though dramatic headlines make it difficult, wisdom suggests taking a wide view of market fluctuations,” said Peter Hansen, economic analyst, AVIXA. “Key indicators like unemployment and the stock market can considerably deviate from expectations in a given month. Usually these fluctuations are noise, not signal. Patience is especially important in pro AV, as revenue sources like concerts, construction, and renovation involve months of advance planning and cannot respond to short-term jumps.” International trade suffered in May, as President Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports to 25 percent before threatening to impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods imported from Mexico. For now, it appears the tariffs on Mexico will not take effect thanks to bipartisan congressional opposition and some anti-immigration efforts by the Mexican government U.S. employment numbers disappointed in May, as the economy registered an increase of 75,000 jobs against an expectation of 180,000. In addition, April’s strong growth number was revised down by 39,000 jobs to 224,000. The monthly jobs numbers have fluctuated in 2019, such as when we saw 312,000 jobs added in January and then just 56,000 in February. Observers shouldn’t focus too much on a single weak month. Still, the stakes for June’s numbers are now slightly higher. Pro AV employment also had a month of moderately disappointing growth. At 56.6, the AV Employment Index (AVI-E) reflects continued job growth, but at a slower pace than April’s mark of 60.3. The Pro-AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA AV Intelligence Panel (AVIP),

JULY 2019 //// SCN

a research community of industry members that tracks business trends in commercial AV. The report actually comprises two diffusion indexes: the AV Sales Index (AVI-S) and the AV Employment Index (AVIE). In each case, an index above 50 indicates an increase in sales or employment activity. Visit www.avixa.org/AVindex to access the free monthly Pro-AV Business Index reports and learn more about the methodology. For more information about joining the AV Intelligence Panel, visit www. avixa.org/AVIP.

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While Pro AV Holds Strong, New Tariff Threats Shake Equity Markets

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news Live Events Producers Place Emphasis on Owned Pro AV Equipment, AVIXA Reports The live performance space is faring well, with consumers opting to buy into holistic experiences rather than just isolated transactions. According to Pollstar and PricewaterhouseCoopers, U.S. concert ticket sales exceeded $8 billion in 2018, and average ticket prices are rising as consumers are increasingly willing to spend more for a show. Yet AVIXA forecasts that in the Americas, pro AV sales into temporary live events solutions will decline from $10.2 billion in 2018 to $8.6 billion in 2023. Rather than renting pro AV equipment, a higher percentage of live events producers own equipment and plan to increase the owned portion. AVIXA’s new Market Opportunity Analysis Report (MOAR) Live Performance investigates the opportunities and challenges for pro AV providers working in the live performance space. The report focuses on the live performance events themselves, whether in the form of a music concert, theater production, symphony, circus, comedy show, or other event falling within the realm of live entertainment. Unlike traditional AV integration projects, live performances are often a temporary deployment of technology combined with staffing to manage and operate the hardware. “Consumers’ willingness to increase their spending to get a more engaging total experience suggests more revenue potential for pro AV businesses, as the industry hangs its hat on delivering exceptional experiences,” said Sean Wargo, AVIXA’s senior director of market intelligence. “In theory, producers thus seek to invest more in AV to deliver on expectations. Providers then benefit as these companies turn to the experts for best aligning technology with these needs. The question is, does this actually happen? AVIXA’s research shows the answer is a mixed bag.” To learn more about MOAR: Live Performance, visit www.avixa.org/MOARLivePerformance. AVIXA members are eligible for discounts.

AV Executive Conference 2019 to Feature CNN Hero and Employee Experience Executive

$100K NSCA Ignite Challenge Launched by Shure and Anonymous Integration Firm

The NSCA Education Foundation has launched the $100K NSCA Ignite Challenge, sponsored by Shure and an integration firm that chose to remain anonymous. This challenge will provide a sizable financial donation to the NSCA Education Foundation—specifically for its Ignite initiative, which increases awareness of the communications technology industry among students and young professionals. “Shure has always placed a high priority on being a good corporate citizen,” explained Kevin Smith, U.S. director of integrated systems, Shure. “We are deeply committed to the Ignite initiative to help raise awareness and create a pipeline between educators and our industry organizations. The partnership with NSCA provides us with an opportunity to support the next generation and aid in the continued growth of the audiovisual industry.” With its donations, Shure and the integration firm are challenging other manufacturers and integrators to support the NSCA Education Foundation. Shure will match manufacturer donations up to $25,000; the anonymous integrator will match funds raised by other integrators up to $25,000. If the challenge is met, a total of $100,000 or more will be raised for the Ignite initiative. “Ignite was born out of the growing demand for additional talent in our industry,” said Kelly Perkins, program director for the NSCA Education Foundation. “Our only goal with the Ignite initiative is to make sure that young people getting ready to start their careers are aware of how great this industry is. This challenge will help us provide our industry with the programs we need to make this a reality.”

World champion adventure racer and CNN Hero Robyn Benincasa and Mark Levy, creator of Airbnb’s employee experience program, will headline AVIXA’s seventh annual AV Executive Conference (AVEC), held Nov. 5–7 in New Orleans, LA. AVEC gathers executives from pro AV integration firms, design consultancies, and live events companies to share new ways of excelling in pro AV through thought leadership, workshops, and networking. The 2019 edition will take place in an all-new, inspiring location—New Orleans’ River City Venues is located on the banks of the Mississippi River, in and around the massive warehouse spaces where the city’s many groups build Mardi Gras floats each year. Benincasa, a former corporate sales expert and full-time firefighter, currently advises Fortune 500 companies, including Starbucks, Nestle, and HP, on how to build world-class teams. With 20 years of experience as a competitive adventure racer, Benincasa will share how she mastered the skills required to inspire groups of semi-exhausted people through a seemingly endless series of checkpoints, working against crazy deadlines, in constantly changing conditions, all in pursuit of an audacious goal. Levy also brings a unique business perspective to AVEC 2019. As the creator of the employee experience program at Airbnb, Levy introduced new ways to support the entire employee journey, from recruitment to alumni status. In 2018, Levy joined Allbirds, an environmentally friendly footwear company, to lead its global expansion and scale the company’s people and culture, with a focus on employee experience. At AVEC, Levy will discuss how aligning a company’s culture and growth strategy allows it to tap into more engaged and productive employees, with an increased focus on meeting the needs of the customer. “Our AV Executive Conference has brought industry leaders together to learn from each other and improve their business every year since 2013,” said AVIXA CEO David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD. “This year, business trailblazers Robyn and Mark will share their success stories as part of a completely new and fresh program in New Orleans.” To learn more about AVEC 2019 and to register, visit www.avexecutiveconference.com. Robyn Benincasa

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tech tales

people

RECOGNIZING HOW COGNITIVE BIAS IMPACTS TESTING AND VERIFICATION

Finding or creating meaningless patterns is a major obstacle to accurate and consistent problem solving. Cognitive biases are unconscious by definition and require insight to even recognize their influence on everyday events. When troubleshooting AV systems with a diverse group of stakeholders, beware of these common cognitive biases. ** Bias Blind Spot The tendency to believe we are not biased. ** Framing Effect Two people draw separate conclusions on data based on preconceptions and previous experience. ** Anchoring Effect The tendency to rely heavily on the first information received. ** Band Wagon Effect/Group Think The tendency to believe evidence believed by a group. ** Confirmation Bias The tendency to interpret information to confirm a particular preconception. ** Illusory Truth Effect The tendency to believe the facts that are easiest to process or understand. ** Optimism Bias/Ostrich Effect Wishing the problem away. ** Selective Perception When we are on the lookout for certain data, it becomes easy to “find.” ** Focusing Effect The tendency to place too much importance on a particular aspect of an observation.

We might think we “know” what critical thinking means, but the idea is often interpreted differently by different people. While it might seem obvious, the fact that we’re human beings makes it much more complicated. When all is said and done, critical thinking is a learned experience that involves the following steps: 1. Analyzing Break down a problem or challenge into pieces to identify the various reasoning, purposes, and correlations. 2. Applying Standard Evaluate the challenge based on established benchmarks or processes. 3. Discriminating Compare and contrast the various elements while categorizing according to priority. 4. Information Gathering Research pertinent sources of information and collect data. 5. Logical Reasoning Draw conclusions from all of the above steps. 6. Action Planning Establish solutions and any varying scenarios that may result.

past our comfort zones as experts. While critical thinking is a learned experience that must be practiced over time, most people are natural critical thinkers in their own fiefdoms when left to their own devices. That all changes when we get in a room with others, where exploration and discovery tend to get lost in the tussle of competing business interests. AV integration on an enterprise network illustrates this difficulty well. For example, consider the troubleshooting process that took place when the sound system simply stopped working for a sports team on opening day. The network passes no traffic. The IT manager tells us our “stuff” is broken—the ostrich effect, or optimism bias—wishing the problem away. We sit down with IT and start watching the IP addresses flash by, until one of my guys sees a number that doesn’t match the VLAN that the sound system is on. There’s a rogue device plugged into our VLAN. The IT manager doesn’t see why it would be a problem, but lo and behold, someone unplugs that device and boom, the sound system goes back on. I recall one troubleshooting meeting where the construction manager wondered why the IT manager was in the room. I had to counter his blind spot bias by explaining that we needed all the stakeholders to present the facts and the observations from everyone’s perspective. Biases and preconceptions make it difficult to work in a team environment. You need to help others be good critical thinkers. The way to do that is to be a good critical thinker yourself. The first step is selfawareness, and leadership is key. Then, do you have data to back that up? We want as much data as possible when we’re solving a problem. At the same time, not all data can be weighted the same. You have to discriminate noise from meaningful facts. Your opinion is extraordinarily important, as long as it’s accompanied by data. Without a clear, measurable observation, your opinion is just an opinion. It’s interesting to consider how artificial intelligence could be the future of troubleshooting extraordinarily complex AV systems. But until that’s a reality, we must face the fact that we don’t know what the result is going to be. All we can do is try our best and apply our processes. Not only do you need to be an expert, you also need to be able to clearly and concisely communicate your part of the puzzle to others. You must be relentless in your application of critical thinking and provide careful, patient explanation. Ted Leamy has been involved in the live sound reinforcement business since the early 1970s. He is general manager of Pro Media Audio & Video, where he manages the daily business of all departments.

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Common Types of Cognitive Bias

Defining Critical Thinking

BY T ED LEA MY

Humans are wired by nature to search for patterns. If your bike broke on the way to the office, you would get off the bike and look for a pattern. You would say, “What is the one thing that is different from yesterday?” The challenge with this instinct is that when there are two things in a row that are wrong, we get flummoxed. What happens when four unrelated things go wrong? Enter cognitive bias and the need for a generalist perspective to discover causation through critical thinking. By definition, cognitive bias is a challenge that affects all human beings, and it refers to subconscious inclinations that affect judgement and decision-making, altering our objectivity. I’ve seen this scenario play out many times in AV systems integration— specifically on enterprise networks—with errors troubleshooting simple problems and more time required to find a solution. The result is always very frustrated end users. Considering all of the technical knowledge required for systems integration today, it’s important to recognize how human cognitive biases impact testing and verification. As AV systems have become more complex on enterprise networks, with so many different technical people sharing ownership of the quality of the system, subconscious prejudices are even more in play. In addition to audiovisual experts, the process involves IT directors, network security, construction managers, owners’ representatives, and other end user stakeholders. Each trade is challenged to provide an integrated system that satisfies the vision of the end user. When bringing these systems online or troubleshooting with these necessary cross-functional teams, it is crucial to engage specialists who can also be generalists—these are people who can back up to 50,000 feet and think about what challenges mean holistically. The more micro-focused people are, the more cognitive biases are likely to be triggered. Critical thinking is the key to triumphing over cognitive bias. While this has always been true, these days, troubleshooters must also be able to communicate well with others, explain their findings clearly and concisely, and remain open to facing unknowns. The process pushes us

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Thinking Critically

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people

System Ready LEGRAND AV’S MANNY LINHARES TALKS SUPPORT THROUGH IOT SCN: What is your position, and what does it entail? What are your responsibilities? MANNY LINHARES: I serve as the director of IoT strategy for Legrand North and Central America. In this role, I oversee all elements of the company’s efforts to design and develop connected products for power, light, and data applications in commercial and residential applications. In commercial AV, our brands include Chief, Da-Lite, Middle Atlantic Products, Projecta, and Vaddio. SCN: How long have you been in this position? ML: I started in the IoT strategy director position in January of 2017. Previously I led Legrand’s strategy for our Data Communications Division, focused on the data center and building network markets. SCN: How has your background prepared you for your role? ML: I’ve also previously held positions with Eaton Corp. and Schneider Electric, managing research and development, applications engineering, project management, and many sustainability initiatives. SCN: What are your short- and long-term goals? ML: In the short term, we want to partner with manufacturers who share our vision of purposeful design and delivering a valuable user experience. Everyone is familiar with the estimates that our industry

“AV integrators have been dealing with the fundamentals of IoT for some time. Deploying products that sit on a network or that communicate with sensors is something this community is well versed in. Where integrators need to do more is in accelerating how IoT systems and devices can expand the scope of their services.”

will reach somewhere around 50 billion connected devices by 2020. AV integrators will benefit from this growth explosion by leveraging the technology for their customers—but only if manufacturers can work together to help leverage these devices as systems through easy interoperability. Long term, we want to support integrators as the business model continues to shift. We recognize that integrators need to be ready to build services and find ways to support their customers throughout the entire building, not just in a conference room or other dedicated space. With the proliferation of connected systems, there are many new and exciting opportunities for integrators to manage more of the ecosystem of the building. SCN: What is the greatest challenge you face? ML: It really comes down to interoperability. If we are going to realize the full potential of IoT for AV and a variety of other markets, these systems and devices need to work together seamlessly. Interoperability is essential to creating the kinds of experiences we hope to deliver as manufacturers—ultimately ensuring the satisfaction of our customers.

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Quick Bio Name: Manny Linhares Position: Director of IoT Strategy Company: Legrand AV Overtime: In his spare time, Linhares enjoys coaching his daughter in all of her sport endeavors, working with his local community assisting veterans through Operation Stand Down of Rhode Island, and ensuring that sharks, the heartbeat of our oceans, are protected through Project Aware.

SCN: Where do you see the AV/IoT market heading? ML: AV integrators have been dealing with the fundamentals of IoT for some time. Deploying products that sit on a network or that communicate with sensors is something this community is well versed in. Where integrators need to do more is in accelerating how IoT systems and devices can expand the scope of their services. Working with both the residential and commercial sides of our business, it’s clear that the developments in IoT for the home are driving how technology evolves in commercial applications. Customers are already demanding that the same level of usability and functionality they have at home be available in the office. For us in the AV industry, that presents a big opportunity to own the expansion of networked systems. SCN: Are there new initiatives we are likely to see from Legrand? ML: We just announced an expansion of our IoT partner program. Since Legrand launched its global IoT program, Eliot, we have forged over 50 global partnerships with leading companies in the consumer electronics, hospitality, and automotive markets. Our goal for this year is to grow and strengthen these partnerships to take our integrations to even deeper levels, and work to develop new ways of managing all the available data for the ease and benefit of the user. SCN: How can systems contractors better position themselves to profit from products and/or services you have to offer? ML: For success in working with Legrand—or with any AV manufacturer— we believe integrators need to see the AV system as the output to other areas. Every installation today has the potential of becoming a large, multifaceted, “smart” project. Often the AV system becomes the eyes and ears of the entire integration, being the interface and touch point for many operations. The integrators who deeply understand this and the client’s specific needs will generate opportunities to address requirements through integrated IoT technologies and devices. As mentioned, AV integrators are finding that commercial customer expectations are being influenced by the technologies they experience in their personal lives. Because of this, customers now expect this same level of functionality in their work environment—the line between home and work has blurred significantly. It’s up to us as manufacturers to work closely with integrators to evolve and meet these challenges, and together we will deliver solutions and experiences that wow the end user and greatly exceed their expectations. *

newsmakers

people

largo, fl—JUST

Aidan Williams

Taylor Wolf

ADD POWER (J+P) has named TAYLOR WOLF director of branding. In her new role, Wolf’s duties include guiding J+P’s branding experience via marketing communications and being the face of the company at onsite dealer events and training sessions.

santa clara , ca —SCREENBEAM has made three additions to its pro AV team. ALISON MAXSON, formerly of Absen Alison Maxson and Barco, joined the company as senior manager, marketing and communications. MIKE DASKALOPOULOS, now director of strategic platform technology, brings with him Mike Daskalopoulos more than 10 years of pro AV experience in product management from companies including Creston, Dolby, and Telos. JASON EISENBERG joined the ScreenBeam sales team as territory sales manager for the Jason Eisenberg East Coast; Eisenberg brings more than 10 years of expertise in AV, IT, and UC for the enterprise/corporate, healthcare, and higher education markets. buena

park ,

ca —GLENN

BOOTH has joined YAMAHA CORP. OF AMERICA as director of marketing for the company’s professional audio department. As director, Booth Glenn Booth is tasked with leading the pro audio marketing team while advancing the Yamaha, NEXO, and Steinberg brands in North America. burbank ,

ca —RIEDEL COMMUNICATIONS has hired DAVID MCKENZIE as manager of service and support for the company’s North American operation. McKenzie will be David McKenzie responsible for the continued development of the service and support team, coordinating its efforts, and defining overall repair and customer service processes. westlake village , ca —L-ACOUSTICS has created the L-Acoustics Sports Team. GINO

PELLICANO has been named application manager for sports facilities and consultant outreach, and DAN Gino Pellicano (left) and Dan Palmer PALMER has been promoted to business development manager, sports facilities, U.S. and Canada. nashville , tn —ELITE

MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTIONS has appointed SHANA DEVINE to the position of director of corporate sales and business development. Devine will overShana Devine see the development of worldwide strategic corporate partnerships for the company while assisting with the evaluation of emerging trends and technologies for the live event and production industry.

>>>Rep News ranch , ca —RENKUS-HEINZ has appointed NORTHMAR as its representative in the Pacific Northwest. Northmar’s sales territory includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska.

foothill

seattle,

wa—SYMETRIX has partnered with VECTOR CORP. as its manufacturer’s representative in the Pacific Northwest region, including Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana.

south bend, in—LEA PROFESSIONAL has named 12 companies as its U.S. sales rep partners to support the release of LEA’s IoT/cloud-enabled amplifier throughout the country. Partners include: BROWNESTONE AV (Pacific NW), DARBY REPS (Rocky Mountains), TBC SALES (N. California/N. Nevada/Hawaii), ALLIANCE AUDIO VISUAL GROUP (S. California/S. Nevada/ Arizona), iCONIC SOLUTIONS GROUP (Upper Midwest), LIVELLA BRAND GROUP (Heartland), NEXT GENERATION MARKETING (Illinois/ Wisconsin), ONLINE MARKETING (Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio Valley), CAMPION SALES (TOLA), JB ANTHONY (Metro New York/New Jersey, Upstate New York), TOWLES MARKETING (Mid-Atlantic), and MAVRIC PRO (Southeast).

CEO of Detroit-based commercial interior design firm dPOP, the team is committed to growing the company’s presence in commercial spaces with design-driven AV solutions that deliver sound and style.

Left to right: Vince Luciani, Scott Saltzman, Christie Mitchell, John Palaszynski, Rick Komendera, David Sansenbach, Mike Morton, Cherian Jose, Julia Shams knightdale , nc—RICK KOMENDERA has been promoted to director of sales at SURGEX. He now leads a team that has tripled in size to accommodate the company’s expanded product lines. SCOTT SALTZMAN, a 14-year veteran of SurgeX, has been promoted to major account manager. CHERIAN JOSE is now consultant liaison, after having spent 26 years managing various departments for AMETEK Powervar. VINCE LUCIANI has recently been onboarded as senior sales engineer. There are also five new U.S. regional sales managers: JOHN PALASZYNSKI for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, MIKE MORTON for the Southeast and Midwest, CHRISTIE MITCHELL for Central, DAVID SANSENBACH for Southwest and Central, and JULIA SHAMS for the Northwest.

farmingdale , ny —BEYERDYNAMIC

has made five staffing changes. MAUREEN CHOWDHURY has been hired as marketing manager of beyerdynamic United States. ANGELA LODICO joined the company as sales and marketing coordinator. LAURA MARRIN is now ecommerce sales manager, following a six-year tenure at Canon USA. NICOLE GREGORY is now technical applications specialist, having been promoted from her previous role as sales support specialist. MARC GRECK has been promoted to operations manager after serving in the roles of customer service manager and warehouse manager.

ann arbor , mi —LEON

Melissa Price

SPEAKERS introduced an expanded sales team at InfoComm 2019. Headed up by newly appointed director of strategy MELISSA PRICE, who is the former

new york , ny —REFLEX MARKETING has hired JON COCCARO as sales manager for its Contractor-AV Division. In his new role, Coccaro will facilitate relationships with contracJon Coccaro tors, consultants, and systems integrators, building awareness of the various technologies and products that Reflex vendors have to offer.

Maureen Chowdhury

Laura Marrin

Marc Greck

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Lee Ellison

portland, or —LEE ELLISON is set to retire as AUDINATE’s CEO following the release of the company’s 2019 full-year financial results on Sept. 13. AIDAN WILLIAMS, Audinate’s co-founder and current CTO, will move into the role of CEO after Ellison’s retirement.

infocomm 2019

Elevating the Experience: InfoComm 2019 F

rom the dapper DJ spinning vinyl in sync with larger-than-life videos, to the immersive audio demos and training sessions on site, InfoComm 2019 delivered on “experience.” Thousands of new systems 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

TIDE 2019 Creates a Bonding Experience

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business trends

BY MEG AN A. D U TTA

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.”

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Srinivas Rao discussed the art of being unmistakable in his TIDE 2019 keynote.

Q-SYS software platform on standard offthe-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 www.gofundme. com/starin-cares-veterans-service-dog to join this effort. ICYMI InfoComm news can be overwhelming, and we’re sure the 2019 show was no exception. In case you missed it, here’s an overview of some of the most important show happenings.

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.

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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?’”

Fear is a learned behavior, Rao says. “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.

Q&A with Projection Master Bart Kresa During TIDE 2019, Margot Douaihy, Ph.D., 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.

Tracking Trends at InfoComm 2019

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.

BY MAT T PRU Z N IC K

Now in its third year, InfoComm’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, titled 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 AVNation’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

Margot Douaihy interviews Bart Kresa onstage at TIDE 2019.

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.

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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. 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.

The “IP as Universal Language” panel at Emerging Trends Day. From left: Tim Albright, AVNation; Alesia Hendley, Access Networks; Jeremy Caldera, CTS-D, CTS-I, IAS Technology; and Colin Denig, AVI-SPL

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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.

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AVIXA Women’s Council Breakfast Honors Leaders B Y MEG A N A . D U T T A

Behind the Scenes of InfoComm’s Lobby Light Show BY ANT HONY SAVON A

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 said with a grin. “There’s a ton of pressure in this industry, but I had to get rid of that feeling of being

Karen Cooper runs the lighting in the InfoComm 2019 lobby.

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 DJ,” said 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 concluded. “This is really awesome, and I’ve had a fun time.”

Digital Signage on Display B Y SY D NE Y B R A A T

Featured in the Digital Signage Pavilion at InfoComm 2019 were 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 Kay Mumford of Datapath says the Digital solutions. Signage Pavilion is a place where creativity is “Digital signage is a very matched with today’s latest technology. healthy market for AV firms to put energy behind,” said 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

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The AVIXA Women’s Council Breakfast, animated by highpowered 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 Brittany DiCesare, manager, member business development manager programs at AVIXA, kicked off the 2019 at Mad Systems. “Our annual AVIXA Women’s Council Breakfast with enthusiasm. 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.” “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 www.avixa. org/womenscouncil.

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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 included an education program with five sessions that explore new markets within digital signage. The goal was 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,” said Florian Rotberg, managing director of Invidis. The sessions at InfoComm 2019 enabled “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 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,” said 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 was a vibrant epicenter of the exciting present and the promising future of the digital signage industry,” added Pavlo Fedykovych of Kitcast. “Mixing the best new technologies, insightful networking and endless business opportunities, the Digital Signage Pavilion was the place to be if you’re from the industry.”

InfoComm from an Integrator’s POV BY MARK COX O N , C TS-D , C TS -I

I spent the last five years working for manufacturers, which meant I had very little time to walk the InfoComm show floor. This year, however, I am on the integration side of the industry with Tangram Interiors, and InfoComm was a purely optional event for me. For the first time in a long time, I had complete freedom to prioritize my time at the show. Just going to walk the floor and peruse new products would most likely be a colossal waste of time for me. I take my profession seriously, and, as such, I keep up with innovations and new product releases as a matter of course. As one of my industry veteran friends once said, “If you rely on trade shows and industry publications for your product news and information, you’re most likely behind.” So, if I don’t go to InfoComm specifically to learn about new products, why do I go? The answer is simple. I go to InfoComm to make new connections. Those connections can be personal, like meeting new people and reconnecting with industry peers, or they can be conceptual, establishing connections between the buzz on the show floor and potential new verticals in our business. They could also include connecting the dots between a panel discussion or educational track to new business methodologies to drive the next round or growth and prosperity after the show. This year, I took a three-pronged approach to making those connections. I attended networking events, I taught a course for AVIXA, and I chose to meet with a few key manufacturers—not to discuss products, but to discuss strategies to grow our businesses together. I was only in Orlando a few days, so I really had to load up my calendar to accomplish my goals. From a networking perspective, I attended the Starin Marketing VIP event, AV Karaoke, the AV Tweetup, and the #AVintheAM breakfast. All of these included influencers and thought leaders from every walk of AV life, including manufacturers, integrators, and technology managers from corporate and educational backgrounds. These events not only allowed me to forge new alliances and reconnect with allies, but also to share best practices and have

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big picture conversations about the future of the industry. All of these things are essential to me as an integrator trying to guide our company into tomorrow while maintaining a value proposition that is valuable for our customers and profitable for our business. On Wednesday, I gave a talk, “Using AV to Trigger Biological Responses.” They say that if you ever want to truly understand something better or organize your thoughts, teach it to someone else. Not only did teaching a Mark Coxon proudly shares his love of certifications course rekindle my passion at InfoComm 2019. for why we use AV in the first place, it also provided me connections to several people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. The majority of my audience were end users, and many came up to me afterward to have larger conversations about how we may be able to collaborate in the future. Speaking at InfoComm positions you as a thought leader to the people who may be able to utilize your services in the future, so if you ever have a chance to teach a conceptual class on AV, I’d highly recommend that you do it. My course also had a “Now What?” workshop later in the day, that encouraged attendees to return and talk specifically about a project where they feel they need assistance. That turned into an intimate fireside style chat with about a dozen people. As you may imagine, with a group that small, we had amazing conversations and formed much deeper connections. Finally, I handpicked a few manufactures to see and discuss partnerships, not based on product sales goals, but based on specific market opportunities that I feel our company is well-positioned to capitalize on. I can see my local sales rep anytime, and I’ve already seen most of the products up close and in person. With 950 exhibitors on the floor, there was no way for me to see them all, nor was there a reason to see them all. I had already started a Q3 and Q4 business plan for our company, so I utilized the show to find products and have conversations around how we bring that plan into reality. I visited a few current key partners, explored a couple of other companies that align with our goals, but we haven’t worked with historically, and attended a mastermind dinner of sorts to have a detailed discussion on a gap in the market that is not being filled, as well as what would be required to fill it. So as you can see, from my perspective as an integrator, InfoComm the show is not really about products at all. It is about people, business models, and education and information critical to building our future businesses. The world we live in is highly competitive and commoditized, so a product centric show just isn’t as valuable as it used to be. This is why I have been an advocate of the experience movement that AVIXA has been promoting around the show. It attracts more of the people I need to connect with, end users. It provides a platform to connect with each other around the problems our businesses face and develop strategies and solutions together to be successful in the future. Products are merely the vehicle that get us to that destination, but using the show to create valuable connections and alliances provide the roadmap to actually get there. So why did I attend InfoComm19? The truth is, based on the value I get, I can’t afford not to. See you all in 2020!

IMAGE COURTESY OF MARK COXON

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1. Dan ODonnell, Mark Coxon, Nyere Hollingsworth, Gabe Moronta, Seth Ream, and Art Danner 2. David Labuskes and Hope Roth 3. Garth Lobban 4. Katye Bennett and Marika Aquino 5. Megan A. Dutta, Chase McCloud, Sydney Braat, and Alesia Hendley 6. Barbara Blaskowsky and Gina Sansivero 7. Chris Neto and Vijita U.G. 8. Maura Quinn, Mitch Bailey, and Renee Benson 9. The Creston Team 10. Luke Jordan, Bradford Benn, and Patricia Karrh 11. Megan A. Dutta, Tricia Rodriguez, Brandy Alvarado, Maura Quinn, and Dayna Baumann 12. Harry Meade, Art Danner, and Kaleo Lee

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AV Tech and Furniture AN EMERGING BUSINESS MODEL WITH A BRIGHT FUTURE

t’s fairly obvious that corporate America is changing the way it works. To align with the industry shift to more collaborative work environments, the purpose and function of physical office spaces is in need of an overhaul. Many of us find ourselves in lessthan-modern workspaces that were designed for outdated process-based working. An office space gets new furniture and a coat of paint, perhaps in an attempt to modernize; the AV team typically rolls in with the equipment after the office redesign. They interrupt sight lines, cut holes in furniture, and mount things in strange places out of necessity. Many of these challenges could be resolved if technology providers had a voice on the design team, and got involved earlier in the process. In 2015, AVIXA launched a study called the “Exceptional Experience.” After gathering data and analyzing workflows, the study concluded that the modern workspace should be the perfect fusion of space, content, and technology. A few forward-thinking AV professionals took this study to heart and are setting the bar for a new brand of partnership between AV technology and office furniture design. A Common Starting Point Technology and furniture design both begin with the same goal: to maximize and optimize end user experience. Bringing together these two very different disciplines has allowed industry innovators to forge new ground through unexpected partnerships. The goal is to create beautifully designed spaces that function well. George Meglio, director of workplace technology at dancker, explained, “I joined dancker because of the opportunity to change how things have always been done. I see the benefit we bring to clients by providing solutions where space, furnishings, and technology are all designed together.” AV integrator Whitlock’s Modern Workplace Practice includes a certification program. There is similar outreach to the architectural and design communities. Many large players—Barco, Logitech, Crestron—take part, supporting the effort and remaining actively involved in making sure their offerings

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Environmental choices should complement the style, culture, and technology used in a space.

fit into larger customer solutions. The cornerstone of Whitlock’s initiative is its partnership with Herman Miller. Julian Phillips, executive vice president at Whitlock, was inspired to explore a potential partnership after reviewing the 2015 Exceptional Experience study referenced earlier. Both companies are well known in their respective industries; they are now working together to explore the possibilities of combining ergonomic furniture and state-ofthe-art technology. The partnership architects agreed a long-term partnership would deliver the best chance of success, so in 2018 the parties signed a 10-year agreement. “Whitlock is Herman Miller’s technology partner for Living Office Settings, which is a holistic approach to developing and deploying surroundings, furnishings, and technology in one process and as one team,” Phillips said. “We have learned a lot together—specifically, that the days of just adding AV technology to a room at the end [of the design stage] are over.”

Best Practices: Start Early and Question Everything Industry experts agree that when furniture manufacturers and technology providers work together, there are a few essentials necessary to provide winning results to the customer. Start early. Herman Miller has data indicating that project costs are inflated 10 to 15 percent by change orders and change control, most the result of poor planning. Having all essential players engaged from day one, and for the duration of the project, means that impacts can be mitigated early on. Be inclusive. Have end users on the team to help all parties understand how the spaces need to function. Solving problems at the design stage rather than during execution makes for a more efficient project. End user experience should drive the project. Question everything. In doing so, you will uncover every nuance and need of the space, reaching beyond the obvious. Phillips said that 95 percent of projects typically involve some

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Building a Partnership with a Furniture Manufacturer This is new territory for most technology companies, so it’s important to find the right partner for a successful outcome. As an industry,

thinking out of the box and learning how to partner effectively is critical. When in new territory, fluidity and flexibility are important. Meglio pointed out that technology changes at a rapid pace, so prepare furniture partners to react and keep up with that pace. Data and analytics will inform the workspaces of the future. “There is not a one-size-fits-all in the technology world,” Meglio said. “Client needs guide us to the proper solutions, and then to the best-in-class vendors to provide these services. Our partner criteria includes companies with qualified design teams, effective deployment, and day two support services.”

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legacy environment or technology, so there will be special considerations. Martin Avila, vice president of office furniture manufacturer Seville Classics, noted, “It’s important to start by identifying and understanding the end users. Identify their work environment, their demographics, and their current office furniture. Assess current equipment to observe if some standing desk configurations may be more optimal than others. While standing desks and sit-stand workstations both support an ergonomic workspace, one style may be a better fit for a new installation when compared to a retrofit/ office upgrade.” On the tech side, Phillips agreed that asking the right questions is key. “Don’t just ask them what they want,” he said. “Observe behaviors within the organization by a thorough discovery process. Look at the data and workflows. Talk to the tech managers about usage data in a given space. Through this discovery, we, as experts, can embrace an environment that facilitates productivity for them, whatever that looks like. It can often be even better than what they thought they needed.”

A New Model If integrators are already successfully deploying AV-as-a-Service models for other agreements, it makes sense to explore the possibilities of expanding that model. Whitlock offers a Collaboration as a Service business model. They expanded this idea in conjunction with Herman Miller, and recently rolled out their Workplace as a Service model. Training, service, and support for the lifetime of that environment are covered, and there is some flexibility in the fee structure to allow for upgrades to both furniture and technology as needed. In observing this emerging area of potential partnerships, Meglio said, “It’s no longer a nice to have; it’s becoming a must-have.” The lines continue to blur between technology, workspace environments, design, and architecture. One thing is certain: when everyone involved is putting the end user needs first and working together to make it happen, it’s better for both the customer and for the industry. *

Larger spaces have to be fluid and flexible to meet the needs of multiple workstyles.

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Considerations, including ambient light, will impact which technologies are deployed in an office environment.

Meglio pointed to the Steelcase + Microsoft partnership as one that has been transformational in the industry. “These two have taken the lead in designing furniture and technology solutions that meet the needs of the modern workplace while driving a higher return on their investments.” On the furniture side, Avila describes his partnership process. After completing analysis to determine the type of workstation most appropriate for the implementation, the next step is to assess a potential manufacturer’s current customer base to look for similar clients. Do that manufacturer’s designs have any customer feedback about what’s working and what isn’t? Do they have the variety of solutions to meet our needs? These are the crucial questions that drive a project.

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360 Degrees of Action RESORT SPORTS BAR ADDS CURVED LED VIDEO WALL

wners of Agua Caliente, a AAA Four-Diamond Resort in Rancho Mirage, CA, were determined to push the boundaries of aesthetics and create a unique, immersive experience unlike anything else in the Greater Palm Springs area. To truly wow guests, their plan was an intricate video wall with curved walls and recessed displays, but conceiving it and actually getting it built are two different things. In addition to having to accommodate the shape of the wall, which affected display alignment, the install was complicated by the fact that the sports bar was still under construction and under a tight build timeline tied to a New Year’s Eve launch, allowing just 10 to 16 days for the full installation. Advanced LED Displays of Las Vegas, NV, was chosen as the integrator for the project based in large part on its ability to meet the demanding deadline. The integration team selected Unilumin for the LED screens and Peerless-AV for the LED mounting solutions. According to the integrator, while Peerless-AV was the only manufacturer whose mounts would work for the curved wall, the brand was also selected based on its flexibility, cost effectiveness, and superior customer service—all aspects of Seamless by Peerless-AV, the company’s LED video wall integration program. Peerless-AV says its Seamless program ensures that its entire LED Solutions Team is available every step of the way, guaranteeing every customer receives quality product support and service. “It was so refreshing to have someone there from our [Peerless-AV] team to actually help us design the mounting system that would fulfill all of these crazy designs we came up with,” said Vince Ovist, president, Advanced LED Displays. “No other company came to that point where they would help us out from the very beginning.” Peerless-AV says it’s proud that it was able to help pull this project off, installing the LED mounts that allowed the bar, called 360 Sports,

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Guests at Agua Caliente can now enjoy the action from anywhere in the sports bar thanks to

to become one of the first sports bars without traditional televisions. Agua Caliente confirmed that the entire installation process was simple and completed before the tight deadline; the casino was thrilled with the final outcome and guests can now enjoy the action from anywhere in the sports bar. “The feedback has been phenomenal,” said Bill Oliver, chief information officer, Agua Caliente. “It’s been a great buzz around the valley. This is the place to come.” Via the innovative curved wide-scale visual display in 360 Sports, patrons in the sports bar and all guests entering the resort now see eye-catching visuals showcasing the high quality and chic design that is representative of Agua Caliente. *

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High-Tech Readiness NEW COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM GIVES FLORIDA SCHOOL CUSTOMIZABLE TOOLS AND PEACE OF MIND

stalwart of traditional Catholic education, St. Louis Covenant School is also preparing students for 21st century success. A robust technology program is helping to propel the school forward, and driving the strategy is David Bustamante, St. Louis’ director of technology. For Bustamante, advanced digital tools are essential campus resources. The school’s iPad program for its 500 students embodies this approach. To support the school’s tech-forward mission and update intercom functionality, Bustamante commissioned the integration firm AVIT Professionals to install a decentralized mass communications system. The solution needed to be network-based but offer rock-solid reliability and two-way communications during an emergency scenario. Bustamante also wanted a system that would be easy to scale, easy to use, and provide precise audio intelligibility. With those requirements in mind, AVIT Professionals specified the AtlasIED GLOBALCOM. IP system. Christian Lugaro, president of AVIT Professionals, says phase one of the integration is complete. The school’s system currently includes 57 zones, 50 IP-based speakers, 7 zone controllers, 21 horns, and 14 tile speakers. New Tools for a New Era While the previous intercom system “got the job done,” Bustamante knew there was a more agile approach to paging. He wanted the ability

St. Louis Covenant School in Pinecrest, FL.

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to “reach the entire campus—and anyone on campus—at any point in time,” he said. “Especially for us, here in Miami, we’re not too far from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.” Even before that tragedy occurred, hurricanes, lightning, and other weather emergencies keep school officials on high alert. One of Bustamante’s concerns with the analog intercom system was ensuring each and every speaker was actually working. “The only way I could know if there was a problem was literally going to each speaker, standing there, and testing it myself,” he recalled. With the new AtlasIED system, a user can see everything online, instantly. “Through the interface I can see which devices are active,” Lugaro said. “I can see if any devices are having issues or aren’t firing. The GLOBALCOM controller will show you everything, and it even gives a log of activity.” Scalable and Expandable Lugaro stated that GLOBALCOM.IP can work for any installation size, and it is “fluid” and easy to scale if new features are required in the future. Expansion is streamlined; there are no extraneous steps or time-consuming guesswork. The integrator can connect additional devices to the network and activate them via software. It’s an all-inone, IP-based approach to interoperability that unifies digital audio, paging, intercom, and emergency messaging on one network.

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AVIT Professionals installed the AtlasIED IP-DD Series at the school. The indoor, dual-sided LCDs can display time—as well as scrolling text—and leverage the VoIP communication solution to extend notifications with effective visual text alerts for high ambient noise areas or large spaces like the school’s gymnasium.

Network Realities The new communications system sits on the school’s main network. “We’re integrated with the phone system,” said Lugaro. “You need Layer 2 switches with multicast enabled for this solution to work. If the network is configured correctly, the bandwidth this solution requires is minimal,” he said. Lugaro prefers the flexibility of new decentralized systems, like the GLOBALCOM. IP, though a robust infrastructure is required. He recommends conducting a thorough network assessment. “Before launching any type of system like this, you need to check the details,” Lugaro said. “See if the network is set up correctly. You may find a node giving out IP addresses that can delay your install or a switch that is not configured properly. Get to know their phone systems, understand their network. Once you get a good take on the infrastructure, you may find you will have to make adjustments to the network—for example, enabling multicast on the network switch. Once you’ve got that, it’s really just putting the GLOBALCOM.IP server in, and then start updating their devices.” AVIT Professionals offers comprehensive training and tries to make everything as “transparent” for the customer as possible. “Before we commission the system to the customer, we do all the firmware updates and make sure that all the endpoints are firing correctly,” Lugaro said. “We do all that beforehand. For the end user, the best thing for them is that they have a menu. Even if they’re new to the school, or they don’t remember an extension, they can always figure it out because of the prompted menu.” Growing Trend Decentralized architecture is useful for a mass notifications system because “there are so many different aspects to it,” said Lugaro. Notifications can apply to weather emergencies, safety, event updates, messages from the principal, and more. “In phase one,” he stated, “we started with safety in mind, but the goal is to get the school to true mass notification, which is notification by phone, notification by computer, and notification via digital signage installed in the school.” IP-based systems also offer schools enhanced scalability and budget flexibility. With the AtlasIED system, it’s easy to add another endpoint or zone when the time is right. “It’s so easy to do that it isn’t pricy for the school,” Lugaro said. “There are a lot of things that they wanted to do that they couldn’t fit in their budget right now, but they can over time.” For Whom the Bell Tolls Beyond its safety and mass communications features, the AtlasIED system also allows for audio personalization. For example, a kindergarten teacher with nap time or quiet time that overlaps with a class bell ring can avoid that disruption by essentially muting the bell in their class. “We are going to put in a very customized bell schedule,” said Bustamante. Because St. Louis Covenant School also shares some spaces with its associated Catholic church, the system can prevent speakers playing the morning bell in the middle of a prayer event.

School officials can use AtlasIED products to communicate. With the push of a button, an emergency message can be displayed on all clocks. Two-way communication is also enabled so teachers can let first responders know whether or not they are safe.

The Way Forward An enduring interest in AV, his teaching background, and years spent working at his uncle’s company, an internet service provider, are skills that make Bustamante uniquely qualified to meet modern campus challenges. To him, audiovisual technology that can be managed like any other network application makes sense. Bustamante is establishing himself as a leader in a dynamic, UX-oriented age where “AV” and “IT” are less partitioned. “I worked more on the networking side, but I’ve always been into AV,” he said. “Honestly, that’s my generation. When you grow up with electronics, the sensibility is,‘Just give it to me, I’ll figure it out.’ I really believe this is the way forward.” Margot Douaihy, Ph.D., is the editor-at-large of AV Technology, winner of the 2018 Jesse H. Neal Award for Best B2B Media Brand.

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Phase One In a school lockdown, every second matters. So, in the first stage of the St. Louis Covenant School project, Bustamante wanted the ability to communicate across every medium in case of an emergency. “We want the process to be as simple as pushing a button to send a text message out to all staff members,” he said. At the same time a text is sent, the emergency message would also be visible on all clocks. The team can announce the message audibly and display it visually, making it clear that an emergency scenario is underway. “If it’s a lockdown, or another event, we can alert to a blue code, red code, green, and so on, to establish a two-way communication,” said Bustamante. Teachers will then be expected to respond, confirming they are safe. If first responders arrive, and only 25 of 30 teachers have replied, the system can help locate the rest. “Now we will be able to tell [first responders] exactly where to go,” he explained.

racks and mounts

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BY MA RY BA K I J A

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Time Is on Your Side INNOVATIONS IN RACKS AND MOUNTS PROVIDE QUICKER AND EASIER INSTALLATIONS

ften, we consider the economizing that has sharpened our work as a breathless, exhausting, and sometimes dangerous result of our industrial and profit-based society. But one area where that fine-tuning has been of incredible benefit to the AV industry is in installation efficiency— it is much quicker to install racks and mounts today than even a few years ago. “Speed of installation is critical, and working with solutions that save both time and money is a huge win,” said Tony Caruso, product manager at Chief. Paul Dolynchuk, director of product management, infrastructure, Middle Atlantic Products, said that speed is key—it’s the first of three things that integrators look for when choosing racks. “They want to build racks faster and get them out the door so they can move on to the next project,” he said. “Another focus is accessibility for servicing in the field. Since the location of the rack can make it tricky to get to the equipment once it’s installed, integrators want a rack that makes the gear more easily accessible when servicing is required.” The final consideration for integrators looking at racks is a familiar goal that’s sometimes challenging to achieve: “Futureproofing,” Dolynchuk said. “Integrators want racks with built-in flexibility so that as systems evolve or need to be moved, it’s easy to make changes.” Caruso stresses a similar planning strategy. Chief ’s approach focuses on speed—both for installation and for access after installation is complete. “When choosing a mount, the initial installation should be a consideration, but ease of post-installation access for displays and components requiring maintenance or refreshes should also be a big consideration. Choosing the correct mount will not only solve installation issues—particularly in large enterprise rollouts—but will also provide both time and cost savings, as the time saved on each installation is paramount to the larger scope and budget.” Chief ’s new Flat Panel Floor Support System was designed with these needs in mind, providing quick flat panel installation using the floor to support the weight instead of the wall. “This eliminates the need for wall

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Peerless-AV’s SmartMount Flat Wall Mount for Direct View LED Displays

Chief’s Flat Panel Floor Support System

inspections and remediation, which saves time and money, particularly across enterprise rollouts,” Caruso said. The two uprights that support the mount can be moved to accommodate outlets or other obstructions on site while keeping the flat panel placement precisely where the system designer intended. The system includes onboard component storage and a customizable cover for individual installation aesthetics. (The mount is sold separately.)

However, as Chad Gebhardt, senior product manager, direct view LED and LCD video wall solutions, at Peerless-AV noted, even installations that are scrupulously planned can end up hitting a speed bump. “As it is standard for project deadlines to be tight and critical, installations inevitably take longer than expected due to a tedious planning/approval process and a long lead time for the LED,” he said. “With a compressed lead time and rising labor costs, ease of installation becomes crucial for integrators. Installers also rely heavily on solutions that can overcome on-site challenges such as uneven structural walls.” The SmartMount Flat Wall Mount for Direct View LED Displays solution from Peerless-AV helps installers be prepared for such hiccups. Offering slim, space-saving designs that can be adapted to support various display sizes and brands, the mount features integrated cable management, easy-hang hardware, and a lightweight aluminum frame. With adapters that adjust on the X, Y, and Z axes, installers can overcome uneven walls while simplifying the display and adapter alignment, ensuring the video wall remains flat. The Customer Knows Best Many manufacturers work extensively to understand their customers’ needs and learn how their products might serve those needs better. As Middle Atlantic’s Dolynchuk points out, the first conversation is only the starting point in a successful relationship. “The next step is to validate our design concept with the customers to make sure we’re solving the problem the right way,” he said.

racks and mounts

technology

from manufacturer fine-tuning is Middle “We’re not going to sign off on a product until Atlantic’s BGR Series, which now comes the customer agrees it’s the best solution.” standard with a rackrail. A fresh take on the Peerless-AV’s Gebhardt agrees. “Installer traditional L-shaped rackrail, the new rackrail feedback is extremely important to our team at design features square holes and slots that Peerless-AV, as our solutions make it possible provide two planes of vertical and horizontal for these projects to come to fruition,” he mounting possibilities for the new Forward said, pointing to work the manufacturer family of tool-less installation solutions. has done to shorten lead time on products. These include easy-to-install lighting, cable Feedback also led to the creation of a depthmanagement, panels, and brackets, and a adjustable wall mounting bracket system and preinstalled UPS base that optimizes available an installation training video for its dedicated rack space and adheres to AVIXA’s racksolutions. Installers can also take advantage building standard, helping to create an easier, of the Seamless by Peerless-AV LED video more efficient, and reliable installation. wall integration program. “Through this Ensuring that customers know what program, we offer custom project managers products are available, and which are the and consultation, full installation services, and right fit for a particular project, is part of expert engineering and design such as CAD that communication and relationship-building drawings and concept drawings.” that so many manufacturers highlight. As At Premier Mounts, assistant Premier Mounts’ Breznick points out, helping communications manager Brandon Breznick an installer find the mount that fits a project said user feedback is particularly important for application exactly will save both time and informing future mounting solution designs. money. “Smaller installers may be unaware “As displays become more technologically of the different types of mounts to use for a advanced and possess qualities outside of just project,” he said. “When an installer or project high-resolution video, mounts must adapt manager is unsure of what solution to use, to provide users with the best user interface possible,” he said. “Feedback is also important for us because we are now getting to hear testimonials about real-life applications that help refine our products to be the best they can possibly be.” That ongoing relationship is key, and can only help integrators in the long run. You know your end users best, you know what they need and what you’re not finding to solve their problems, so if you can speak directly with the manufacturer, those needs have a better chance of being addressed. One product that benefitted Convergent LED video wall solution from Premier Mounts

Middle Atlantic’s BGR Series

it’s a good idea to call their manufacturer of choice and speak with someone who has in-depth knowledge of their product line. When working together, hand-in-hand, we can always identify the most budget-friendly and easiest-to-use option for a project.” Premier Mounts’ Convergent LED Mount Series addresses many concerns the manufacturer has heard from customers: its price was reduced; it’s stocked in sufficient quantities so units can ship in about 48 hours; purchase does not require a deposit; and the company offers price per cabinet so installers can easily calculate and understand the cost of the mount. Solutions are available for all major LED display manufacturers, so installers should be able to figure out the best option for their project when they speak with a Premier Mounts rep. Clearly, careful project planning is key to a smooth install, and a big part of that is communication and knowledge sharing. Time is money: manufacturers note that when installers invest some time in planning, the effort will return dividends. “Making the right rack choices from the outset can help installers accelerate time to revenue, minimize headaches down the road, and ensure the longevity of the systems within the rack,” Middle Atlantic’s Dolynchuk said, “all of which leads to happier end users, which is good for business.” *

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IMAGE PROVIDED BY IMMEDIA AUDIO VISUAL

Systems integrator Immedia Audio Visual installed a 4x4 video wall in the reception area at Imaging Advantage in Phoenix, AZ,

mics for HoW

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BY ST EV E HA RV EY

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technology

Mics for HoW M

egachurches may attract a lot of attention in pro AV, but as many as 90 percent of U.S. churchgoers attend houses of worship with fewer than 500 fellow congregants—in fact, the median Sunday morning attendance nationwide is around 75 worshippers. The exact number of churches in the United States is difficult to pin down, but it’s safe to assume that there are tens upon tens of thousands, perhaps even as many as the 300,000 suggested by some analysts. For microphone manufacturers and the sales outlets and integrators who support them, those numbers offer tremendous opportunities. At the smaller end of the scale, said Robb Blumenreder, audio for video specialist and commercial manager pro audio for Sennheiser, new plants and pop-up churches can be found in strip malls and other spaces in their thousands across the country, and more often than not, they need at least one microphone. “You could be looking at systems as simple as a wireless handheld microphone or a wireless lapel microphone,” said Blumenreder. “For Sennheiser, that would be our XS Wireless Digital entry-level product line. Those are plug-and-play.” The 2.4 GHz system offers handheld and clip mic options. Of course, the mic is just one part of an ecosystem, he said. “It’s really about the whole system that you are able to put together. It starts at the microphone and ends at the speaker.” Those supplying the equipment should be aware of the peculiarities of this market, he advises. “You need to understand that your audience ranges from a newborn baby to an 89-year-old grandmother. You can’t take the same approach as at a rock

concert. The most important thing is the clarity of the message—speech intelligibility.” Shure also has a 2.4 GHz system, GLXD, that is popular with smaller churches, according Michael Moore of the company’s market development team. “When you’re

talking three, four, up to six channels, folks will look at that as an option.” As facilities grow and move into more of a contemporary style with a worship team that needs to move around on stage, they are often receptive to adopting digital wireless systems,

Sennheiser says its HSP Essential Omni pushes speech forward, while the device itself holds back from pressure and discomfort. Inconspicuous and lightweight, it is barely felt, even when worn for extended sessions.

Shure’s TwinPlex provides natural audio at both high and low frequency when professional vocal performance is a must in houses of worship, according to the company.

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said Moore. And as they make that digital transition, he said, it’s also not unusual to see them adopt two or three channels of Shure’s PSM 300 wireless in-ears. “QLX-D has been a solid starting point to get into digital audio,” he reported, principally for the signal-to-noise ratio and the rechargeable lithium ion battery option. “Several churches have told me that the ROI is under two years because the amount of money they were spending on AA batteries was exorbitant. When they rent the facility, they still charge a battery budget, but the money goes to fund spare batteries or other audio gear.” Those facilities with existing Dante-capable gear such as mixing consoles might instead opt for ULX-D “because of some of the other workflows of the devices on that network that you can see, like the gain structure and battery life.” Unlike the larger churches that employ professional technical team members, small- and mid-size facilities often rely on volunteers. The correct equipment choices can help overcome some of the challenges that non-professionals encounter. “Especially in smaller churches, people are a little nervous of

getting hold of it. And because it’s on a short gooseneck, they feel silly leaning down into it—so they don’t.” Shure has recently introduced a shotgun capsule, the R189, for its Microflex (MX) line. “The mini shotgun gives you a more direct, close sound,” said Moore. “For folks with existing podium mics, it’s a great way to give them more directionality and a tighter sound with less ambient noise.” Where there is a choir, “I’m a fan of hanging microphones,” said Blumenreder. “I want to get them away from anybody touching or moving them. Sennheiser manufactures products with accessories that go along with hanging mics—the ME series, 34, 35 and 36—that are designed to be installed sound microphones.” But as Whitaker pointed out, “Hanging choir microphones were a great idea right up until they started putting video screens into churches,” since the mics can interfere with sightlines. So Audix introduced MicroBoom, a modular system that integrates a miniature condenser mic and preamp with a carbon fiber arm—50 or 84 inches long—and a gooseneck. “Extend the mic stand, extend the carbon fiber boom arm, and that gets the microphone to the same place as if you were to hang it,” he said. Shure’s larger-diaphragm SM27 offers a warmer sound for choirs, said Moore, while the SM86 or SM58 work nicely for soloists. “But the big thing with choir mics is, less is more. If you get a really good quality, stable element within a good quality microphone that reproduces a very robust, natural sound, you normally can use fewer microphones to increase your gain.” Steve Harvey (sharvey.prosound@gmail.com) is editor-at-large of Pro Sound News and also contributes to other Future titles. He has worked in the pro audio industry since November 1980. The Audix MicroPod Gooseneck Series is characterized with a uniformly controlled cardioid polar pattern, helping to isolate the speaker from other ambient noise on the stage. The MicroPod is available with a hypercardioid polar pattern for tighter pickup; supercardioid pattern is also available for greater reach and more focused response.

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Microphones are now being designed specifically for house of worship applications, such as DPA’s 4097 CORE Supercardioid Choir Microphone, pictured here.

using condenser microphones; they’re worried about feedback,” said Lofty Whitaker, account manager with Audix. “But we get to use our technical know-how to come up with things that make it easy for a lay person to use, but sound good enough for a pro person to use.” One example, he says, is the VX5 condenser mic. “We’re known for hypercardioid patterns, very good off-axis rejection and very low proximity, so it’s a well-behaved stage mic.” As an alternative, Audix has a couple of lavalier options. “The L5 is my favorite. It’s a smaller broadcast-style lavalier mic. It has a field-replaceable capsule, a choice of cardioid or omni. If you decide you’ve pinned the wrong capsule on your talent, you can swap it out,” he added. According to Whitaker, the big question is, where do you put a lavalier mic? “My rule of thumb is to put it a spread hand from the chin down.” But depending on a person’s clothing or vestments, that may be a challenge. “Headset microphones are a nicer idea,” he advised, “but some people don’t like wearing a headset.” At the NAB Show in April, Shure unveiled TwinPlex, a dual-diaphragm subminiature lavalier mic intended for live production applications based on the company’s KSM8 dual-diaphragm dynamic design. The mic, which is also available as a headset, received very favorable reviews during beta testing, Moore reported. “Folks who listened to the mic commented about the top end being very smooth and very in control when putting it through a very large sound system in a very large venue.” About a year ago Sennheiser introduced the HSP Essential Omni headset and MKE Essential Omni lav mic, new no-frills, costeffective versions of its HSP 2 and MKE 2 broadcast products. “Those products were really designed for the house of worship market in the U.S. They need the quality, but we knew we could bring the price down if we didn’t include every single accessory that a broadcaster would want,” said Blumenreder. Gooseneck mics come into play in houses of worship of an appropriate size to be using a lectern or pulpit. There are two things that people often do wrong with podium mics, according to Whitaker: fiddle with it until it’s where they think it should be, and lean in too close to the capsule. Audix has a solution: the MicroPod 6S, a 6-inch gooseneck incorporating the company’s Micro technology preamp coupled with a 5-inch shotgun capsule. “That allows you to position it far enough back that people aren’t comfortable

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MSE Audio Dante-Enabled IPD-Hub 2 Amplifier The What: MSE Audio unveiled the SoundTube Entertainment IPDHub 2 DSP Amplifier, featuring Dante-enabled audio distribution, at InfoComm. The What Else: The IPD-Hub 2 Amplifier creates an IP-based audio distribution alternative to traditional 70V or 100V audio systems. Designed for small to medium applications, it combines Attero Tech Axiom endpoints with Dante infrastructure to create a complete IP-based system at a price point comparable to traditional 70V or 100V systems. The IPD-Hub 2 features two-channel DSP amplification with several power options, including PoE, PoE+, 40W PoE, and 24V PS. The amplifier includes two RJ-45, one Dante and one Axiom input and a two-channel speaker output for flexible audio distribution. The Bottom Line: Intended for small- to medium-sized applications such as bars, restaurants, hospitality, and educational facilities, the IPD-HUB 2 DSP amplifier can be part of a complete networked audio system with local and Dante-inputs for simplified network control, addressing the network requirements for commercial audio connectivity.

Ocean Matrix 4K HDMI Interface Tools

The What: Ocean Matrix released two 4K HDMI audio extractors designed for conference rooms, stadiums, auditoriums, and similar venues where the video path needs to be sent to the projection system while the audio path gets routed to the front-of-house P.A. system. The company also announced a 4K HDMI splitter that distributes one HDMI source output to four HDMI devices. The What Else: Ocean Matrix’s 4K HDMI audio extractor models include the OMX-05HMHM0001 audio extractor/de-embedder for 4K HDMI to HDMI with Dolby Atmos, and the OMX-05HMHM0002 audio extractor/de-embedder for 4K HDMI to dedicated HDMI output with ARC and EDID. The 4K HDMI-to-HDMI extractors break out audio signals from any HDMI source and output left and right analog audio, multichannel optical, and HDMI audio. The extractors include HDMI loop-out for monitoring and TV connection. The video 10-bit HDR pass-through feature preserves the original audio and video, supporting resolutions up to 4K2K@50/60Hz. Housed in rugged metal enclosures, both models support CEC bypass. The 4K HDMI splitter (OMX-06HMDM0001) distributes an HDMI 2.0 18 Gbps signal from one HDMI source (such as a camera, Blu-ray, or digital signage player) to four HDMI-enabled displays, extenders, or recorders, supporting video output up to 4K2K@60Hz without data loss. The EDID switch function provides a choice of standard video and audio output, or the settings of the display that is connected to HDMI output 1. The Bottom Line: The list prices for the 05HMHM0001, 05HMHM0002, and 06HMHM0001 are $71.49, $92.95, and $64.49, respectively.

Peavey Elements Marine-Grade CS Series Loudspeakers

The What: Peavey announced the addition of marine-grade CS models to its Elements line of weatherproof enclosures at InfoComm; the

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marine-grade versions are specially designed to withstand the ravages of saltwater. The CS enclosures are constructed from a composite fiberboard material that is dimensionally stable in wet conditions and resists contamination, yet has the resonant properties of wood. This material ensures sonic performance while providing long-lasting, reliable service. The What Else: The Elements CS Series is available in three twoway, full range configurations and as a flyable subwoofer. The Elements 115Cs and Elements 112Cs feature 15-inch and 12-inch weatherproof Black Widow woofers and an RX22 2-inch titanium diaphragm compression driver tweeter coupled to a Quadratic-Throat Waveguide rotatable horn. The Elements 115CS and Elements 112CS can be ordered with either a 60° x 40° or 105° x 60° horn. The Elements 108CS combines a 75° x 75° horn with an 8-inch weatherproof woofer in a compact and durable enclosure. The Elements 212CS subwoofer is a flyable subwoofer enclosure featuring a pair of 12-inch weatherproof woofers. The CS versions also feature an integrated multitap transformer with 70V, 100V, and 8 ohm taps, along with removable plugs for all ports. All models are available in black or UV-protected marine-grade white. Like the Elements C Series, the CS versions are verified to IP56 level. The Bottom Line: The marine-grade CS Series loudspeakers are an ideal choice for cruise ships, swimming pools, or coastal outdoor applications such as theme parks and resorts, fun fairs, and restaurants. The marine-grade models, denoted by a CS suffix, will be available alongside the standard IP56-rated Elements range.

KanexPro Premium Extender Kit

The What: KanexPro’s Premium Extender Kit (WP-EDUKIT4K) features a Wall Plate Extender Transmitter, Extender Receiver, and Wall Plate Control Panel, enabling connectivity and control for projectors, smart boards, microphones, speakers, and laptops for K-12 classroom settings. The What Else: The Wall Plate Extender Transmitter features one HDMI and one VGA input and transmits a signal up to 130 feet at 4K@60Hz, or 230 feet at 1080p@60Hz over a standard Cat 5e/6a cable to the Extender Receiver. The Extender Receiver includes one HDMI input with a RJ45 video input connector. The Premium Extender Kit can be controlled via the Wall Plate Control Panel, which features four buttons to easily select common functions and control remote devices such as projectors; the control panel may also be operated via GUI. The Premium Extender Kit supports 4:4:4 deep color, 10.2 Gbps, and Universal Plug and Play (UPnP). The Bottom Line: Designed to switch freely between HDMI and VGA inputs, the kit’s combination of Wall Plate Extender Transmitter, Extender Receiver, and Wall Plate Control Panel creates an all-in-one education kit. It provides HDMI output resolutions up to 4K@60Hz, supports HDCP 1.4, and includes a customizable control panel to support IP learning.

new products

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tvONE Magenta HDMI 2.0 family The What: The new Magenta HDMI 2.0 family of products includes an ultra-thin auto switcher, a line of active optical cables, a matrix switcher series, and a splitter and distribution amplifier series. The What Else: The tvONE 1T-SX-654 HDMI 2.0 auto switcher has four HDMI video inputs and one HDMI output. It supports video resolution up to 4Kx2K@60Hz 4:4:4 HDR. This ultra-thin 4x1 switcher with audio functionality includes multichannel support and de-embedded digital stereo audio. The new line of active optical cables features DisplayPort 1.4 (MGAOC-88x) and HDMI 2.0 (MG-AOC-66x) models. The cables provide video and audio extension with no compression or latency up to 328 feet, without the need for external power. Offered in a drum for easy installation, these active optical cables are available in UL-certified Plenum. The MX-65xx matrix switcher series allows users to send HDMI 2.0 (with HDCP) to multiple devices, both independently and simultaneously. The MX-65xx is HDMI 2.0a compliant with full support for 4K2K@60 4:4:4 8-bit and 10-bit processing for superior deep color rendition. 3D signals are also supported. Audio includes 7.1 audio capability including DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD. Products are available in 4x4 and 8x8 configurations. Magenta’s MG-DA-61x series of HDMI 2.0 ultra-thin distribution amplifiers provides a high-performance solution for distributing HDMI signals with video output up to 4K2K@60Hz (YUV444) resolutions and HDR support. Support is also offered for up to 32 audio channels with sampling rates up to 192 kHz and pass-through of 7.1 channels of digital audio. The products are available in 1x2, 1x4, and 1x8 configurations. The Bottom Line: The 1T-SX-654 HDMI 2.0 switcher, active optical cables, and MX-65xx matrix switcher series are now shipping.

beyerdynamic Unite

The What: beyerdynamic’s multifunctional Unite wireless communication system is intended for a broad range of applications in which people communicate and interact with each other, including guided tours, digital presentations, assistive listening, silent P.A., simultaneous interpreting, and intercom. The What Else: One of Unite’s hallmark features is its talkback functionality, which enables participants’ spoken contributions. The talkback function inputs speech from a receiver module into the system and transmission. Users can access all receivers, or just the main device. Up to three people can speak at once, with the main device controlling the active microphones. A request function enables the sequencing of spoken contributions during a discussion, allowing all participants to interact. When using the system with wireless microphones, the Unite Access Point makes it possible for four wireless mics to be used simultaneously; the synchronization of up to eight Access Points makes up to 32 channels possible. Unite’s intelligent frequency management automatically manages the 32 simultaneously usable groups. Unite Manager software is available for monitoring and configuration of the system. Unite uses the registration-free and license-free DECT standard, which means users never need worry about frequencies.

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In interpretation applications, Unite is positioned as a modern alternative to infrared interpreting technology, requiring significantly less planning and installation effort. The system can transmit up to 32 languages in parallel. (Up to four languages can be transmitted with one 4-channel Access Point; up to eight Access Points can be synchronized for up to 32 channels.) With AES 256-bit encryption standard, this digital system is also tap-proof. The Bottom Line: The Unite system can be adapted to individual requirements through a range of components. From handheld transmitters to neck worn microphones and headsets using a belt pack transmitter, Unite provides a variety of options for speakers. Headphones, single-ear headphones or an induction neck loop for listeners with hearing aids or cochlea implants ensure perfect listening for every participant. The versatility of Unite is further increased by the connector options for external audio inputs. Music or pre-produced contributions can be integrated via analog, USB or Bluetooth connections.

Vaddio RoboSHOT 30E NDI

The What: Vaddio has equipped its RoboSHOT 30E PTZ Camera with NewTek NDI, an AV over IP standard that allows video systems to automatically detect and communicate with one another over IP, enabling video workflows across Ethernet networks. The royalty-free and resolution-independent NDI technology eliminates the need for costly direct connections, expensive cable runs, and infrastructure upgrades, while turning every source into a destination instantly available anywhere on the network. The What Else: Vaddio RoboSHOT Elite Series HD cameras are constructed around a 1/2.5-type Exmor CMOS sensor. In-camera image signal processing (ISP) results in better light-gathering capabilities, higher contrast and sharp 1080p/60 video, even in dim lighting conditions. RoboSHOT Elite cameras’ enhanced wide dynamic range helps correct for environments with uneven lighting by making darker or over-bright areas in video more visible and detailed. The Bottom Line: The RoboSHOT 30E NDI Camera is a recognizable video source by other NDI-enabled applications and devices connected to a standard local area network. In addition, the camera’s pan/ tilt/zoom controls and tally can be accessed through NDI, creating a complete IP workflow for operator control.

Biamp TesiraCONNECT Room Expander

The What: TesiraCONNECT is a five-port AVB connection box that simplifies the Biamp conference room by providing power and media over a single cable between Biamp AVB DSPs, USB extenders, PoE+ amplifiers, and microphones. The What Else: The central connection point for all Biamp devices in the conference room, TesiraCONNECT comes with four PoE+ powered RJ-45 ports, each supporting single-cable connectivity to a Biamp endpoint. An additional unpowered RJ-45 port is included to easily pass all signals back to the TesiraFORTÉ conferencing system. For more complex installations, up to four TesiraCONNECT devices may be daisy-chained to support four PoE+ amplifiers connecting up to 32 Biamp desono speakers and 12 Biamp Parlé Beamtracking microphones. TesiraCONNECT is fully compatible with Biamp’s SageVue management and monitoring system. The Bottom Line: Built for the conference room, all the ports are located in the back—reserving the front for status indicator lights—and there’s no easily accessible power button for users to accidentally push. TesiraCONNECT is expected to be available this summer.

new products

technology The What: The AtlasIED IPX Series surface-mount IP speaker system, model IP-PM8GD, leverages the VoIP communication solution to extend telepresence with enhanced audio for those environments where network-wide communication is desired. Enabling an inconspicuous installation in open ceiling environments, the IP-PM8GD can be used anywhere within a building for consistent sound and audio broadcasting of network-based communications. This IP-enabled pendant endpoint is engineered for applications including restaurants, churches, malls, retail stores, fitness centers, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and other locations in which high or open ceilings require the use of many speakers for smooth, even coverage The What Else: The IPPM8GD registers as a communication endpoint directly within InformaCast, Revolution, and GCK Advanced Notification applications to support audio

broadcast while enhancing physical security. Like other endpoints in the AtlasIED IPX line, the IP-PM8GD pendant loudspeaker supports advanced alerting, bell schedules, prerecorded announcements, all across WAN/LAN network architecture. Where third-party notification applications are not required, the IP-PM8GD speakers can register as SIP devices directly to a SIP server or VoIP Communications Manager for critical alerts/public address applications. Easy to install, even in open beam ceilings, the pendant attaches to overhead surfaces via either a 10-foot cable kit or any 1/4-inch ceiling fan installation kit for down-pipe

JULY 2019 //// SCN

installation. Either installation solution is discreetly implemented using AtlasIEDâ€™s PM Series top cover design, which includes a cable access plug that is easily removed for down-pipe mounting. The cover also completely conceals the speaker cable terminations and suspension anchor points for a seamless, clean installation. The Bottom Line: The IP-PM8GD is available now for projects worldwide.

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AtlasIED IP-Enabled Pendant Endpoint

ad index COMPANY Absen America

PAGE CONTACT Insert - 12

AJA Video Systems

34-35

Arlington Industries

16,53,55

usabsen.com aja.com arlingtonlowvoltage.com

Atlona

17 atlona.com

Audix USA

audixusa.com

B & H Photo-Video-Pro Audio

bhphotovideo.com

COMPANY

PAGE CONTACT

Meyer Sound

6-7

meyersound.com

NEC Display

Insert - 11

necdisplay.com

Neoti

Insert - 13

neoti.com

Peerless-AV

Insert - 2

peerless-av.com

Planar/Leyard Group

Insert - 9

planar.com

Optoma Technology

Insert - 4

optoma.com

Renkus-Heinz 25 renkus-heinz.com Datapath

Insert - 5

datapath.co.uk RGB Spectrum

D&B AudioTechnik Dexon USA

23 Insert - 6

Digital Projection

dexonusa.com

digitalprojection.com

DVI Gear

dvigear.com

Extron Electronics

extron.com

Harman

2 amx.com/enova

Lowell Mfg.

Matrox

Insert - 7

2,13

rgb.com

Rose Electronics

rose.com

Silex Insight

viper4k.com

Stampede Global

stampedeglobal.com

Synnex

15 synnex.com/proav

TOA Electronics, Inc.

dbaudio.com/a-series

lowellmfg.com matrox.com/graphics/maevex6100

TV One

Insert - 8

Vanguard LED Displays

4-5

Yamaha Pro Audio

AUDIO PROCESSING

7thSense Design…24; Access

Audix 49

Displays…42; AIMS…18; AtlasIED…44,

DPA Microphones 50

CABLES 52

Networks…32; Advanced LED

Lectrosonics 55 Sennheiser

48, 49

Shure

48, 49

Stumpfl…16; AV-iQ…16; AVISPL…32; AVIT Professionals…44, 45; AVIXA…10, 13, 25, 26, 30, 32, 33, 36, 40; AVNation…32; Avocor……30; Barco…24, 30, 40; BARTKRESA studio…32; Biamp …10; Bose…24; Convenant Communications…24; Cooper

D-Tools…16; Dancker…40; Datapath…33;

DPA…13; Elo…20; EnventU…10; Freeman Audio Visual…33; Futuresource…32;

RACKS AND MOUNTS

Harman…24; Herman Miller……40; IAS

Chief 46

COLLABORATION Biamp

Vaddio

Middle Atlantic

46, 47

Peerless-AV

46, 47

Premier 47

KanexPro

Elo

Leyard

Planar

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Technology…32…; Integrate Baltimore…10; Intel…30; Kramer…30; iLuminate…32; L-Acoustics…24; Legrand AV…22; Lenovo…30; LG …22, 30; Logitech…30, 40; The Loop Lab…10; Mad Systems…33; Meyer Sound…17; NAMM…22; NEC…30; North of 10 Advisors…30; NSCA…10, 26; Peerless-AV…42; Philips…30; QSC…30;

SIGNAL MANAGEMENT

DISPLAYS

54 S C N

45; Audio-Technica…22; AV

Productions…33; Crestron…30, 40;

PROJECTION Epson

CONTROL Extron

yamahaca.com

MICROPHONES

beyerdynamic 52

tvONE

vanguardleddisplays.com

Company Index

AMPLIFIERS

Ocean Matrix

tvone.com

Product Index MSE Audio

toaelectronics.com

Samsung…14; Seville Classics…41;

Shure…26, 30; Sony…30; Sound Productions…18; Starin Marketing…30,

SPEAKERS

36; Synnex…13, 24; Unilumin…42;

AtlasIED

Peavey

Unmistakable Media…30; Utelogy…30; Vanguard…12; Watchfire…20; Whitlock…40, 41; Zoom…30

new products

technology

Planar LookThru Transparent OLED Display The What: Leyard and Planar have announced the next-generation Planar LookThru Transparent OLED Display, which leverages the latest in transparent organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology to provide a self-emitting transparent display for true see-through installations that don’t require backlighting or enclosures. The What Else: The Planar LookThru display builds on the frameless glass design of the original version, enabling customers to overlay digital content and imagery over actual objects to create unique, eyecatching installations. Suitable both as a standalone product and for tiled installations, the 55-inch display supports a wide range of applications including retail merchandising, corporate displays, museum exhibits, and trade show exhibits. Planar LookThru allows users to showcase a single object behind a single 55-inch display or larger objects behind a tiled video wall. Features include vibrant colors and wide viewing angles with off-axis contrast and brightness; a 4K@60Hz DisplayPort and HDMI connectivity that includes compliance with HDCP 2.2 content protection; Planar ERO-OLED (Extended Ruggedness and Optics) technology that uses a proprietary process to bond protective glass to the front surface of an OLED display; and portrait or landscape orientations. It comes fully assembled and ready to connect to a source, making setup quick and intuitive. Optional accessories include a base plate for ceiling mounting, tiling components to protect display edges, and a platform cover to create a staging surface for items placed behind the display. The Bottom Line: Planar LookThru will begin shipping this summer and is available through Leyard and Planar’s global network of authorized resellers.

Lectrosonics D Squared Digital Wireless Microphone System

The What: Based on Lectrosonics fourth generation digital architecture, the D Squared digital wireless microphone system comprises the DSQD 4-channel digital receiver, DBu digital belt pack transmitter and DHu digital handheld transmitter. System features include 24-bit/48 kHz digital audio, 2-way IR sync, three levels of encryption and a tuning range from 470–608 MHz (470–614 MHz for export versions). The What Else: The DSQD digital receiver is a four-channel, halfrack design with high-resolution color display, analog or Dante digital outputs, and rear BNC antenna ports with “loop-thru” buffered BNC outputs to another receiver. The DSQD is compatible with the latest Lectrosonics all-digital transmitters including the DB Series and DHu, the stereo DCHT, and the half-rack M2T. Additionally, it features backward compatibility with the company’s Digital Hybrid transmitters, so all the Lectrosonics SM, SSM, HM and HH units produced over the last 17 years can be used with the new DSQD receiver. The DBu belt pack and DHu handheld transmitters offer RF power

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Elo Slim Self-Service Stands

The What: Elo’s Slim SelfService Stands ease the installation of interactive experiences in any high-traffic public environment, including self-order, wayfinding, endless aisle, and customer check-in. The What Else: The Slim Self-Service Stand integrates with Elo’s 15and 22-inch I-Series touchscreen computers, which are available in either Windows or Android models. With Elo Edge Connect accessories, customers can create a tailored solution thanks to Elo’s Unified Architecture. The Slim Self-Service Stands enable device mounting in portrait or landscape orientation and offer the flexibility for both countertop and floor stand models. The Slim Self-Service Stand assembles easily and, as an advantage over the Wallaby model, is suited for installations where a printer is not needed. The Bottom Line: The Slim Self-Service Stand builds on Elo’s Wallaby stand product line already found globally in quick service restaurant (QSR) chains, movie theaters, and sporting arenas, and even as a self-service glacier ticket purchase application in Iceland. Available in both countertop and floor models, the Slim Self-Service Stands boast a 23.6 percent slimmer form factor than Elo’s previous models.

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selections at 25 and 50 mW. The pure digital architecture enables AES 256-CTR encryption for high-level security applications. Studioquality audio performance is assured by high-quality components in the preamp, wide range input gain adjustment and DSP-controlled analog limiting. Input gain is adjustable over a 45 dB range in 1 dB steps to allow an exact match to the input signal level, maximizing the dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio. Audio frequency response is 20 Hz – 20 kHz +/- 1 dB, with dynamic range of 108 dB. Latency is 1.4 ms, transmitter input to analog output, using a digital transmitter, and <2.9 ms with any Digital Hybrid Wireless transmitter. The Bottom Line: Based on Lectrosonics fourth-generation digital architecture, the D Squared system provides flexibility, fast setup, studio-quality audio and ultra-low latency.

new products

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technology Extron TouchLink Pro Control Systems

Epson BrightLink Ultra-Short-Throw Laser Displays

The What: TouchLink Pro control systems are complete AV control solutions that combine a TouchLink Pro touchpanel with an integrated IP Link Pro control processor. This all-in-one approach consolidates essential control system components, freeing up space and easing integration. The What Else: Multiple devices can be controlled directly from the Ethernet port. The included port expansion adapter makes it easy to add traditional control ports when needed, directly at the touchpanel. All TLC Pro control systems maintain the same appearance and performance of the TouchLink Pro touchpanels and are ideal for environments requiring a customizable, all‑in‑one touchpanel control system. The port expansion adapter provides convenient control directly from the touchpanel, with two bidirectional RS-232 ports, one digital input, one IR port, and two relays. These new TouchLink Pro control systems can be customized using Extron GUI Designer software, which offers ready-to-use templates for a variety of rooms and presentation environments. They are configured using Extron Global Configurator Plus or Global Configurator Professional software. The Bottom Line: All TouchLink Pro control systems integrate with Extron’s GlobalViewer Enterprise software for complete AV resource monitoring, management, and control over a computer network. Features in future releases of TouchLink Pro control systems include support for programming, LinkLicense, and controller grouping.

The What: Epson’s BrightLink 1485Fi and the BrightLink 1480Fi ultra-short-throw interactive laser displays provide an exceptional productivity and collaboration tool for classrooms and meeting rooms. Leveraging a virtually maintenance-free laser light source, these ultra-short-throw, 1080p Full HD laser displays offer 16:6 widescreen display options for turning virtually any flat surface into an instant, ultra-wide interactive digital whiteboard. The What Else: Offering 5,000 lumens of equal color and white brightness, the new BrightLink models offer either a 100-inch 16:9 or new ultra-wide 120-inch 16:6 display, delivering up to 4,732 square inches of bright, true-to-life images for impactful presentations, even in well-lit rooms. The ultra-short-throw BrightLink 1485Fi and 1480Fi provide one-step calibration of touch and interactive pens to turn virtually any flat surface into an instant interactive digital whiteboard. A wall-mounted control panel allows for power control, source switching, and supports HDBaseT connectivity, reducing the number of cables between a computer and the projector to a single cable for image, audio and interactivity. The Bottom Line: The Epson BrightLink 1485Fi and BrightLink 1480Fi are expected to be available in late October 2019. The BrightLink 1480Fi is the replacement model for existing BrightLink users, as it is compatible with current BrightLink mount systems. The BrightLink 1485Fi requires a new mount system and intended for new BrightLink users. The interactive laser displays come with a limited three-year warranty with next-business-day replacement, including free shipping both ways.

>>>PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Leyard DirectLight X LED Video Wall System Leyard® DirectLight® X is the industry’s first LED video wall solution to embed advanced video processing with industry-leading wall mount for full front service access, off-board hot-swap power supplies, and web-based control and management software for the ultimate complete system. Contact: www.leyard.com/DirectLight

Product Spotlight & Literature Review Sections • A quick and cost-effective way to get visibility for your new product(s) or support current product(s) • Highlight one specific product or a group of products • Compliment your current display ad • No creative needed, just 25 words, a picture and contact information For more information, contact Zahra at zahra.majma@futurenet.com 56 S C N / / / / J U L Y 2 0 1 9 / / / / a vne t w or k .com

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viewpoint Burnout B Y E L I ZA B E T H NEW TO N

have always been a fan of personality tests, and as you may know, the enneagram personality types are a hot topic of conversation at the moment. I am a classic Type 3: The Achiever. (Anyone who knows me is reading this and thinking, “There is absolutely no surprise there.”) It only seemed natural to fill up the remaining weekends with fun travel! I For as long as I can remember, “achieving” don’t like to “waste” a weekend without any plans. has been incredibly important to me. While I I had more goals ... like cleaning my house once a week, learning don’t consider myself a competitive person, Spanish, and desperately trying to eat more vegetables. I wanted to grow I am and have always been quite competitive my business, and I was making plans for a time when I could finally return with myself: If I take the SAT one more time, I to running. bet I can get my score up a little higher; when If I really admit what I was feeling, I I run the next half marathon, I want my time was miserable. I was simply covering it up to be a little faster; I brought in x number of dollars this year, I wonder with all the things I was doing. It’d been how much more I can bring in next year, etc. “Almost everything months since I’d done any physical activity I’m not one of those people who doesn’t enjoy their current victory. I will work again because of the pain in my heel. It wasn’t toss confetti and have a slice of cake with whoever will join me, but while if you unplug it uncommon for me to sit at my desk until I’m enjoying that slice of strawberry deliciousness, I’m thinking about the 3 p.m. and suddenly realize I hadn’t eaten next goal or milestone I want to achieve. for a few minutes, breakfast yet. I would look at the clock and I ran my first marathon, the New York City Marathon, in November including you.” see that it was nearly the next day, but I 2016. Five months later I ran the Boston Marathon. I also ran 10 half —Anne Lamott wanted to finish one more quote. I barely marathons in 2017. I don’t set small goals here, folks; I go big! saw my family and never saw my friends. I wear the early symptoms of burnout with pride: the early-to-bed Let me say it again: I was miserable. Friday nights in preparation for the even earlier Saturday morning training And then I stopped doing (almost) all of it. I found that I had suddenly, runs, the frequent late nights working on production proposals, the travel and surprisingly, hit a wall. Not only did I not want to do it anymore, that has me away more than I’m home. I love the races I train for, I love I couldn’t do it anymore. I experienced a mental and emotional stress providing superior customer service to my clients, and I love my job that fracture. allows me to work remotely. I’m not someone who glorifies being busy, I stopped doing the vlogs, I stopped doing the ridiculously late nights, but I didn’t see where my go-go-go was leading. I stopped studying Spanish, I stopped pretending to eat vegetables, I I was training for the Chicago Marathon in July 2018, doing speedwork stopped caring about so many things that are so important to me. on the track at my high school, and some of the worst pain I’ve ever I stopped being me. experienced shot through my foot and up my ankle. “Walk it off, then After a couple weeks of wallowing pick it back up again,” I thought. I and going through the motions, I walked 200 meters, then I was back to embraced my inner Popeye and said, running. About 20 steps after, I could “That’s all I can stand, I can’t stand it barely walk. no more.” A doctor’s appointment and an MRI I tried a new workout routine later, I walked out with a boot on my that didn’t irritate my physical stress foot and a stress fracture diagnosis. fracture. I slowly, slowly eased The Chicago Marathon wasn’t myself back into running. I set healthy happening, but my doctor was hopeful boundaries for myself when it came to that after eight weeks in the boot, I’d work. be back to my normal activity. I realized that rest is as important Running had become such a as emails sent, miles run, and goals huge part of my identity, but my achieved. I now understood a favorite stress fracture was the physical quote from Anne Lamott: “Almost manifestation of the burnout my body everything will work again if you was experiencing. I had put it through unplug it for a few minutes, including a lot in the previous 18 months. you.” I’m one of those people who is We work in an industry where always doing a lot of things a lot of the when equipment fails, sometimes the time. So with running off the table, I solution is as simple as unplugging it had some extra hours to fill. I started and plugging it back in. a weekly vlog series where I shared I was forced to do that for myself, stories of my job in the audiovisual and it’s been one of the best things industry and the behind-the-scenes to happen to me. My perspective has of my business. (Oh, have I not changed. You can do what you love mentioned yet that I also own a small and still get excited about taking a business?) break. Post-InfoComm, I’m sure we We had large show, after large all need to unplug. Cheers to taking show, after large show for me to a break! manage and produce. I love the energy and pace of my job. Elizabeth Newton is a live events account I had nine weeks of work travel in manager at Cory’s Audio Visual. Newton is a the first quarter of 2019 ahead of me. Elizabeth Newton after running the Boston Marathon. member of the 2018 class of SCN’s The Nine.

58 S C N

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9000