Systems Contract News - March 2020 by publications

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March 2020 issue of

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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 / / / MARCH 2020

S Y S T E M S

C O N T R A C T O R

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DIGITAL SIGNAGE ISSUE The

4DSE 2020 PREVIEW4THE STATE OF DIGITAL SIGNAGE4VIDEO WALLS ON CORPORATE CAMPUSES

8 industry insiders

LASALLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT/COURTESY OF ESI DESIGN

26 Executive Q&A

Premier Mounts’ Tiffany Dozier shares the importance of partnerships across the industry.

28 Tech Tales

Tim Griffin of Userful discusses options for video wall control solutions.

58 Viewpoint

Alesia Hendley argues that social media is the most underutilized promotional tool in pro AV.

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CON TENTS

PEOPLE 26 EXECUTIVE Q&A Tiffany Dozier of Premier Mounts shares why partnerships are important to the success of a company. By Megan A. Dutta

28 TECH TALES

Userful’s founder discusses how SaaS-based video walls put the “control” back in control rooms. By Tim Griffin

SNAPSHOTS 36 BEHIND THE PROJECTION DESIGN OF BROADWAY’S BEETLEJUICE THE MUSICAL Opened on Broadway in April 2019, Beetlejuice delivers visual enchantment in spades courtesy of veteran projection designer Peter Nigrini. By Matt Pruznick

TECHNOLOGY 44 A LOOK AT THE GROWING PROJECTION MAPPING MARKET The ability to add dimensionality and movement to static objects is just one characteristic of projection mapping. Another? Its rapid market growth. By Mary Bakija

46 LED VIDEO WALLS IN CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTS While LED video walls previously seemed unattainable for a large portion of companies (think small- to medium-sized businesses), the technology and content needed to successfully wow internal and external clients is becoming more accessible to more

FEATURES

organizations. By Megan A. Dutta

32 | THE STATE OF DIGITAL SIGNAGE

VIEWPOINT

Currently generating $34.1 billion in product and service revenues, the digital signage market is expected to grow an average of 5.8 percent each year for the next five years, making it the largest solution area by 2024. By Cindy Davis

58 SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS Social media is underrated in the pro AV industry. There is data underpinning social media that many forget about—successful brands aren’t putting out

34 | ENGAGING WITH

content just for the sake of putting out content. By

RETAIL TECHNOLOGY

Alesia Hendley

Today’s retail spaces need to deploy technology in strategic ways that will shape the future of brick-and-mortar retail, incorporating online purchasing into a more dynamic, touch-before-youbuy in-store experience. By Rob Lane

DEPARTMENTS ASSOCIATION NEWS............................................. 24 PEOPLE NEWS......................................................... 30 PRODUCTS............................................................... 50

Are You Online? So Are We. 34 Vol. 27 No. 3 March 2020 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 2020 by Future US, Inc. PRINTED IN U.S.A.

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For more on the stories in this issue, visit avnetwork.com/scn0320.

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editorial

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C O N T R A C T O R

N E W S

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MARCH 2020 VOL . 27 NO. 3

Goodbyes Are Never Easy

Megan A. Dutta

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

Bleary-eyed but with the future looking bright, I’m fresh off the plane from Amsterdam and ISE 2020. This year’s show was a whirlwind, filled with fistbumps (no hugs thanks to coronavirus worries), an interesting show floor (more on that later), and late nights (thanks, jet lag!). Heading into ISE, there was a bit of uncertainty in the air. Between the coronavirus outbreak, Storm Ciara (a powerful and long-lived extratropical cyclone that hit the UK in the days leading up to ISE), and this being the show’s last year in Amsterdam, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect on site. Would people show up? (Yes.) Would there be noticeable holes on the exhibit floor? (Kinda.) Would attendees still be enthusiastic about the show? (Heck yes.) As I hit the floor on Tuesday, I was a bit surprised at how easily I was able to navigate the building—nobody was running into me and we weren’t packed shoulder-to-shoulder as in past years. But the vibe changed significantly on Wednesday when everyone delayed by Ciara finally made it into town. It wasn’t just my intuition telling me that—according to show management, there were 6,412 more people at the show on Wednesday than there were on Tuesday. As for innovations, there weren’t many groundbreaking product launches. Most were moderate upgrades to make the lives of integrators and end users

easier. But I did manage to see some cool products and experiences. Shure launched IntelliMix Room, a softwarebased audio processing system for AV conferencing with no DSP hardware required; Williams AV showcased Convey, a real-time translation instrument with audio archiving; and AVI-SPL partnered with Igloo to create an immersive workspace solution using 360-degree video. The big value for me at this show (and, honestly, at most shows) was the networking opportunities. There was the AVTweetup, where I was able to meet social media influencers IRL (in real life), an AVJam recording at a local pub, and recording an episode of AVWeek with AVNation. The show ended for me, and for many others, with the ¡Hola Barcelona! event, where attendees had a chance to reflect on their years spent at the Amsterdam RAI and to look ahead to the show’s new home in Barcelona. Memories of a city that is near and dear to #AVTweeps’ hearts were shared—the stroopwafels, the favorite dinner spots, the this-close-to-being-hit-by-a-bike stories, and the fun times. Farewell, Amsterdam—you were a great host. It’s hard to say goodbye, but we’re looking forward to new adventures. Next year in Barcelona!

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VP/Content Creation Anthony Savona Content Director Megan A. Dutta, megan.dutta@futurenet.com Content Manager Katie Makal Contributors: Mary Bakija, Cindy Davis, Alesia Hendley, Rob Lane, Matt Pruznick Managing Design Director Nicole Cobban Production Managers Nicole Schilling, Heather Tatrow A DV E R T ISING SA L ES

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RGB Spectrum Video Wall Processors Support Mission-Critical Operations

stuttgart, germany—The United States European Command (USEUCOM), based in Stuttgart, conducts military operations and international military engagement in defense of U.S and transatlantic security. When USEUCOM required a technology refresh of its outdated display systems, they solicited the services of Command and Control Communications, Engineering & Logistics. The company chose and installed RGB Spectrum’s Galileo processor to consolidate and display real-time video and visual data for situational awareness and tactical decision-making.

* Top 5 Online Stories

View them online at avnetwork.com/scn0320.

5. Stampede Announces 2020 Big Book of AV Tour Stops

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

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4. LG Drops Out of ISE 2020 3. Hayden Planetarium Debuts the World’s Most Immersive Space Show 2. AVI-SPL and Whitlock Announce Merger Agreement 1. Yorktel to Acquire VCA

Blog bits Now on avnetwork.com By Marci Weisler Dynamic in-store signage is relatively new. Not surprisingly, consumers are taking note of such messaging. Edison Research recently found that 46 percent of consumers agreed that DOOH displays are a good way to learn about brands, products, and services. Twenty-nine percent say they have recommended a product or service after seeing information about it on a display. Overall, 65 percent of people surveyed recalled seeing an out-of-home digital video display in the previous month.

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Now on residentialsystems.com By Todd Anthony Puma This industry has gone back and forth for ages about the value of having a dedicated showroom. It used to be that you had to have a showroom to allow clients to hear different speakers, see the TV in person, and experience the awe of the home theater. Then ecommerce happened and the practice of “showrooming” reared its ugly head.

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Now on Installation-International.com By Steve Franklin Changes to workplace technologies can have a big impact on employee productivity. When implementing new meeting room technology, organizations should look for solutions that are easy to use and offer a consistent user experience. It’s important that the transition is seamless, allowing employees to focus on the tasks at hand rather than getting distracted by technology challenges.

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news Yorktel to Acquire VCA BY MEG AN A. D U TTA

Yorktel has entered into an agreement to acquire Video Corporation of America (VCA), according to court documents filed on Feb. 3. “The team at VCA brings extensive expertise in audio and video systems integration, and an impressive customer portfolio with little overlap in the customers served by Yorktel,” Ken Scaturro, president and COO, Yorktel, said of the acquisition. Yorktel was listed at number 28 on the 2019 SCN Top 50 Systems Integrators list, a drop from its number 21 ranking in 2018. Last year, Yorktel had a projected revenue from commercial AV systems installations of $43.6 million. VCA also made the 2019 list and was ranked at number 18. VCA’s projected revenue from commercial AV systems installations in 2019 was $62 million. Combining their revenue should land the company much higher on the 2020 Top 50 list, especially with the recent announcement of the AVI-SPL Whitlock merger. “We will now be able to offer to a broader market a full suite of services, including managed conferencing services, media services, systems integration, maintenance, staff augmentation, and support. This includes robust Microsoft and Cisco practices,” Scaturro added. On Feb. 3, the day the acquisition was announced, VCA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.

AVI-SPL Whitlock Merger to Create World’s Largest AV Integrator AVI-SPL and Whitlock have agreed to merge under the AVI-SPL name (and CEO), creating the world’s largest AV integrator, with a turnover of $1.3 billion and 3,400 employees around the globe. The newly merged company will have Whitlock’s Marlin Equity owners as a majority investor, with current AVI-SPL investor H.I.G. Capital holding a minority stake. The transaction is subject to closing conditions and is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of this year. The two digital workplace service providers will together offer customers best-in-class, end-to-end technology management, and support solutions for customers globally. John Zettel, CEO of AVI-SPL, who will be CEO of the merged company, said, “This is an incredibly exciting new chapter for our company, our employees, and our customers. AVISPL and Whitlock have always shared a mutual admiration and respect for one another due to our similar passion for innovation and commitment to providing world-class customer experiences. Combining these strengths, along with our talented employees, strong global partnerships, and worldwide resources, will ensure we continue to deliver the very best experience for our local and global customers undergoing digital transformations.” Once the merger is completed, current Whitlock customers will have access to AVISPL’s 24/7 Global Services Operation Centers, as well as new remote management and monitoring capabilities provided by AVI-SPL’s proprietary Symphony offering. The combination will also form the “industry’s most certified team of engineers and technicians that is uniquely capable of offering organizations valuable insight and expertise for their vital technology deployments,” according to the company. “The unification of our talented, passionate teams, as well as our local and global resources, will drive significant value to our customers and employees,” added Whitlock CEO Doug Hall. “Together we are delivering exactly what our customers have been seeking: comprehensive technology management and sustainable support solutions that enhance the end user experience, increase technology adoption and usage, and improve business outcomes. This is an exciting time for our employees, our partners, and our customers.”

Diversified Acquires Sensory Technologies

NBBJ Acquires ESI Design

Diversified has acquired Sensory Technologies, an audiovisual integration firm headquartered in Indianapolis, IN. The acquisition not only adds more than 170 individuals to Diversified’s global team, but it offers a strategic expansion of the company’s footprint in the Midwest and Northeast regions. “Combining the strengths of our two innovative companies will help us sustain the growth necessary to meet the evolving needs of our clientele,” said Fred D’Alessandro, CEO of Diversified. “Sensory Technologies has built an exceptional business, and I’m excited to welcome them into the Diversified family.” “Sensory Technologies has always had an entrepreneurial commitment to its clients, with a spirit of innovation, continuous improvement, and measurable outcomes,” added Derek Paquin, principal of Sensory Technologies. “When I was introduced to Fred and the team at Diversified, I could see they had a similar passion for these core values.” “We are so excited to join the Diversified family and bring together the collective talent of our teams,” concluded Anne Sellers, managing principal of Sensory Technologies and 2020 SCN Hall of Fame inductee. “Through Diversified’s extensive portfolio of solutions, paired with the unique geographic coverage of our team at From left, Fred D’Alessandro of Diversified and Derek Sensory, the sky is the limit.”

Global architecture and design firm NBBJ has acquired ESI Design. “By integrating the design of architecture and dynamic digital experiences, we will create boundless opportunities to energize the places we live, work, and play to stimulate our senses and inspire discovery, learning, and impact,” said Steve McConnell, FAIA, managing partner of NBBJ. “The acquisition of ESI Design brings this vision to life and increases NBBJ’s ability to serve our clients as they activate their brands, create community, inspire wellbeing, and thrive.” “We are at an exciting moment in time when the diverse skill sets of digital designers, media architecture technologists, gaming engineers, and storytellers will partner with architects to create buildings as places that are lively, engaging, and evolving,” said Edwin Schlossberg, founder and principal designer of ESI Design.

Paquin of Sensory Technologies

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news d&b audiotechnik Opens California Office d&b audiotechnik has opened an office and training center in Signal Hill, CA. The facility is d&b’s second in the country, joining the company’s U.S. headquarters in Asheville, NC. d&b says the new facility “underscores a commitment to comprehensively and strategically addressing both coasts with dedicated teams and resources.” “Accessibility to our From left, d&b audiotechnik’s Larry Italia and growing base of customers Amnon Harman and partners in the United States is critical,” said Amnon Harman, CEO, d&b audiotechnik. “Relationships are paramount in the audio business, and this new facility demonstrates our desire to build strong, long-term partnerships with both the audio technology community and the broader entertainment community.” The facility’s training center enables the U.S. d&b team to deliver comprehensive Soundscape demonstrations and education seminars. Both existing customers and potential new customers can visit to experience the capabilities and possibilities of d&b systems.

Almo Launches Almo AV-as-a-Service Financial Solutions Almo Professional A/V is kicking off 2020 with a new service offering: Almo AV-asa-Service (AVaaS) Financial Solutions. Through the backing of Almo Pro A/V in the form of what the company describes as “flexible and competitive finance and leasing options,” Almo says reseller partners now have a “more competitive advantage so they may pursue larger, long-term installation opportunities and provide customers with the latest technology, job site labor services, and recycling/replacement options.” “Integrators and resellers sometimes need flexible options to finance larger projects and grow their businesses. At the same time, their customers don’t want to buy hardware that becomes obsolete in a few years,” said Sam Taylor, executive vice president and COO of Almo Professional A/V. “Through our new AVaaS offering, the biggest benefit to the dealer is managed cash flow and the ability to get paid up front while offering the end user one monthly payment.” Taylor added that when it’s time for a technology refresh, the reseller who did the original installation is in a perfect position to earn that business again. Almo AVaaS Financial Solutions allows partners to offer end users lease-to-own, recycling, and equipment removal options.

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dallas, tx—When the Dallas Cowboys opened AT&T Stadium in 2009, the facility boasted the world’s largest Electro-Voice sound system in a permanent installation. A decade later, noting that many touring acts coming through the stadium do not carry enough P.A. equipment to provide adequate coverage for the upper seating areas, the stadium’s audio team decided to take advantage of E-V’s scalability to address the challenge. The upgrade includes the addition of two XLC arrays on each side of the stadium, plus one additional loudspeaker element joining the 14 existing arrays serving the 400 level, for a total of 54 added boxes. The system is bolstered with 20 additional Electro-Voice TG series amplifiers, each equipped with RCM-26 remote control DSP modules. One additional NetMax N8000 digital matrix controller was also added.

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VITEC Acquires IPtec

ELECTRO-VOICE

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VITEC has acquired IPtec, a developer and manufacturer of solutions for low-latency transfer of telemetry TVBu810 LVMB .qxp_Layout 1 1/10/20 1:21 PM Page 1 and video over IP networks. This acquisition is the third the company has made within this vertical in the last Made in USA VERTICAL OR HORIZONTAL RETROFIT & NEW WORK 18 months, continuing VITEC’s growth in TM broadcast contribution and remote production. “IPtec is highly P E R F E C T F O R H O M E T H E AT E R S Y S T E M S respected in the military and broadcast Arlington’s TVBU810 TV Box™ delivers verticals,” said Kevin the ultimate in versatility for installing Ancelin, vice president flat screen TVs in new and retrofit of worldwide broadcast projects. There's more room in the sales at VITEC. “IPtec box for wires and it installs horizontally or vertically to properly position low introduces the benefits Mounts to voltage connections behind the TV. stud in NEW work of J2K, MPEG-2, and • Ideal for home theater systems: legacy H.264 4:2:2 multiple connections for sound systems, 10-bit codec support, satellite TV, CATV, DVRs as well as a full duplex • Brackets for neater cables, with a encoder/decoder and 1-1/2" knockout for ENT and other low voltage wiring a telemetry-to-IP • Box mounts to stud in new work; gateway that complefor retrofit, mounting wing screws ment VITEC’s portsecure box in wall Secure installation in RETROFIT TVBU810 8X10 TV BOX™ folio of high-quality, includes box, trim plate, duplex receptacle, low-latency HEVC Lots of space for multiple line voltage box, wall plates, codecs. Together, our cable entry device, low voltage connections knockout plugs solutions will provide customers with a 800/233-4717 • www.arlingtonlowvoltage.com purpose-built technolPatented © 2012 Arlington Industries, Inc. ogy platform capable of delivering broadcastMade in USA NON-METALLIC quality media streams even under the most extreme conditions.” Effective in January 2020, this acquisition FOR CL ASS 2 LOW VOLTAGE WI R I NG adds IPtec’s product families to the VITEC Arlington’s non-metallic mounting brackets lineup. The current Nail-on offer the best way to install Class 2 wiring! LVN1 IPtec VNP Series will be They seat wall plates flush with the New LV2 maintained as its product mounting surface – install faster Construction roadmap merges into and cost less than metal! LV1 for Existing VITEC’s HEVC portfolio In existing construction, centered mounting Walls offering. wing screws pull the bracket securely VITEC will also add against the wall. The LV series (LV1, LV2, LV3, LV4) adjust to fit 1/4" to 1" wall thicknesses. the TNP Telemetry Network Processor series, For new construction, the nail or screw-on which addresses the LVN series brackets attach to a wood stud. LVS2 LVMB2 They cost less than extension rings and need for transmitting install faster than mud rings. For screw-on, timing-sensitive data steel stud installations, try the LVS or signals over IP netLVMB series. works in telemedicine, We also offer a variety of low voltage defense, and industrial brackets for specialty applications. LVMB1 applications.

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news Almo Professional A/V Details 2020 E4 Experience Almo Professional A/V has revealed the locations for its 2020 E4 program. Thanks to its longstanding education partnership with AVIXA, the E4 Experience continues to offer certifications and courses worth CTS Renewal Units (RUs) that are free to attending AV resellers, integrators, consultants, and end users. Highlights for the spring 2020 E4 Experience include a keynote address focused on the people-first approach to the future of AV design, a panel discussion focused on the booming esports market, and a training track featuring a three-part series on direct-view LED (dvLED) technology, installation, and content. The E4 Experience is visiting the following locations in 2020: * Santa Clara, CA, on March 13 * Washington, D.C., on April 3 * Dallas, TX, on Sept. 22 * Boston, MA, on Oct. 22 “The E4 Experience continues to grow year after year because of the increased value it offers to local attendees to see and achieve so much in a single day—from certifications and CTS Renewal Units to new technology and networking,” said Melody Craigmyle, vice president of marketing for Almo Corp. “We are ready to give attendees their best E4 Experience yet, filled with information on trending topics to help them stay ahead of the curve, certifications to give them the credentials and credibility to grow their businesses, and access to technologies that are just making their way into the AV market.”

From left, Chris, Luke, and Sam Jordan celebrate Electro Acoustics’ Small Business of the Year Forte Award.

Electro Acoustics Named Small Business of the Year by Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Electro Acoustics recently received the 2020 Small Business of the Year Forte Award from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. Luke Jordan, PMP, CTS-I, the company’s vice president and co-steward, accepted the award on Jan. 30 during an award ceremony in downtown Fort Worth attended by more than 200 guests. Electro Acoustics won in the Professional Services category and was chosen from a field of nine finalists in three categories: Manufacturing, Professional Services, and Emerging Business. Criteria for the award are business growth and performance, sound business strategies and practices, customer service strategies, business challenges, unique and innovative approaches, and community involvement. “Receiving this award is confirmation that building a business based on our key core values and investing in career development for our people produces superior results for our business, our team members, our clients, and our community,” said Chris Jordan, chief steward and president. “Small businesses are a key indicator of a region’s economic health,” added Brittany Brookens, the Chamber’s director of small business and entrepreneurship. “The Forte Awards gives us a platform to showcase and promote some of High-level encounters and the incredible work they do.” peer networking Each finalist was judged by a panel of Fort Worth Fresh ideas from experts Chamber of Commerce and innovators business owners and professionals, most of them A focused preview of nextpast Forte Award winners.

National Geographic Encounter | Aug 6, 2020 | NYC SAVE THE DATE

WHY ATTEND?

The AV/IT Summit is back and is designed for end users and integrators to get key insights from industry experts.

Topics covered include the integrated experience, collaborating with peers, as well as industry predictions for 2020 and beyond.

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news Black Box and Netgear to Sponsor SDVoE Design Partner Certification Live Events Black Box and Netgear are teaming up to sponsor a series of SDVoE Design Partner Certification Live events in cities around the world. The training program supports attendees in becoming consultants and designers who can guide integrators, installers, and end users in leveraging the SDVoE standard for high-performance AV network deployments. The training will provide a combination of practical tips, guidance for immediate application, and inspiration for future projects. “When you attend an SDVoE Design Partner Certification Live event, you’ll see firsthand how the teams at Black Box and Netgear use this incredible technology to provide high-performance AV and advanced matrix switching capabilities on a truly converged AV and IT network,” said Steve Harriman, senior vice president of global marketing at Black Box. “You’ll also learn how to take full advantage of the flexibility and scalability of Ethernet to deliver 4K video without compromise.” “For 2020, the SDVoE Alliance set a goal to bring training from our free SDVoE Academy website into the real world. Black Box have jumped on the opportunity, and now they have the first certified SDVoE trainers outside of the SDVoE organization itself,” said Justin Kennington,

president of the SDVoE Alliance. “I’m very excited to see Netgear working with Black Box to spread knowledge and experience with SDVoE technology to the entire AV market.” “The exciting new world of audiovisual production relies heavily on networking technology, an area that is Netgear’s expertise,” added Laurent Masia, director, product line management, Netgear. “We are thrilled to be included in the SDVoE Design Partner Certification event to speak to the capabilities of our network switches engineered for AV over IP.” Led by certified SDVoE design consultants, the full-day training is designed to give attendees the knowledge to take advantage of all that SDVoE technology and AV over IP have to offer, particularly in comparison to traditional AV matrix switching. SDVoE Design Partner Certification also makes attendees eligible for one AVIXA CTS or CTS-D Renewal Unit. The first training event is scheduled for Feb. 25 in Atlanta, with more to follow in Munich, Chicago, Tokyo, San Juan, and Dubai. More information and registration for these and subsequent events can be found at https://sdvoe.org/cdp-live.

Shure Announces Results of Conferencing Survey A recent survey of 401 business professionals and IT decision-makers provided some surprising numbers about the future of conferencing. The findings, based on a survey commissioned by Shure with Illuminas, a technology industry market research firm, included insights in the following categories: * Benefits of audio * Perception gaps between executives and staff * Employee frustrations * Impact on productivity and IT resources * Future technology investment to support virtual meetings * Importance of audio versus video One of the most interesting findings is that just 36 percent of the business professionals surveyed believe that their organizations currently have the right technology to support virtual meetings. Three out of five felt their employers had the basic technology in place but need to make improvements. “With the continued growth of global business and remote employees, virtual meetings are more important than ever,” said Chris Merrick, director, marketing global systems, Shure. “As we continuously try to learn more about the needs of the industry, this survey provides great insight about how today’s companies are looking to prepare for tomorrow’s business needs.” The survey included feedback from IT and business professionals in a wide range of industries including healthcare, banking, financial services, manufacturing, retail, technology, transportation, energy, agriculture, and real estate. The findings paint a picture of the importance of technology— especially audio—in providing effective virtual meetings: * 87 percent of IT and business professionals surveyed said that virtual meetings were critical and/or very important. * 86 percent confirm that virtual meetings are growing in importance. * Three out of four IT professionals said their businesses plan to allocate bigger budgets in the next year to better accommodate virtual meetings.

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“Not having the right equipment can negatively impact several factors for businesses: workplace efficiency, cost savings, and even morale,” said Merrick. Respondents said that technical difficulties during virtual meetings caused several issues for the workforce. The top problems listed include the need to reschedule meetings, miscommunication resulting in reworking projects, and decreased employee satisfaction. Even when virtual meetings are able to take place without technical issues, the in-room sound technology can be a factor. Among the top frustrations, respondents listed background noise, echoes, only hearing partial pieces of speech, and side conversations. Overall, poor audio quality is a leading cause of meeting room problems, according to the findings. When technical issues occur, IT staff, already stretched in many businesses, are called on to respond quickly. The survey found that 68 percent of executives elevate meeting room issues to IT at least weekly. Overall, 82 percent of business professionals surveyed have experienced a negative impact of poor audio quality, with lost time and productivity leading the list. According to business professionals, the biggest factor in improving virtual meetings is providing clear audio, with a whopping 81 percent saying this is the main culprit. They believe that these improvements would lead to better productivity (65 percent), less time spent in meetings (61 percent), and higher employee engagement (56 percent). Shure has recently launched a new campaign with a dedicated website to help businesses improve their conferencing capabilities. At effortless.shure.com, visitors can access resources and tips for effective conference room setups, white papers about how to build the best audio, and product overviews. “Shure audio equipment has a distinguished history of being trusted on the biggest stages for world leaders and music legends,” said Jim Schanz, vice president of global integrated systems sales at Shure. “We are bringing that quality to boardrooms and meeting rooms in a way that makes it seamless for users to operate and effortless for IT staff to set up and manage.”

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news Crestron, Logitech Leaders Discuss Their New Partnership BY MAT T PRU Z N IC K

To achieve a monumental task, sometimes competitors need to work together. In a bold stride toward Crestron president and CEO Randy Klein’s vision of a new, truly converged AV-IT industry, the company has partnered with Logitech to bring its conferencing devices into the Crestron ecosystem. According to Klein, the partnership is a formal acknowledgement of the expansion of unified communication offerings already being carried out by their customers. “We’re going to do what people are already doing, but we’re going to make it better,” Klein said in a meeting at Crestron’s Rockleigh, NJ, headquarters prior to ISE. “The whole intent is to Randy Klein focus on the room, not the device.” Today, the partnership pairs Logitech’s MeetUp, Rally, and Rally Plus conferencing devices with the Crestron Flex C Series platform, with the latter offering “reference designs” for how to best create these systems. This summer, Logitech’s devices will be brought into the Crestron XiO Cloud ecosystem, completing the unification. According to Scott Wharton, vice president and general manager of video collaboration at Logitech, he and Klein both arrived at the idea of the partnership separately last fall, and the two soon began to set the plan in motion. “Increasingly, our customer base and our channel partners were saying ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be great if I could take all the power and the expertise of the Crestron products around digital media, Scott Wharton room management, and AV, and partner them with Logitech’s conference cameras?’ Wharton said. That’s when Klein called with the same proposition. “We instantly realized that we had the same ideas thinking independently,” Wharton said. “Instead of trying to compete in some of these narrow areas, why don’t we partner and give our customers what they want?” Wharton said it took less than three months from the time of that initial call until the deal was completed. “It speaks to the clarity of why this makes sense and why we were able to have both teams easily work together,” he said. “It speaks volumes to the common elements of each of our

companies,” Klein agreed. “We’re really alike. From the very first meeting we had, it’s been relaxed and productive.” More than being a win-win deal for Logitech and Crestron, the partnership is poised to be a catalyst for the proliferation of video-based communications, in turn helping every business work better. “Part of what we’re trying to do is take something like videoconferencing or video collaboration, which I think traditionally has been hard, expensive, and usually reserved only for certain people at a company, and democratize it,” Wharton said. However, the prospect of scaling out video systems to potentially thousands of rooms in an organization comes with the inherent challenge of managing all of these endpoints. That’s where Crestron XiO Cloud comes in. “Now we can take both companies’ devices, put them onto that management resource, and the customers will be able to manage and scale infinitely,” Klein said. According to Klein, the partnership has no effect on Crestron’s product roadmap. “Nothing is changing with our go-to-market or development strategies,” he said. “Where there is overlap, the customer benefits. We’re giving them more choice than anyone else.” Such a conciliatory approach is necessary in order to realize Klein’s goal of an industry that transcends AV. “Too often people interchange the words ‘competitors’ and ‘enemies,’” he said. “We might compete on a job-by-job basis, but we’re talking about making a new industry. No one company can do that. But Logitech and Crestron are the only two companies that combined can do that.” Wharton is equally ambitious: “Right now, video collaboration is only in an estimated 3 percent of all rooms,” he said. “So how do you take the experience and scale from Crestron and our ability to democratize cameras and audio and make it more accessible to everyone, and bring it to the other 97 percent? “That’s part of the opportunity; a lot of it is ahead of us. It’s not really competing against what’s already out there; it’s really creating everything that’s new.”

Yamaha UC Strengthens Dean’s List Program Yamaha Unified Communications has announced that all U.S.- and Canada-based K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and other qualified institutions will be able to experience Yamaha quality at reduced pricing. The Dean’s List Program lets educational organizations enhance the student learning experience with an additional 10 to 20 percent instant discount on any qualifying Yamaha product order. “Collaboration technology and impeccable audio quality in the education space has been an area of focus for Yamaha for years,” said Michael Fitch, vice president of global sales and marketing at Yamaha UC. “Our Dean’s List Program was born out of that priority. After seeing the success of

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hundreds of schools using our solutions, we’re even more committed to helping future generations gain access to these products to create unique, modern learning spaces.” To take advantage of the program benefits, Yamaha UC authorized resellers complete and submit the registration form available within the company’s partner portal. Upon acceptance, the discount is immediately applied when an order is placed. For UC products, an additional 10 percent will be taken off MSRP, including the YVC1000MS USB speakerphone and CS-700 Video Sound Bar. In addition, resellers will receive an 20 percent off MSRP of Yamaha PRO products.

trends ASHLY AUDIO

news cycling studio Swerve keeps riders engaged through a team-based competition structure and an electric atmosphere supercharged by a “dance club”-quality sound system with an Ashly Audio backbone. Paul Bell, owner of PBell Sound, is the integrator who designed the professional sound systems at Swerve’s three New York studios. A single studio features 15 ceiling-mount speakers. At the back wall, speakers are on a slight delay to ensure immersive sound no matter where riders are located. Subwoofers are installed beneath the stage where the instructor cycles. Other areas such as locker rooms and bathrooms also have sound. An Ashly Protea ne24.24M Matrix Processor provides input/output matrixing and DSP, while an Ashly ne4125 Class-D Amplifier and five Ashly KL-2000s provide amplification for the system.

KanexPro Joins SDVoE Alliance KanexPro has joined the SDVoE Alliance as an adopting member. Envisioning the connectivity convenience that SDVoE provides to the installation community and end users, KanexPro will be launching several SDVoE products in 2020 as part of its Modular Matrix Series. Their SDVoE transceiver and controller, along with several accessories, debuted at ISE in February. “With interoperability and standardization of Ethernetbased AV distribution, we can provide great user experiences,” said Manny Hernandez, senior product manager for KanexPro. “We’re dedicated to the mission of the SDVoE Alliance to replace current disparate technology with a software standard that defines AV applications and serves the IT and AV communities with products that make installations easier and more reliable.” “KanexPro has worked with SDVoE technology for several years now. We are happy to see them launching new products that will no doubt help their customers—tech managers, integrators, and systems designers alike—benefit from the simplified architectures SDVoE makes possible,” said Justin Kennington, president of the SDVoE Alliance. “We look forward to their help in spreading the adoption of SDVoE throughout the pro AV community.”

MARCH 2020 //// SCN

Sales Manager, Southwest BrightSign

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manchester, uk—Green

Hippo’s Hippotizer Media Servers were chosen by video director Jay Baker of Creative Video Design to drive the visuals for the show Spotify Presents: Who We Be Live 2019. Baker used Hippotizer Karst+ Media Servers, supplied by 80Six, as the main playback and backup devices, with the timecode playback rig provided by SFL. Baker had realtime access to parameters via Green Hippo’s ZooKeeper interface from front-of-house. For the performance, Baker and his Karst+ delivered visuals designed in-house by Creative Video Design, as well as stings and ID content from Amplify, onto LED screens consisting of ROE Visual’s CB3 and semi-transparent Vanish V8 screen modules, also supplied by 80Six.

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Atlona, Panduit Leaders Talk Business One Year After Acquisition BY MAT T PRU Z N IC K

It’s been a year since network infrastructure company Panduit completed its acquisition of Atlona. The aim of the deal was to create a unified entity that could supply customers with a one-stop technology foundation, providing everything from networking and electrical cabling to AV signal management and control products. Rather than simply absorbing the Atlona brand into Panduit’s operations, the two organizations have operated much like partners, allowing the former to maintain its successful approach with additional support and backing. We caught up with Panduit’s vice president of enterprise business Tom Kelly and Atlona’s CEO Ilya Khayn to find out how the deal has benefitted both companies. SCN: It seems like the partnership model has worked out well. Has there been a cultural synergy between the companies? Tom Kelly: I was really impressed by this level of cultural fit. Some of these things, you never really know till after the acquisition closes, but I’d say the collaboration we’ve seen between at Atlona in San Jose and Panduit’s headquarters in Chicago has exceeded expectations. The focus on innovation and product quality has really resonated with both companies and we’ve seen a high level of fit, and the mindset between both organizations is really similar. And we’ve been impressed with what we’ve seen so far as we look back at the first year anniversary. I can say in summary that it’s been better than expected, and we’ve done what we set out to do, which is continuing to operate Atlona with its focus on AV and complement it with some investment from Panduit. Ilya Khayn: Prior to the acquisition, Atlona was a small- to medium-sized company. We were known for being very nimble. And we’ve continued to stay nimble, which is a really good advantage for our customers; it’s our competitive advantage. And being part of the Panduit family, we get all of the advantages of being part of a larger company—we get support for the infrastructure, support on the resources side—but we continue to operate as a nimble company. SCN: Has there been an exchange of best practices between the organizations? IK: Across different areas. Over the course of 2019 we related all of our functions, from basic day-to-day IT, order processing, and logistics. There have been some areas where we’ve improved our processes and made them even more robust, and there have been some areas where we had very solid things in place and continue to use them as we used to.

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Tom Kelly

Ilya Khayn

TK: I’ll give one example. I think Panduit has lent more back office structure and support, and we’ve been impressed with Atlona’s ability on the marketing side. We look at their digital presence and their level of polish when they go to trade shows and exhibitions—we’ve been really impressed by that. I think we’ve learned from them a bit on the digital side, and we’ve really appreciated the expertise that they have in-house. That was definitely an upside and a pleasant surprise for us. SCN: One of the benefits of the deal for Atlona was the opportunity to get in front of a new customer base. How has that worked out? IK: That was very attractive to us as we were discussing things prior to the acquisition. That was an important point: now we get into the projects a lot earlier. Typically, we’d only be considered as an afterthought, coming in as the last piece of the installation. Now we have an opportunity to talk to those contractors, systems integrators, end users, and general contractors a lot earlier, at the beginning stage when the project is being considered. We can be part of this conversation now. And we can now tap into the huge network of Panduit partners and the Panduit sales team, which gives us tremendous exposure here in the market. So yeah, it’s been very positive. SCN: Has Panduit’s approach changed now that you have Atlona’s solutions at your disposal? TK: Yeah, absolutely. We’ve found that we’re able to approach our end users and partners with a broader offering than we have in the past, which is part of our strategy in the acquisition. What we’ve seen is we’re able to talk to IT end users about a complete integrated network—not only physical, but AV—which has been a big upside for us. That’s allowed us to have a deeper conversation and a different engagement than just providing passive physical infrastructure. So that’s gone according to plan and gone well.

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In January, pro AV sales growth slowed for the first time in five months, falling three points to 59.2, in AVIXA’s Pro-AV Business Index. This score was about one point down from this time last year. Many survey respondents suggested the new year means new money, but that wave often takes weeks to a full month to actually hit. For other respondents, it was new year, same challenge: finding and keeping skilled workers. The finalization of the Brexit agreement was accompanied by another major positive trade development to start the decade: phase one of the new U.S.-China trade deal. This phase isn’t a sure end to trade uncertainty—it’s more of a ceasefire than a peace deal—but it’s a good start. It leaves in place most tariffs, but for the AV industry, the biggest impact of the trade war was always uncertainty more than prices. With the new agreement, AV buyers now have more confidence and will be more willing to invest in new projects. “This pair of positive changes for trade has helped push recession probability lower than it was in late summer and early fall,” said Peter Hansen, economic analyst, AVIXA. “While chances are higher than they were for most of the 2010s, it’s still encouraging to see the chances trending in the right direction. Lower recession probability is always good for business investment—including in AV products.” In pro AV headlines, AVI-SPL announced a blockbuster merger with Whitlock on Feb. 5. The merger, which is expected to finalize at the end of March of this year, creates the biggest AV integrator in the world. Late last year, AVIXA’s market intelligence team released its Macroeconomic Trends Analysis (META) report on the subject of market concentration and mergers in pro AV. The report found that the U.S. AV integration market is unconcentrated, meaning that no one or few companies dominate the space. Even after the merger, that finding remains true. The META report has a lot more detail on this critical topic, but a key conclusion to highlight here is that the data shows that the AV integration market has plenty of room for businesses both large and small. The new decade started off with a strong U.S. jobs report. According

to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the economy added 225,000 jobs in January, well above expectations of 150,000. For pro AV, the news wasn’t quite as good. At 57.7, this month’s AV Employment Index signals that job growth continued, but at a slower rate than in December when the AVI-E was at 60.7. “We’re always running short-handed. Current personnel could be better trained, more productive, conscientious of self-governing (take initiative). Overall crew is up to the tasks at hand and does complete assignments within timing guidelines,” shared an AV provider in North America. The Pro-AV Business Index report is derived from a monthly survey of the AVIXA Insights Community, 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 (AVI-E). 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 AVIXA Insights Community, visit www.avixa.org/AVIP.

Stampede’s Mobile Technology Showroom Is Back on the Road Since the program’s launch in 2016, Stampede has taken its Mobile Technology Showroom (MTS) to locations across the country, assisting hundreds of resellers in presenting integrated technology solutions to their customers. Kevin Kelly, Stampede president and CEO, said that hosting targeted demonstrations with local integrators helps to increase sales and drives home the message that Stampede is fully committed to helping its customers succeed. “Whether Stampede sales reps are meeting with educators in Houston or a partnering manufacturer wants to show off new products in a Boston suburb, the Stampede Mobile Technology Showroom is the perfect venue to bring high-tech experiences right to dealers and end users in local markets nationwide,” Kelly said. “It’s no secret that hands-on demos can greatly increase sell-through rates and help land contracts. By bringing the demo to the customer instead of requiring them to travel, we remove all obstacles and doubts, which benefits our suppliers through greater product awareness and more sales. “Stampede is famous for its annual Big Book of AV Tour &

Conference Series, but AV is only part of the product catalog we offer,” Kelly added. “In industries such as hospitality, the MTS is helping us show integrators that we are a true soup-to-nuts technology distributor, leading to month-to-month sales boosts of up to 200 percent after a visit. For integrators and our sponsor manufacturers, the benefits are clear.” Manufacturer participants in the Stampede MTS include Bose, Christie, Kramer, Lumens, Oculus, OneLAN, Optoma, Peerless-AV, Samsung, Sharp, Yuneec, and others. “The bottom line is that the Mobile Technology Showroom is a huge valueadded tool for our sales team and the brands we carry,” Kelly concluded. “It’s an event space that’s also a mobile marketing machine, with logos on the outside, and it’s been a great success at every location so far. In one case, the personal experience provided by the MTS helped us sell a large-scale LED wall to an integrator who had been planning to purchase elsewhere from a different manufacturer.” The Mobile Technology Showroom will be in Southern California March 2–13, with additional dates to be announced soon.

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Pro AV Sales Growth Slows at the Start of 2020

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news IMCCA Honors Industry Titans at Collaboration Week NY Randy Klein and Eric S. Yuan received IMCCA Emerging Technology Fellow Awards at the organization’s gala dinner on Feb. 25, during the second annual Collaboration Week New York. Klein, who is president and CEO of Crestron Electronics, received the ETF Lifetime Achievement Award. A 30-year veteran of Crestron, Klein began his career there in 1990 as national sales manager. His progression within the organization was steady, culminating in becoming president and CEO in 2014. Randy Klein Eric S. Yuan According to IMCCA, Klein’s contributions to the industry have been equally significant and beneficial, as evidenced by his being awarded the InfoComm Board of Governors Excellence in Volunteer Leadership Award in 2004. Yuan, founder and CEO of Zoom Video Communications, received an ETF Industry Impact Award. Yuan founded Zoom in 2011 to bring teams together in a frictionless video environment. Under Yuan’s leadership, Zoom was one of the highest-performing tech IPOs of 2019. He has been named one of the Most Powerful People in Enterprise Tech by Business Insider and was named the top CEO of a large U.S. company by Glassdoor in 2018. “IMCCA has been recognizing movers and shakers in the collaboration industry for several years now. We try to identify those individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to our industry, from both a technical and business aspect. Our current award recipients are the epitome of these qualities,” said Carol Zelkin, executive director of IMCCA. “It is my pleasure to congratulate Randy and Eric, to thank them for the significant contributions they have made both to the IMCCA and the industry in general, and to welcome them to join the rest of the Emerging Technology Fellows we have recognized over the years.”

NSCA Recognizes Industry Leaders at BLC 2020

InfoCommAsia Postpones InfoComm China 2020 Due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, Beijing InfoComm Asia 2020 has been postponed. The event was scheduled to take place March 26–28. On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern in order to promote and coordinate international efforts and enhanced preparedness in response to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. “To ensure the safety of our exhibitors and attendees and in support of the Chinese government’s efforts to contain the spread of the virus, InfoCommAsia— the organizer of Beijing InfoComm China 2020—has decided to postpone the show,” show organizers said in a statement. “While we understand that this may cause inconvenience, the safety of all our exhibitors and attendees is of prime importance, and we made this decision with their best interest in mind,” said Richard Tan, executive director of InfoCommAsia. “We will continue to monitor this fluid situation as it evolves and keep all exhibitors and attendees updated.” Show organizers say new dates for InfoComm China 2020 will be announced as soon as possible.

NSCA honored Michael Hester, Steve Emspak, and Nate Ross during its Business & Leadership Conference (BLC) in Irving, TX, in February. Per Haugen Lifetime Achievement Award: Michael Hester Michael Hester, a former NSCA president who also served on the NSCA Board of Directors, was the recipient of the 2020 Per Haugen Lifetime Achievement Award. Hester’s career in business and in the NSCA community is emblematic of the American dream, according to the association. “Mike Hester is a great leader and even better person,” said NSCA executive director Chuck Wilson. “He built a business using principles, ethics, and core Steve Emspak Nate Ross Michael Hester values consistent with the criteria this award is based on.” NSCA’s Per Haugen Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who exemplify characteristics of former NSCA president Per Haugen. These include volunteer efforts, leadership, generosity, ethics, core values, integrity, strength of professional relationships, and strategic vision for both their company and the integration industry. Founders Award: Steve Emspak Steve Emspak, a partner at Shen Milsom & Wilke and an NSCA Education Foundation Board of Directors member, received the 2020 NSCA Education Foundation Founders Award. Wilson said, “It’s difficult to overstate Emspak’s contributions to the NSCA’s Education Foundation. A driving force behind the Drunk Unkles band, he has led fundraising efforts for the foundation for the past 15 years. Steve Emspak has worked tirelessly for many years as a fundraiser and board member for the NSCA Education Foundation. He truly values the mission, and his contributions will leave a lasting mark on the industry.” “I’m honored and humbled to receive this award,” Emspak said. “Finding NSCA, an organization that truly cares about their constituents, has been an incredible discovery. Over my many years in the industry, finding a place within that organization where I felt I could make a difference has been an extremely rewarding and gratifying experience.” Volunteer of the Year Award: Nate Ross The 2020 Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Nate Ross of AVI Systems. A full-time digital marketing manager and part-time golf pro, Ross has championed six golf tournaments on behalf of the NSCA Education Foundation, specifically for the Ignite initiative, and brought in $100,000. “Nate Ross loves golf, and he loves serving the organization,” Wilson said. “His contributions have helped the foundation immensely. He embodies the true spirit of volunteering.”

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executive q&a

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people

Premier Partnerships PREMIER MOUNTS’ TIFFANY DOZIER DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIPS SCN: What is your position, and what does it entail? What are your responsibilities? TIFFANY DOZIER: As the executive vice president of sales at Premier Mounts, I manage all sales divisions for both stock and custom. This includes direct management of all sales and sales support team members and managing our channel strategy. I also work closely with our marketing team on brand messaging, new product launches, website, and public relations. In addition, I work directly with our engineering team on our new product roadmap strategy, revisions to existing products, and custom project designs. SCN: How long have you been in this position? TD: I have been with Premier Mounts for 23 years in various sales management and executive positions, but I have been in my current position for just over a year.

“The biggest challenge we face continues to be the commoditization of the mount category. I have personally seen hundreds of situations where a mount purchase was driven by the cheapest option rather than the right solution for that particular project.” SCN: How has your background prepared you for your role? TD: Prior to joining Premier Mounts, my background was in operations for a nationwide retailer. I had direct responsibility over budgets, profit and loss, hiring, training, and ensuring our monthly sales goals were achieved. With each position I’ve held at Premier Mounts, I’ve been directly involved in the day-to-day management of our channel strategy. This includes establishing our global network of integrators, distributors, and OEM partners. Creating and launching sales programs and marketing initiatives that align with our partners’ business needs and vision is key to our success as a company. SCN: What are your short- and long-term goals? TD: We’re currently implementing a new strategy for our sales team where each person is assigned to specific accounts based on their market/vertical focus. This new method of doing business will provide the best service to our customers and will continue to help strengthen the relationships we have with our partners. This ties into our longterm strategy, which is focused on ensuring customer and partner satisfaction. SCN: What is the greatest challenge you face? TD: The biggest challenge we face continues to be the commoditization of the mount category. I have personally seen hundreds of situations where a mount purchase was driven by the cheapest option rather than the right solution for that particular project. There are so many factors that we look at when we are recommending mounting solutions—attachment methods, fine-tune adjustment capabilities, access for future maintenance, and aesthetics are just a few things that come to mind. As a company, we get involved in projects very early on to advise

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all stakeholders about things that most have never thought of. We are truly an extension of our resellers’ engineering, sales, and product management teams. We manage projects from beginning to end. This involvement is vitally important as direct view LED continues to grow at a fast pace. SCN: Where do you see the digital signage market heading? TD: Direct view LED will continue to grow as a major category in the digital signage world. Using these products, the industry is able to create fully immersive digital experiences in places such as sports books, hotels, sports arenas, and retail stores. The use of dvLED allows for unlimited possibilities. We love working with our partners to come up with creative solutions to everyday problems.

Quick Bio Name: Tiffany Dozier Position: Executive Vice President, Sales Company: Premier Mounts Overtime: Dozier says living in Southern California provides her with endless options for the outdoor activities she loves, like golfing. She works with her local AVIXA Women’s Council group and has mentored several women joining the AV industry. Dozier is very involved in the With Hope Foundation, whose aim is to reduce suicide rates in kids and young adults through education and resources provided for students at schools across Southern California.

SCN: Are there new initiatives we are likely to see from Premier Mounts? TD: Look for continued dvLED training classes for our integration partners. Integrators should contact their local rep for more info—we’d love to have them join us at our next event! SCN: How can systems contractors better position themselves to profit from products and/or services you have to offer? TD: As I mentioned earlier, one of the keys to success is bringing the Premier Mounts team in on the very early stages of a project and utilizing our design and engineering experience. We will work alongside our partners to come up with the best solution and help reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) on their projects. Integrators can contact their local rep or visit www.premiermounts.com/contact to get started. *

“We love working with our partners to come up with creative solutions to everyday problems.”

tech tales

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BY T I M G RI FFI N

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people

SaaS-Based Video Walls Put the “Control” Back in Control Rooms The control room is typically the nerve center of an operation, whether it’s a power plant, factory, airport, or any facility. Proper operation of such complex facilities requires operators to monitor and evaluate vast quantities of data to make informed decisions, often under pressure. Video walls have become essential tools for operators and plant managers, supporting their efforts by providing flexible contextual awareness and ensuring all critical information is visible on a single display surface. More advanced video walls even provide tools for efficient manipulation and management of that information. Data and live feeds synthesized from a variety of sources are displayed on the control room’s video walls as “sources,” which operators can configure in different layouts for different applications and switch between as necessary. Advanced video wall solutions allow sources to be brought forward, moved around, and resized in real time through a graphical user interface (GUI) that ideally runs within a web browser window, allowing operators to control the video wall from any device connected to the network. There are several criteria that must be satisfied to ensure that a particular video wall solution will be a safe, efficient and cost-effective addition to facilities management best practices. Flexibility Control room operators need to review and manage data in different formats and from many different sources, including still cameras, video cameras, CAD and schematic diagrams, heat maps, and more—many of which you know of now, some of which you will only come to know about in the future. The hardware and software deployed must be able to support a broad range of sources and formats effectively. Standalone Operation The dependencies of your selected control room video wall solution must be minimal. Operator software that depends on specific operating systems or versions may limit your ability to upgrade or apply necessary security patches, or may require modifications to your operator’s computer images, which can create big obstacles to deployment. The system should be capable of operating with or without internet connectivity. Cost Effectiveness Even at the largest and most profitable facilities, managers focus on saving initial capital expenditures (capex) and long-term total cost of ownership (TCO). Choosing standards-based software solutions

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versus solutions based on large amounts of proprietary hardware can lead to enormous short- and long-term savings. High Availability Control room video walls must be both reliable and highly available, ensuring minimal downtime—through automatic failover, for example— thus providing operators and plant managers confidence that in the unlikely event of a hardware failure in a video wall server, their control room video wall will still be available to their operators. Scalability Management must be able to expand and/or update the configuration of their control room video walls—sometimes on very short notice— without interrupting operation to address changing circumstances, such as the installation of additional factory machinery. SaaS Comes to the Control Room SaaS, or software as a service, has disrupted nearly every software industry. SaaS is a natural fit for the control room, where reliability is first priority, and having access to the latest data and analysis comes a close second. SaaS brings predictability to the purchase of a softwarebased control room video wall, ensuring users always have full support and full access to all features for an optimized, inclusive, predictable cost. Customers can always access the latest patches and upgrades, putting these to work when it makes sense to do so. With a SaaS approach, there are no limits on scalability as facility needs change. One common misconception of SaaS is that it runs on the cloud. This is not the case. SaaS is a model for purchasing, licensing, and supporting a software solution. While it may operate from a cloud server, a SaaS system may also exist on physical equipment running securely within your facility. Facilities usually handle a range of content, from confidential information that demands the highest levels of security, to simple staff education videos that are available to everybody. For advanced operations, the on-premise option eliminates many typical SaaS concerns around security of content processing and storage. The importance of real-time monitoring and situational awareness is increasing. New threats, and new data feeds, are coming online nearly every day. Being able to take responsive, decisive, informed action is crucial in almost every organization. As the nerve center of the operation, the control room’s video wall is a critical tool to help facilitate the kind of operations and decision-making you want your team to be able to do. Robust, reliable, advanced control room solutions are one of the best investments you can make to ensure the ongoing safety and security of critical operations and facilities. In 1999, Tim Griffin founded Userful to make centralized desktop computing and management efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly through ultra-thin and zero-sclient solutions. Griffin is a responsible for setting the strategic direction for the corporate and product roadmap at Userful. He has pioneered laptop and input device design research, which he has further pursued through research and development with Userful products. Griffin holds a master’s degree in product design from the University of Calgary with a focus on human computer interaction.

newsmakers

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people ca —JOHN MCMAHON has been promoted to senior vice president of sales and marketing at MEYER SOUND. In his expanded role, McMahon assumes responsiJohn McMahon bility for global sales, with all U.S. regional and international sales managers reporting directly to him. McMahon also will oversee all of the company’s outward facing operations, including marketing, technical services, and education/training. berkley,

beaverton , or —PLANAR is expanding its U.S. sales force with the addition of LAINIE MATARAS, who has joined the company’s Northeast team as business development Lainie Mataras manager. She will leverage her extensive professional network to foster relationships with consultant partners and further develop Planar’s consultant program. Mataras brings more than 25 years of experience in the commercial AV and digital signage industry to Planar. burbank ,

ca —RIEDEL NORTH AMERICA has hired ERNESTO DE LA TORRE as sales manager, Western U.S. De la Torre brings a comprehensive background Ernesto de la Torre in broadcast technology sales and marketing to the role. Over the past 16 years he has held business development and strategic account management roles at Bexel Global Broadcast Solutions, most recently as business development manager, engineered services. fremont,

ca —SCN

Hall of Famer SAM MALIK has joined ARISTA CORP. as vice president of sales and marketing. Malik’s responsibility for sales and marketing will focus Sam Malik on professional AV markets, including oversight of the company’s pro AV distribution channels and management of the company’s VARs and system integrators. LLOYD has been hired by AVIXA as senior director of communications. Lloyd will lead AVIXA’s public relations and internal communications, and will support Joé Lloyd brand positioning, market intelligence, and content development. Lloyd joins AVIXA from NanoLumens, where she had been vice president of global marketing and business development since 2015. In that role, she was a member of the company’s executive leadership and responsible for the brand’s channel and market strategy, media relations, and channel communications. fairfax , va —JOÉ

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rheine , germany —ONEAV has appointed RONNI GUGGENHEIM as CEO. With more than 20 years of executive-level expertise, Guggenheim brings extensive AV and Ronni Guggenheim channel business leadership experience to OneAV. Guggenheim’s first initiative as CEO is the launch of a business model aimed at morphing smaller AV distributors into OneAV operations. Guggenheim’s previous role was general manager at Atlona, where he spent nearly five years building that company’s global presence.

MORRIS has joined FOR-A CORP. OF AMERICA as western regional sales manager. He will lead sales efforts across more than a dozen U.S. states, including David Morris Alaska and Hawaii, as well as Western Canada. Morris has built his career in sales serving the professional video industry. He spent more than 16 years as the western regional sales manager for Hitachi, almost seven years as a senior district sales manager for JVC Professional Products, and more than six years in sales for Premier Mounts. Most recently, he held sales positions with VMI Video and Extron. cypress , ca —DAVID

paris , france —ANALOG

WAY has named CHRISTOPHE DELAHOUSSE chairman. Before joining Analog Way, Delahousse was executive vice president of Harmonic (HLIT) Christophe Delahousse and president of Thomson Video Networks. He also served as general manager of Grass Valley and held various positions in the areas of business development, finance, sales and marketing. Delahousse assumes the chairman’s role from Marc Loret, who remains on the board of directors as founding president of the company. mesa , ca —JASON MOSS has been hired by QSC as vice president of alliances and market development. As part of the QSC executive team, Moss will be responsible Jason Moss for developing and managing strategic alliances with leading AV/IT collaboration manufacturers and service providers globally. He joins QSC from Logitech, where he served most recently as head of go-tomarket and alliances, video collaboration. costa

spiceland, in —DRAPER has promoted CHRIS BROOME to company president. Broome becomes only the fifth president in the company’s 118-year history; former president John Pidgeon recently stepped down following 15 years in the role. Broome is Pidgeon’s cousin, the son of vice president of manufacturing

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>>>Rep News new york, ny—BARCO and RDL have appointed CARDONE SOLOMON & ASSOCIATES as their new manufacturer’s representatives for the metro New York City, New Jersey, and surrounding suburban area. toronto, on—BLUESOUND

PROFESSIONAL has appointed a plethora of manufacturers’ representatives including AUDIO ASSOCIATES, BORMANN MARKETING, GRIFFITH SALES, HOLLOWAY SALES, LAYER 8, NORTHMAR, and RT SALES for various territories across the United States. BG MEDIA SOLUTIONS, MM TECHNOLOGIE, and CONNECT WEST will represent the company in Canada.

(L to R) Jentry Wittkamper, Lee Denhart, Chris Broome, John Pidgeon, Mike Broome, and Bob Mathes

Mike Broome, and the great-great-grandson of company founder Luther Draper. Broome has been with Draper since 1992, having served in several capacities, most recently as architectural market manager. LEE DENHART replaces Broome as architectural market manager. JENTRY WITTKAMPER assumes Denhart’s former position as director of sales. bend, in —BRADLEY DRUMMOND has joined LEA PROFESSIONAL as director of application engineering and consultant relations. In the role, Drummond will work closely Bradley Drummond with LEA Professional’s customers, and will manage customer feedback and provide application and design support. Furthermore, Drummond will be in charge of business development and managing the company’s global consultant relationships. Drummond joins the LEA Professional team with a robust background in the audio industry and more than 13 years of experience. Most recently, he served as director of product development for Harman Professional, based in their China office. south

shakpokee ,

mn —RTI has appointed JOE ROBERTS as CEO. He will lead the company through initiatives that expand the RTI control platform with unique solutions for its global Joe Roberts resimercial customers. Roberts takes over for interim CEO Mark Derus, who will return to his role as CFO.

digital signage

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BY C I N D Y D A V I S

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business trends

The State of Digital Signage P

erhaps one of the reasons pro AV hasn’t settled on a more forward-thinking term for digital signage is that we’re still blinded by the sexy screens, instead of embracing the category as a holistic solution. According to AVIXA’s Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis (IOTA) reports, digital signage is the second largest solution area in the pro AV industry. Currently generating $34.1 billion in product and service revenues, it is expected to grow an average of 5.8 percent each year for the next five years, making it the largest solution area by 2024. “This doesn’t fully describe the scope of the phenomenon,” said AVIXA’s senior director of market intelligence Sean Wargo in an article for our sister publication, Digital Signage Magazine. “It’s easy to think of signage just as an installed display, but the technology and the opportunity go way beyond this.” Displays account for 35 percent of the signage revenue, and back-end support represents 37 percent. “Beyond this is another crucial component, the services to design and install the signage, capturing 21 percent,” said Wargo. “Herein is the value-add created by the channel and also the profit avenue, since margin is only improved by a service component.” Ecosystem Partnerships “Ecosystem partnerships are the new black,” said Laura Davis-Taylor, chief strategy officer at InReality, which provides solutions for analyzing and optimizing place-based experiences. For 25 years Davis-Taylor has worked in advertising, store design, media, retail design, and DOOH (digital out-ofhome). She has seen signage installations fail because disparate teams had not worked together or did not understand all of the elements needed for a seamless integration. “Clients want the complexity mitigated,” said Davis-Taylor. “More than ever they are saying, ‘I don’t want to manage 19 people.’ If an integrator can say, ‘Here are my people, and we’ll manage it for you,’ you’re going to have a better chance of getting a gig.” It’s critical to know your ecosystem partners well ahead of the job bid. Know who you are partnering with for design, fabrication, and other services like content, she said. “Have your team of allies for when you need your partners to be experts.” Nothing stays the same in the world of technology. Davis-Taylor recommends that

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Sean Wargo

Laura Davis-Taylor

integrators become experts so they can become solution providers. “Help lead us safely and securely into a new a world [where] the installation of digital signage is integrated in a smart way with other devices and sensors.” A Platform One of those ecosystem partners may be a company such as Appspace, which provides a unified software platform for signage throughout the workplace. Integrators will find Appspace already embedded in hardware devices from Crestron, Cisco, BrightSign, LG, and others. With Appspace, an integrator can provide

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an enterprise client a full suite of content, workflow, and management tools without needing to install or manage software. “While digital signage may be an entry point for a lot of customers, what they’re really looking for is a modern workplace platform that offers different types of services as well as the communications on one standardized platform,” said Darren Colclough, director of marketing at Appspace. Appspace Cards enables easy content creation and sharing of information throughout the enterprise. “You simply type in a message and maybe pick a picture from the library, hit ‘publish,’ and Appspace is able to deliver that content to kiosks, in-room collaboration units, digital signs, and video walls,” said Colclough. The HTML-based content is responsive and will adapt to the size of the display. “The platform creates an experience that is seamless across every office,” added Colclough. “It’s simple to manage and standardize from a security and an integration standpoint.” Signage might be the initial use case for a client. “Very quickly, if not immediately, that turns into room scheduling,” said Colclough. A Holistic Solution Having worked on the manufacturing and creative sides of digital signage, Will Amos joined design and integration firm Diversified five years ago as director of the company’s Digital Media Group. “The Digital Media Group focuses on the

digital signage

Will Amos

Outdoor digital signage shows continued growth potential, increasing in popularity in a variety of industries, especially quickservice restaurants (QSRs) and transportation.

network, experiential, and retail deployments of large networks,” said Amos. “We really look to utilize our network operation center.” Some clients are looking for complete packages from design through support, but digital signage management is a discipline many enterprises decline to take on. “For a new company that’s looking to deploy a large network, ideally we would get in on the [early conversations] and talk through the technology and the infrastructure behind it, how to deploy—then, and most importantly, [discuss] how to help manage and monitor the solution and provide a support structure,” Amos said. Managed services become large parts of your solutions. “I think what our industry is doing right now is trying to organize itself,” Amos said. An example is BrightSign, which is able to bring in content management software and organize and deploy it. “Media players are becoming much more cost-efficient and deployable. There’s more [technology] on a chip, and they’re getting more robust.” Take It Outside Outdoor digital signage shows continued

Brian McClimans

growth potential, increasing in popularity in a variety of industries, especially quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and transportation. “We are seeing the largest volume of outdoor digital signage appear in the form of smaller displays, 45- to 55-inch, for QSRs and other applications such as pharmacies and car washes that incorporate a queue along with customer communication via displays,” said Brian McClimans, vice president of sales, Americas and APAC, at Peerless-AV. Many of these applications previously relied on static signage, but digital displays have become the norm. During the last 24 months, McDonald’s rolled out over 60,000 units in drive-throughs. “This is something that brands are doing nationwide,” said McClimans. Outdoor digital signage is enjoying growth in the transportation market, with increasing deployment in rail, light rail, and airport facilities. “More than ever, travelers are seeing outdoor digital displays that communicate important information and messaging, such as arrival/departure times, gate changes, delays, and more,” said McClimans. “This will continue to make it easier than ever to communicate with travelers.”

The decreased cost of direct view LED (dvLED) products is driving growth in digital signage for applications both inside and outside. “From billboards to video displays on buildings, dvLED will be popping up everywhere,” said McClimans. “There are endless uses for these displays.” McClimans predicts an increase in the number of outdoor kiosks with digital displays. “The success of deployments of electric vehicle charging kiosks, such as those created by Peerless-AV for Volta, and implementing advertising into kiosks with digital displays brings value to many parties involved,” he said. It provides relevant, customized information in an efficient way. For advertisers, this is a great opportunity to quickly relay messaging to customers, thereby helping advertisers see ROI more quickly. The Future Looks ... If a holistic digital signage solution is not a part of your integration firm’s offering today, AVIXA’s IOTA report stating that digital signage is the second largest solution area within the pro AV industry might have you taking another look. *

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PEERLESS-AV

business trends

retail

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BY RO B LA N E

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business trends

Engaging with Retail Technology T

he days of seemingly randomly positioned single-unit displays scrolling through still imagery to push in-store promotions and drive customer engagement may not be over, but in the 2020s, only a very brave retailer would rely solely on what is now rightly considered a modest AV tech solution. Today’s retail spaces have to engage effectively with customers, with AV technology helping to drive in-store purchases and encourage repeat visits. But stores now have to go beyond merely shaping individual in-store customer experiences through AV. They need to deploy the tech in strategic ways that will shape the future of bricks-andmortar retail, incorporating online purchasing into a more dynamic, touch-before-you-buy in-store experience. Digital signage still has a huge part to play, of course. “No longer are retailers just putting up a display and throwing pictures on it; rather, they are creating targeted messaging that will increase sales,” said Brian McClimans, vice president of sales, Americas and APAC, at Peerless-AV. “The most impactful way that AV is currently being used in retail is to create a feeling through digital signage. With this, retailers are focused on the experiential aspects of digital signage … working to deliver a message and a feeling to customers.” With the internet and the increased popularity of home delivery shaping consumer choices, actually walking into a store has become more of a conscious choice, as opposed to a necessity—so that in-store experience better be worth it! “This is a radical departure from the last 75 years of retail, where shoppers were forced to visit stores if they wanted to buy goods,” said Laura Davis-Taylor, chief strategy officer, InReality. “One of the most important takeaways for retailers moving into the next decade is that if they want people to continue coming into their stores, they have to stand apart. The store is the only engagement channel that is truly multisensory, and that means it has the ability to be emotionally compelling.” “AV technology is making the in-store experience much more intuitive, and serves as the driving force behind bringing the same level of intuitiveness customers are accustomed to when shopping online,” added Alex Peras, manager, product management DigitalMedia, Crestron. “Digital signage, video, and audio

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Today’s retail spaces have to engage effectively with customers, with AV technology helping to drive in-store purchases and encourage repeat visits.

are all used to re-create the high-tech [online] experience customers are used to.” Of course, technology is a powerful tool for retailers beyond merely attracting customers. When it comes to the choice of technology, the big focus is on ROI and selecting solutions for maximum impact. By deploying AV tech throughout a store, retailers can learn about customer interests, habits, and preferences, to help deliver a seamless shopping experience. “AV-based solutions including digital signage, kiosks, computer vision, and artificial intelligence help retailers track and understand the customer journey from the moment they enter the store until they leave,” explained Peras. “This allows retailers to collect powerful data that can be used to ensure that their storefronts are appealing and attractive to new and loyal shoppers.” Retailers are also using AV for visual tracking of important analytical data—shopping habits and trends, and product popularity—which produces important intel on best-sell goods, helping to increase retail ROI. However, many retailers still measure store success through sales per square foot rather than utilizing the data to its full capacity. “Too many have rich data tracking models

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that go into a black hole when it comes to understanding shopper behaviors, feelings, and responses to their in-store engagement points,” said Davis-Taylor. “We have to unify the data connections to have a clear, full view of what’s really happening, versus what we think is happening—and the store is one of the most critical points to do this in, if not the most critical.” Online retail casts a long shadow over bricks-and-mortar, but it has certainly altered the way retailers regard the shopping experience. AV is increasingly viewed as a holistic, strategic technology, essential to dovetailing online and physical retail. This omnichannel approach is having a huge influence on the retail sector and the technology deployed within it. “Omnichannel retail plays a significant role in the way technology is deployed in stores,” agreed McClimans. “For many consumers, the online shopping experience has become stronger than retail … and has most certainly impacted the in-store experience.” The transformed in-store visit involves offering increasingly engaging experiences for consumers, including the deployment of augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR)

retail

business trends

Audio is an increasingly important part of the in-store shopping experience, adding greatly to the customer’s user experience, offering further emotional stimulus to complement the visual ones. Common monitoring and management systems allow control of the technology in various locations, helping retailers maintain a consistent brand identity as customers travel to different locations. “Audio helps to evoke emotion and create a unique vibe within an environment,” said Meszaros. “Some retailers understand the importance of a full sensory experience, especially the balance between dynamic visuals and audio to help emphasize the tone of the brand.” “Audio is definitely a challenge for retailers, but also a very important factor, as it can affect the customer experience greatly,” added McClimans. “The type of audio played helps to create the mood of that store. If the wrong audio is selected, it can inadvertently push people out of the store.” It is therefore crucial that retailers know the demographic of their customers, and select the audio that appeals to both the brand and the consumer. Audio triggers powerful memories, thoughts, and feelings; used correctly, it can be a huge benefit to business. However, it’s important that customer data is analyzed to ensure that the sound is having a positive impact. Davis-Taylor noted, “To beat the insights drum again, you have to know how shoppers are feeling (or not feeling!) if you are going to successfully address how audio can play into a better experience.”

One retail trend is using displays to engage customers by creatively merchandising the products they have seen online.

tech that enables them to virtually experience products as they might on their PC at home— even though the products are there in store to touch. “One thing about in-store shopping that still reigns supreme for retailers is the discovery process for consumers,” added McClimans. “When in a retail store, consumers are able to walk around and find new products they may be interested in.” Stores today are all about providing their customers with opportunities to experience the brand and uniquely interact with product. It’s an experience-first mentality that is putting technology front and center within the store. “One of the best examples I could point to today to emphasize the impact of omnichannel on retail is Primark,” said Bryan Meszaros, CEO and founder of OpenEye Global and past president of the Society for Experiential Graphic Designs (SEGD). “They operate a nontransactional website that only showcases their clothing and specifically encourages the shopper to head to the store to purchase.” This is where the use of numerous LED displays comes into play: to engage customers by creatively merchandising the products they have seen online. It’s old-school, but working

alongside online marketing, it’s also incredibly effective—and it’s what consumers want: the omnichannel retail experience made physical. “Today’s consumers want to engage with brands and stores on their terms, whether online or in-store,” explained John Moezzi, national account manager, NEC Display Solutions of America. “In-store technology that facilitates the seamless movement between channels is vital to finalizing a transaction, whether in-store or online.” Technology continues to disrupt retail, with new AV in-store additions looking to further cement omnichannel as the way forward for retail, while making bricks-and-mortar even more attractive to consumers, and also improving ROI for retailers. “What brick-and-mortar has lacked until now is the ability to deliver relevant advertising and accurately measure content performance, including the impact displays have on sales,” added Kelly Harlin, analytics platform strategist, NEC Display Solutions of America. “Anonymous facial detection technology delivers an advantage traditionally reserved for ecommerce, and the business intelligence it delivers to retail will be a big story in the coming years. Sensor technology and data endpoints are becoming more accessible and

will have the ability to gather a wide variety of customer behavior and interaction data.” More obviously for consumers, experiential tech will continue to proliferate, with “experience retail” the buzzword as we move forward into the 2020s. “It’s all about the theatrics that a consumer experiences when they enter a store,” said Meszaros. “How they interact with a product, how they are able to have a more personalized and tailored experience.” Meszaros sees projection and touch sensor technology as crucial to the broadening of customer experiences, with the former undergoing something of resurgence in AV due to technological developments, and the latter dovetailing with consumers’ day-to-day interaction with their own devices. “It’s interesting to see how some display manufacturers have started to introduce displays that use haptic touch, which can create a more ‘lifelike’ scenario for a customer interacting with a display,” he said. “Capacitive sensors are also interesting because I believe we are shifting to creating unique tactile experiences,” Meszaros added. “A consumer could touch a particular item, which in turn could make an action take place on a display.” *

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What About Audio?

beetlejuice beetlejuice beetlejuice

BY MA T T PRUZN I C K

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Projection Possessed BEHIND THE PROJECTION DESIGN OF THE BROADWAY MUSICAL BEETLEJUICE

hen you’re trying to convince a theater audience that the action on stage is happening in another dimension, it helps to have a little magic up your sleeve. The Broadway musical Beetlejuice delivers visual enchantment in spades courtesy of veteran projection designer Peter Nigrini. With a combination of direct view LED scenery and a chimerical melding of digital projection and stage lighting, the musical transfixes audiences with an atmosphere that fits the delightfully weird Tim Burton world like a glove. “It’s that melding of the technology and the art form that I really get excited about,” said Nigrini, who has more than a dozen Broadway shows to his credit. “Figuring out how to make a $3 million pile of equipment move and participate in the theater in a sort of effortless way—that’s part of what I find so exciting about it.”

MATTHEW MURPHY

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snapshots

Alex Brightman as Beetlejuice and Sophia Anne Caruso as Lydia.

Drawing Board According to Nigrini, the show was initially going to incorporate projection in just a couple of scenes, ones show director Alex Timbers felt “needed something beyond what scenery and lighting could provide.” “The [original] notion was that it was just those specific moments” that would be enhanced with projection, Nigrini said. “But then once everyone decided I was going to be in the room, and that we were going to start using this technology, I’m always a big fan of finding a way that it’s part of the whole fabric of the show.” The plans eventually led to a production that is pervaded by projection—but in a way that’s not always overt. “In Beetlejuice, the boundary between lighting and projection can become porous, and you sort of don’t know what you’re looking at anymore,” Nigrini said. “Ultimately, they’re both putting light on stage, just using different technology. Over time it crept in. I remember Alex [Timbers] one day saying, ‘Wow, I really did not imagine that there was going to be projection all the way through the show. But now that there is, I really like it.’ So that was the journey.” Technical Planning Running with the idea of projection throughout, Nigrini next had to plan its execution. He specified four 20,000-lumen Panasonic PT-RZ21K LED laser projectors with WUXGA resolution. “I am a great believer in Panasonic projectors,” he said. “Everyone uses them in the theater, and [their prevalence] is driven by a number of factors.” According to Nigrini, the RZ21K’s form factor fits the strict demands of theater, and he favors them for their low noise levels and ability to output true black. “Every video projector, when you send a black signal, it’s not actually black,” he said. “There’s some small bits of light that come out of it. Ninety percent of the users of these things don’t care about that, but in the theater, it’s critical.” At first, Nigrini had considered using rear projection for the backdrop

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as well, but this proved impracticable due to space limitations. “You cannot imagine how little space there is to do all these things that we do, the amount of gear and equipment and technology we’re packing into these 150-year-old buildings that were never designed for it,” Nigrini said. “I’m always amazed.” The only workable solution that could fit in those close quarters was an LED wall—a choice Nigrini said gave the other creative directors pause. “Everyone said, ‘We don’t want LED,’ like they had memorized that picture of what LED looks like on the Oscars or at a Taylor Swift concert,” he said. “And it’s like, ‘No, we can use that device, but we can make it feel like something else.’” Nigrini ended up specifying a 25-by-18-foot 2.9mm LED wall from Esdlumen, then imparted some tricks to disguise it and blunt its output. He and his team placed a plastic diffuser in front of it, then covered the diffuser with a painted sheet of unbleached cotton gauze. “Instead of a corporate environment or something like that where the image is the standalone, sacrosanct thing that you want technical perfection from, often in the theater what we’re trying to do is break the edges of it and get the image to become a part of the scenery and the world we’re in,” Nigrini said. Pushing the Limits The shortage of space proved challenging for the stage projectors as well, and required some creative solutions. In fact, one of the projectors needed to be mounted on a lighting truss that moves during the show. “The lighting trusses are all moving in and out, and there’s a flying lighting truss in Beetlejuice that a projector flies with,” Nigrini said. “We are tracking the location of the flying truss so we can then correct the image that’s coming out of the projector in real time to make it look like the projector isn’t moving. And that’s all because there’s nowhere else for the projector to be. It’s literally the only place that projector can be.”

beetlejuice beetlejuice beetlejuice

Projection designer Peter Nigrini specified Panasonic projectors because of their ability to output black signals as true black.

Aiding in the real-time calibration of the projector is the production’s disguise 2x4pro media servers. “It is an amazing product, very sort of bespoke,” Nigrini said. “Disguise has revolutionized the way we think about projection design by making the environment we project in fully three-dimensional. That we think about a full 3D model of the stage at all times, and the ability to manipulate that model in real time, that sort of changed the game.” Nigrini explained that he designed the first theatrical show for which disguise provided media servers, and he’s had a working relationship with the company ever since. “The number of instructions, the number of cues that are written in a show is often an order of magnitude greater than what they’re expecting to see anywhere else,” he said. “And that’s great for them, too; I push their equipment harder because I have more time.” Nigrini said that between an in-town production and an outof-town production, he might spend 20 weeks working 18 hours a day, six days a week just writing cues for the projection. “That’s a lot of time to write instructions and do things like sort out this projector that’s flying on a truss, how to handle all that,” he said. Setting the Stage Once Nigrini’s studio laid out the exact location of projectors and display devices

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and specified the media server environment, the production hired an engineer to create a more detailed schematic diagram and engineering drawings—including specifying equipment like the router and matrix switchers. For Beetlejuice, these include a Lightware MX-FR33R matrix router, Gefen EXT-DVI-FM500 DVI extenders, Avitech Titan 9000 multiviewer, and Adder XDIP KVM extenders. The equipment list was passed to AV rental firm Sound Associates, which supplied the gear, and then a team of engineers hired by the production at Nigrini’s recommendation completed the installation. “I have three or four engineers I like to work with and trust, and who understand what I want from a system,” he said. “They do the detailed work of how it’s built. And then ultimately installing—those guys join us in the theater and get it up and actually get it to work.”

Showtime The musical has proven quite successful since its opening in April 2019, with New York Times chief theater critic Ben Brantley calling it a “jawdropping funhouse.” For Nigrini, the production’s success lies in its unprecedented blending of lighting and projection. “The visual integration between the two in Beetlejuice is unique in that so much of the way the scenery is being lit is in fact projection, such that distinguishing between the two becomes impossible,” he said. “And I think that’s some of the excitement of the production. That integration allows for magic.” *

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MATTHEW MURPHY

snapshots

sherlock school

BY SC N ST A FF

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Elementary, My Dear SNAP INSTALL DEPLOYS INNOVATIVE VIDEO WALL AT SHERLOCK SCHOOL, RELYING ON LG DISPLAYS AND PEERLESS-AV MOUNTING SOLUTION Sherlock School, a newly constructed elementary school in the Chicago suburb of Cicero, IL, aims to motivate and stimulate its students by introducing them to technology in ways they might not have encountered before. Technology solutions are implemented throughout the facility in Cicero School District 99 that create flexible learning environments for the students. Some of the high-tech deployments include eye-catching video displays installed at the main entrance and in a fourth-floor interactive space. Snap Install was selected as the integrator for the project, and their team hit the ground running. The company selected commercial OLED displays from LG Business Solutions to create a state-of-the-art installation that provides immersive experiences and showcases content in ways that are welcoming to students, teachers, parents, and guests. Upon selecting the display provider, Snap Install next sought a mounting solution that would ease installation and fully support the unique LG OLED commercial displays. Having a longstanding partnership with LG and the ability to create custom solutions for the brand’s displays, Peerless-AV was the natural choice for this project. Peerless-AV was able to design, test, manufacture, and install video wall mounting solutions that support LG’s Open Frame OLED displays in less than three weeks. “Working with Peerless-AV and Snap Install, we were able to design a customized approach for the school,” said Adam Salinas, enterprise account manager, LG Business Solutions USA. The digital display in the main lobby features 34 curved LG Open Frame OLED displays (model 55EF5E-L)—24 units on the ceiling and 10 units in two columns on the wall—supported by Peerless-AV’s dedicated mounting solutions. The fourth floor space includes two video walls, each composed of eight 55-inch LG narrow-bezel displays (model 55VH7E-A) and eight Peerless-AV SmartMount Supreme Full Service Video Wall Mounts with Quick Release (DS-VW775-QR). The Snap Install team’s established relationship with Peerless-AV and LG allowed them to meet the school’s aggressive deadline and welcome students to a brand-new school on schedule. The digital displays have successfully invigorated students for the new school year and have aided in encouraging advanced ways of learning, according to Cao Mac, Cicero School District 99’s chief information officer. “Technology changes drastically, but if we don’t expose our kids to these types of environments, they’ll never be able to succeed in the future,” Mac said. “Having people who understood our vision, and Peerless-AV was able to design, test, having them truly buy into what we’re manufacture, and install video wall mounting solutions that support LG’s Open trying to accomplish really set the Frame OLED displays in less than three tone for the whole entire process.” * weeks.

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ALL PHOTOS: LG BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

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Students entering Sherlock School are greeted by eye-catching designs on this LG and Peerless-AV video wall.

The building’s fourth floor includes two video walls, each composed of eight 55-inch LG narrow-bezel displays (model 55VH7E-A) and eight Peerless-AV SmartMount Supreme Full Service Video Wall Mounts with Quick Release (DS-VW775-QR).

dse 2020

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DSE 2020 Update EXPONATION’S CHRIS GIBBS SHARES WHAT’S EXCITING ABOUT THE 2020 SHOW On March 31, around 5,000 digital signage professionals will descend on Las Vegas to forge new business relationships and seek out the latest digital signage innovations at the 2020 Digital Signage Expo (DSE). We spoke with Chris Gibbs, president and COO of Exponation (owner of DSE), to learn more about what attendees can expect at the 2020 show. SCN: Let’s get right into it. What’s new at DSE this year? CHRIS GIBBS: There’s a lot of new, exciting things happening at the show this year— starting with the DOOH Marketplace. This new area on the show floor is dedicated specifically to education and solutions for digital out-ofhome providers, including topics and product offerings addressing programmatic delivery and measurement, anonymous video analytics, network and audience measurement, and IOT devices. For integrators, we’ve created a special education track dedicated to how they can take their businesses to the next level and expand services beyond traditional installations.

We will also have dedicated lunch roundtables where attendees can share and deliberate on real-world strategies and issues with industry peers. Plus we’ll be featuring case studies from successful multifaceted projects on processes and challenges. SCN: Why should integration professionals attend DSE 2020? CG: DSE is the only centralized marketplace where integrators can meet with a wide variety of solution providers from all aspects of the digital signage universe. In addition, DSE’s educational offering is second to none, with more than 100 industry experts sharing their knowledge and best practices. There is also an opportunity to network with a wide variety of end user clients who attend the show. SCN: Are there events specifically targeted to integrators? CG: Yes! We have plenty of sessions* targeted specifically toward the integration community, including an Integrators Lunch

Chris Gibbs

Roundtable on both Wednesday and Thursday. * See sidebar below for suggested classes.

DSE 2020 Classes for Integrators Here are Chris Gibbs’ top educational picks for integrators at DSE 2020. Foundations of Digital Signage Planning Wed., April 1 9:15–10 a.m. The Digital Signage Federation’s Foundations course is a broad overview of the components, practices, technology, and strategy of any digital signage system. This course is part of a four-part Foundations series and is recommended for professionals new to digital signage. It covers basic concepts in planning a digital signage network and designing the experience for the end user. The course will offer insights about needs assessments, operations planning, design planning, and measuring success. Digital Signage Infrastructure Solutions Wed., April 1 2:30–3:15 p.m. Digital signage infrastructure pertains to power, mounting, racks, cables, cable management, and furnishings. How can you support your customer’s digital signage projects with a solid foundation and infrastructure to meet their objectives and mitigate unexpected issues? Learn how to meet customer objectives with easy, seamless solutions/technology and streamlined procurement methods.

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Digital Signage Software Foundation Wed., April 1 2:30–3:15 p.m. The Digital Signage Federation’s Foundations course is a broad overview of the components, practices, technology, and strategy of any digital signage system. This course is part of a four-part Foundations series and is recommended for professionals new to digital signage. It covers basic concepts in software components of a digital signage system including content management, user management, software needs identification, and business operations. Best Practices for Seamless Integration Thu., April 2 9:15–10 a.m. Georgia Aquarium’s AV integration team will present the process they used to consolidate multiple onpremise digital signage environments into one CMS platform. They will share best practices and discuss challenges experienced during the process. No Excuses, Pick the Right CMS Thu., April 2 9:15–10 a.m. Your content management system (CMS) is the backbone of your digital signage network. You can have the best hardware on the market, but it’s all for

nothing if your software isn’t stable, flexible, and scalable. This session provides answers to the important questions: What are the critical questions you need to ask to ensure you pick the right CMS? What is the integrator’s role in choosing the right CMS? How do you “sell” digital signage from a value perspective? Fusing Design, Technology, and Content into Immersive Environments (Everywhere) Thu., April 2 2:30–3:15 p.m. Go behind the scenes of the first-of-its-kind Power Portal at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and the immersive environment created by marrying experience design, cutting-edge AV technologies, and creative content. Get a look at the future of creating extraordinary moments and the related business opportunities they bring for venues and brands alike. Strategic Planning of a Digital Signage Deployment Thu., April 2 2:30–3:15 p.m. This session underlines the foundation of a strategic plan for a digital signage deployment and will focus on pre-planning, measurement, and definitions of criteria for success. Learn approaches for building a strategic plan, as well as defining success and measurement.

dse 2020

EXPONATION

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SCN: What trends do you expect to see at the 2020 show? CG: Digital signage is becoming smarter. The need to prove ROI has driven solution providers to offer digital signage that includes analytics and audience measurement technology. Systems such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) help operators with measurement data to ensure screens are placed in the best location and the content is most relevant to the customer. SCN: Where can attendees learn more about these trends? CG: The best way to learn about these trends is to visit the exhibitors at the show and see firsthand how the newest technology is shaping the future of the industry. We also have several sessions that address upcoming trends. SCN: Where can people learn more about the show? CG: Integrators can visit www. digitalsignageexpo.net to see the latest info on DSE 2020. And be sure to follow us on Twitter to @DSExpo for real-time show updates!

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DSE 2020 Trending Classes Chris Gibbs shares DSE 2020 educational opportunities focused on emerging trends. State of Our Industry—Where Are We Headed? Wed., April 1 8–9 a.m. How is the digital signage world transforming and evolving with new technologies and opportunities as we start a new decade? How is success measured in 2020? A dynamic panel of industry leaders will debate and analyze the current status of our marketplace, new partnerships, and insights about the future. Data, Proof, Privacy, and Prudency: A Workshop for Navigating Your Path Wed., April 1 11 a.m.–1 p.m. In this workshop, legal, media, advertising, and technology experts will discuss what’s out there and provide sage advice. They will also get handson with a data policy planning template before distributing a take-home tool for refined privacy processes.

Emerging Trends Shifting the Digital Signage World Thu., April 2 9:15–10 a.m. This session takes a futuristic viewpoint on innovations changing digital signage and their applications. Topics include touch-interactive, wayfinding, AR/ VR integration, touch displays, beacons, projection mapping, voice technology, facial recognition, and more. What’s Next in Displays Thu., April 2 2:30–3:15 p.m. This session begins with a “Power Data Blast”—a quick, concise industry analysis and market forecast by IHS Markit about digital signage display trends on LCD and LED video technology, interactive touch displays, video wall applications, and market growth. A distinguished panel of display manufacturers will then discuss future developments in display technologies such as new designs, hardware and materials for displays, 3D displays, connectivity, configurations, alternative power sources, LEDs, interactivity, and more.

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Wondering what’s new for DSE? Key exhibitors gave SCN an exclusive sneak peek of the products they’ll be highlighting at the 2020 show.

BenQ SL Series

Booth #1422

Booth #2418

At DSE, BrightSign is announcing the latest wave of partners to integrate with BSN. cloud. These additional CMS and digital signage solutions providers can be chosen from within the BSN.cloud UI during player setup, demonstrating the groundswell of support for BrightSign’s new player and network management platform.

Chief TiLED LED Mounting System

Booth #1907

Chief ’s TiLED Series is a modular LED mounting system designed to support creative video wall configurations. The system can include any of three mounts supporting direct view LED displays that connect to form a seamless video wall.

Crimson AV All-in-One Kiosks

NEC LED-Q039i2

Booth #2300

Peerless-AV Seamless

Booth #1800

Samsung Biz TV BET Series

Booth #2407

Sony TEOS

Booth #2404

tvONE CORIOmaster2

Booth #1120

The NEC Q Series II indoor dvLED provides high-bright, high-quality imaging for auditoriums, arenas, reception areas, retail stores, museums, and transportation hubs. Pixel spacing options of 2.8mm and 3.9mm enable optimal display resolution regardless of viewing distance. Its modular design allows easy scaling to any size or creative installation, and the front- and rearserviceable design simplifies maintenance.

Seamless by Peerless-AV is the company’s solutions program, offering standard and dedicated solutions for top OEM partners. With engineering and design, custom project managers, full installation services, and dedicated LED mounting solutions, integrators using Seamless can expect cutting-edge technology and standard-setting solutions.

The Samsung Biz TV BET Series’ sleek, bezel-less design showcases crisp visuals and messaging in restaurants, waiting rooms, and lobbies. Optimized for SMBs’ needs, the display features mobile app management capabilities that enable business owners to update content seamlessly and dynamically.

Booth #2412

Specially designed for the commercial market, Crimson’s All-in-One Kiosks feature high-luminance panels, professional DCPI color adjustment technology, and a built-in Android player with the option to add a BrightSign player. They are available in 49- and 55-inch sizes with both in-touch and non-touch options. These units can be freestanding or bolted to the floor.

Epson LightScene EV-100 Accent Lighting 3LCD Laser Projector Booth #1607

From digital art to visual merchandising, LightScene offers beautiful displays and unobtrusive visuals to transform spaces and captivate customers, according to the company. Powered by Epson’s 3LCD technology and boasting 2,000 lumens of equal color/white brightness, LightScene simultaneously illuminates and projects onto virtually any surface to engage audiences and provide memorable, immersive experiences.

Kitcast Digital Signage Software

Navori Labs’ QL 2.2 digital signage software includes Smart Content Automation to optimize end user communication strategies leveraging data, AI, and scenario-driven content from several Navori innovations. This includes Navori’s new Computer Vision application for anonymous audience and campaign measurement, business intelligence (inventory, pricing), and data feeds (weather, social media).

Booth #2018

Kitcast says its software is “everything you need to create and manage powerful digital signage content.” Users can create powerful digital signage content instantly and choose from a set of features and widgets to bond with their target audiences via social feeds, product reviews, and more. With one or 1,000 screens, users can share menu slides or stream videos.

Sony will showcase TEOS, a new suite of solutions that controls devices, video walls, signage, and the entire workplace ecosystem. From meeting rooms to reception areas, the TEOS workplace management solutions offer a simple, scalable, and cost-effective way to manage facilities in corporate and education environments.

CORIOmaster2 is a multi-window video processor that delivers unprecedented processing power with more pixels than you will ever need, according to tvONE. The company says CORIOmaster2 supports more windows with higher quality than ever before, with uncompromised 4K60 and 8K-ready performance. With 752 Gb/s of bandwidth, CORIOmaster2 can simultaneously display 40 windows in 4K60 with ultra-low latency.

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BrightSign BSN.cloud Partner Integration

Booth #1912

BY SC N ST A FF

BenQ’s new SL Series Digital Signage Display, a 4K UHD Pantonevalidated digital signage solution, guarantees on-screen color fidelity and captivating display for an optimal viewing experience. Designed for flexibility and long-term use, the PID screen offers 24/7 operation in landscape or portrait mode. The SL series is slim, lightweight, and easy to use.

Navori QL DSS Smart Content Automation

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DSE 2020 Product Previews

projection mapping

The Big Picture A LOOK AT THE GROWING PROJECTION MAPPING MARKET

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BY MA RY BA K I J A

DIGITAL PROJECTION

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rojection mapping turns objects, often irregularly shaped architectural elements, into display surfaces for choreographed video presentations. The ability to add dimensionality and movement to static objects is just one characteristic of the projection technique. Another? Its rapid market growth. A 2019 report by Fior Markets that examined global projection mapping trends estimates that the market value will grow by about 22 percent by 2026, in large part because of its expanding use in media events and for product advertising. But those are only some of the ways projection mapping is currently being used. The most exciting part is that, with quickly advancing technology, the possibilities seem limited only by an artist’s creativity. “People often think of projection mapping for an event, but it doesn’t always have to be,” said Mike Garrido, senior product manager at Christie. “What strikes me is the ability for projection mapping to be educational. How can you draw people into the experience? Even with advertising, it can be so creative—it doesn’t have to be a billboard. You’re not putting up a billboard, you’re putting up a story. And if you’re really lucky, they’ll let you put audio with it!” The potential new storytelling options

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The walls of the Tower of David, an ancient citadel in the Old City of Jerusalem, serve as a stage for a nightly sound and light show. Calling on 13 Digital Projection M-Vision Laser 18K and two E-Vision Laser 8500 projectors, the Night Spectacular installation illuminates the tower with 250,000 lumens and 35 million pixels.

available to integrators through projection mapping may be an enormous asset, particularly as consumers feel increasing advertising fatigue. “The traditional audience is bombarded with ads and signage from mobile devices and flat screens and outdoor LED walls. Because of this, it’s becoming very hard to get their attention,” said Ramzi Shakra, product manager, large-venue projectors, Epson America. “Projection mapping is capable of breaking through the noise and making people stop and pay attention.” The technique will not be widely adopted until some

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innovations are made, Shakra explained. “The market is looking for streamlined, simplified, and less costly ways to do projection mapping,” he said. “We have started to implement convenient features [in our projectors] such as built-in edge blending and tiling assist to help integrators, [and other companies are] introducing ever-more-powerful video

(Above) Epson’s Pro L20000UNL features full HD WUXGA resolution and 20,000 lumens of color/white brightness for ultra-bright, vivid color. Its laser light engine and electrostatic air filter provide virtually maintenance-free operation for up to 20,000 hours. (Right) Christie describes its D4K40-RGB as “the smallest and lightest, high-brightness, all-in-one RGB laser projector on the market.” Designed with AV professionals in mind, the D4K40-RGB has no heavy external chillers, remote laser racks, or special pedestals, and everything is completely integrated into a single chassis.

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servers and mapping software, which are becoming easier to use and more capable.” One such large-venue laser projector from Epson with automated tiling assist, edge blending, and auto color adjustment is the 20,000-lumen Epson Pro L20000UNL. That model also features interchangeable interface boards, a sealed light engine and optical unit, and compatibility with Epson’s current lens family to allow easy integration with existing lens fleets. The Pro L20000UNL incorporates a laser light engine and electrostatic air filter to provide virtually maintenance-free operation for up to 20,000 hours. It’s equipped with frame interpolation for fast-moving images, along with a wide lens shift and support for a range of optional lenses, including a zero-offset ultra-short-throw lens. Manufacturers continue to push projectors to match user expectations, which usually means adding features that make them better at achieving dynamic visual goals. “We’re focusing on providing colors that are much deeper and brighter,” said Christie’s Garrido. “When they are, they stand out, which is important when you’re projecting onto buildings, for instance, which are not just white all the time.” The Christie D4K40-RGB 3DLP projector features an extended color gamut, which produces greater than 95 percent of the Rec. 2020 color space, so even non-white surfaces can display rich, vibrant visuals. The projector offers Christie TruLife electronics, which the company describes as a processing technique that delivers ultra-high-resolution, high-frame-rate video up to 120 frames per second and “unprecedented image fidelity” at 4K resolution and 240 Hz at 2K resolution. Delivering more than 30,000 hours of operation at 80 percent brightness and a 5,000:1 contrast ratio, the Christie D4K40RGB also features a patented sealed optical path. For typical installations, this means more than eight years of stable, uncompromised, virtually maintenance-free operation. The projector supports a video processing pipeline

The Optoma ProScene ZK507, a compact 4K UHD laser projector with 5,000 lumens of brightness, delivers detailed images, videos, and graphics with bright whites, deep blacks, rich colors, and razorsharp text. This midrange projector is designed for higher education, corporate environments, and other professional installations.

Barco’s UDX-4K40 is a 37,500-lumen, 4K UHD, 3-chip DLP laser phosphor large-venue projector that “enables rental companies and venue owners to provide stunning experiences while saving both time and money,” according to the company.

of up to 1.2 gigapixels per second, enabling 4K DLP at 120 Hz performance. With its 12G-SDI, DisplayPort, Christie Terra SDVoE input card, Christie Link and more, connecting numerous sources is a streamlined process. Finding ways to decrease projector size without sacrificing reliability or performance is one of the primary design considerations for projector manufacturers. The Optoma ProScene ZK507 is a compact, lightweight laser projector that features 4K UHD with 5,000 lumens of brightness. The ZK507 delivers high-impact multimedia content; in projection mapping applications, for example, it offers minimal pixel compression with exceptional image sharpness and clarity. This Optoma projector features vertical lens shift, 1.6x optical zoom and 12V trigger, as well as RS-232C and LAN connectivity for simple integration and control with industry standards. Providing high brightness at lower costs is another driver in the projection mapping market, one that Digital Projection is looking to address with its M-Vision Laser 18K projector. A single-chip DLP projector, the M-Vision Laser 18K produces 18,000 lumens with a 10,000:1 contrast ratio. This high-brightness DLP projector is priced to provide budget-sensitive applications with a large-screen option. Additional cost savings come from its laser illumination system: by eliminating regular lamp replacement cycles,

system operation is never interrupted and long-term maintenance costs are minimal. Included is Digital Projection’s ColorBoost technology, which delivers optical illumination and software enhancements to produce imagery with higher color saturation and a broader color gamut. Additionally, Digital Projection’s MultiAxis orientation capability allows the M-Vision Laser 18K to be oriented in nearly any position for installation flexibility and application creativity. Shooting for maximum brightness in smaller form factors continues to bring projection innovations to market. When the 37,500lumen UDX-4K40 was released last year, Barco touted it as the most compact highbrightness laser projector with integrated cooling on the market. Part of Barco’s UDX line, which includes projectors with outputs ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 lumens, the UDX-4K40 features WUXGA resolution, while its Constant Light Output (CLO) functionality ensures uniform brightness and color over time. Barco says that, without compromising on brightness, the UDX color quality matches xenon quality and outperforms the Rec. 709 color space. With a laser phosphor light source, lamp-related costs and maintenance, as well as image flicker, are not a concern. Additionally, the FLEX² feature allows installers to tune and lock brightness and resolution to specific projection mapping projects. Epson’s Shakra predicts the industry will see additional advancements as technology continues to improve, and manufacturers and content creators alike push to innovate. “As projectors get smaller, brighter, and lighter, and video servers and software get more powerful and offer new ways of ingesting the 3D dimensional picture of the object or building, we expect to see projection mapping projects created and implemented faster than ever before,” he said. No matter how the technology may change over time, as Christie’s Garrido reminds us, the most important thing here is the storytelling. “You’re creating an experience—even if it’s only for a few minutes, you’re taking someone to a new place,” he said. “It’s exciting to see.” *

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A single-chip DLP projector, Digital Projection’s M-Vision Laser 18K outputs 18,000 lumens with a 10,000:1 contrast ratio. This high-brightness DLP projector is priced to provide budget-sensitive applications with a large-screen option.

video walls

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LED Video Walls in Corporate Environments D

espite a focus on mobility and remote work, corporations are still placing an emphasis on the office environment, according to AVIXA’s MOAR: Corporate report. In fact, AVIXA says, planned capital expenditure among corporate tech managers was approximately $181 billion in the United States in 2018—which translates into nearly $12 billion in AV systems investments given allocations within capex budgets. And video walls in the office environment are a wise investment for those corporate capex budgets. “LED technology is a status symbol,” said Graham Cooke, market analyst, pro IT–displays, Futuresource Consulting. “It is the newest and most expensive display technology available, and therefore is often utilized by leading corporations to illustrate their wealth and success.” Popular LED Applications Every office worker is familiar with the corporate video wall in the lobby. “Large-scale

ESI DESIGN

BY MEG A N A . D UT T A

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LED video walls—like the one pictured here at Boston’s 110 High Street—are a way to engage employees and visitors alike. In this case, ESI Design created an 84-foot digital media installation that highlights the city outside the building and the bay just beyond it, breaking the barrier between inside and outside, just like the glass lobby itself.

Sony says its Crystal LED Display is “truly unlike any other direct view display, both technically and visually, as it captivates visitors with its high-brightness, awe-inspiring contrast and unforgettable color.”

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LED Challenges ... and How to Solve Them, According to Manufacturers Daisuke “Johnny” Beppu, Product Marketing Manager, Sony Electronics Making a seamless LED wall that looks like one big wall can be challenging for integrators. Typical LED walls can’t be adjusted seamlessly, with rubber mallets often used to get units in place. That’s not the case with Sony’s Crystal LED Display system. Our unique installation and calibration process results in a truly seamless wall with lower overall maintenance and calibration for the life of the display, while maintaining a level of quality that cannot be achieved with any other product on the market. Art Marshall, Senior Product Manager, NEC Display NEC seeks to supply integrators with as many high-quality LED options as possible so they can deliver a solution perfectly tailored for the client’s needs. For easier installation and lower-cost maintenance, integrators should ensure video wall panels have front and rear access, and search for a turnkey solution that includes hardware and services. Emelia Pitlick, Marketing Director, Neoti LED Video Displays Getting Neoti involved with the project early on allows us to plan accordingly to avoid potential issues. Prior to installation, Neoti can help recommend the right product based on the corporation’s needs and end goal of the screen to ensure a successful project. Neoti also provides integrators support throughout any part of the installation process. We offer different installation tiers depending on the integrator’s experience with LED. We also provide free licensed and certified training for integrators who want to complete the entire installation themselves. James Liu, President, Absen Corporate applications typically have a high standard for the quality and performance of products. Absen produces high-quality products that ensure flatness, seam performance, and stability in order to meet our customers’ demands. Absen’s in-house team creates complete LED solutions for our customers including product recommendation, mounting solutions, video processors, installation support, and customer service. Along with the inventory we stock in our Orlando, FL, warehouse, we also have strong partnerships with our distributors, Almo and HD Distributing, which helps to ensure we always have the products our customers need.

Improving the UX in Office Buildings Corporate branding is a large part of corporate culture today—for employees, partners, and clients alike. Next-gen employees are proud of where they work, and want to feel like they’re part of a team. Visitors want to experience a company’s culture, not just show up for a meeting. It should come as no surprise, then, that LED video walls are being used for branding purposes. “End users really want to create an immersive brand experience, both internally for employees and also for their clients,” said James Liu, w i t h A V o I P f r o m H a l l R president, Absen. “As LED walls can be made extremely large, when you add highresolution content, the result is not only impressive, Extend & Switch multiple HDMI Video and USB to unlimited displays but it creates a memorable Low latency video and audio on 1Gig network switch experience.” Input resolutions up to 4K 60 HZ 4:4:4 And that’s not just Supports USB touchscreen and KVM peripherals happening in the lobby. Liu Bidirectional IR, RS232, and auxiliary stereo added that many of Absen’s Create video walls of up to 16x16 panels customers are investing in LED technology in areas like employee break rooms to allow “employees at all levels of the company to be Polaris-1 integrated into the company Supports 32 simultaneous user connections culture and [to be] in tune with Perfect for control of large venue AVoIP brand messaging.”

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LED displays are installed [in the lobby] as both a status symbol and to provide a ‘wow’ factor to visitors as they enter the building,” said Cooke. “This application was the earliest adopter of narrow pixel pitch LED, as the world’s leading corporations were one of only a few customer groups that could afford the technology’s high price tag. Rivalry between such corporations has proven to be a key purchasing driver, as they compete to have the most striking entrance display.” NEC Display’s senior product manager Art Marshall cites his company’s lobby as an example. “At our own headquarters Downers Grove, IL, the first thing you see when you enter our space is a breathtaking 165-inch dvLED video wall, setting the tone for the entire visit with bright and colorful imagery. The content of this wall is easily customizable to suit each visitor, and we can even use cameras so that the content reacts to our visitors.” Now that LED displays have become commonplace in the lobby, they’re quickly moving into the boardroom. According to Emelia Pitlick, marketing director, Neoti LED Video Displays, end users are beginning to upgrade their conference and board room projectors or displays with LED screens for presentations, video calls, and to showcase information. Using LED video walls for presentations is “perhaps the most exciting application for LED in corporate environments,” said Cooke. “Demand is now being driven by a widening availability of ‘out-ofthe-box’ solutions,” so-called as they are sold with a predefined screen size, pixel pitch, and resolution. “These solutions are being sold through the mainstream IT/AV run-rate channel, competing directly with LCD and projection technologies. ‘Out-of-the-box’ LED solutions currently demand a hefty price premium, but as ASPs continue to tumble, it will prove to be a highly disruptive force in the corporate meeting space market,” Cooke added.

FUTURE PROOF VIDEO DISTRIBUTION AND CONTROL

HDMI & USB over IP

e s e a r c h

Versa-4K

Versa-4K Sender

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Smart Controller for AVoIP Create zones or rooms each with multiple displays

LED versus LCD Pretty much across the board, manufacturers agree that

MARCH 2020 //// SCN

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video walls

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technology Neoti’s UHD LED Panels are available in 0.9–4.6mm pixel pitches. The company says its fine-tune color calibration ensures a perfect image on or off camera, in any environment. The product’s simple, modular design allows for a quick and easy setup, and cableless interconnects keep installations tidy.

LED video walls are the preferred screen in corporate environments, and one of the primary reasons they cited was brightness. “LCDs have a maximum brightness of around 400–600 nits, while the brightness of our indoor products starts at 600–1,000 nits, and we even have semi-indoor products that can reach up to 2,500 nits,” said Absen’s Liu. “By using direct view LED technology in corporate applications, the end user can expect to drastically increase brightness of the screen without spending a lot of money to update lighting in order to accommodate LCD technology.” “In office buildings, there are often lots of windows and ambient lighting. LCD video walls tend to be dim and show lots of glare in that environment, whereas LEDs provide bright, vibrant displays without reflections,” added Pitlick. “For bright and open spaces, LED video walls can maintain brightness,” said Daisuke “Johnny” Beppu, product marketing manager, Sony Electronics. “The astonishing picture quality of our ultrafine Crystal LED Display technology creates a truly immersive

Absen’s Venus (VN) Series includes LED displays that have been optimized for concerts and festivals with the ability to create super-sized screens at speed. At 27.5 kilograms per square meter, Absen says this line is one of the lightest integrated touring display solutions on the market, allowing creative teams to cut back on weight, save money, and build even bigger LED walls than before—up to 20 meters in height.

experience for visitors.” Then, of course, there is the obvious benefit of going seamless with LED video walls. “Most LED displays have a line, a gap between each panel, and the color on each panel is not [always] uniform,” Beppu said. “Sony’s Crystal LED technology, however,

Combining visual experience with versatility, NEC’s Q-Series dvLED displays provide sharp image quality. The 500mm x 500mm cabinets are designed to be installed in numerous configurations for use in many industries and applications. With minimal maintenance thanks to its highly intelligent, front-serviceable cabinet design, NEC’s Q-Series provide a seamless and futureproof solution.

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creates a completely seamless wall. Viewers cannot detect any gaps between panels due to our unique installation process.” “Content on an LED video wall will show up clear and uninterrupted. On the other hand, LCD video walls are disrupted by bezels, which can cause content issues,” Pitlick said. “When you’re trying to make a first impression on a potential client, or sharing important spreadsheets with your team, you don’t want it to be split up or unreadable due to bezels.” LED Video Walls: The Future of Corporate Tech? While LED video walls previously seemed unattainable for a large portion of companies (think small- to medium-sized businesses), the technology and content needed to successfully wow internal and external clients is becoming more accessible. “As prices continue to fall, we will see [LED video wall] usage in signage applications broaden from advertising to messaging and guest engagement,” concluded Cooke. “In the meeting room space, LED will continue to compete directly with LCD and projection technologies, even providing collaboration functionality—a core focus of this market at present.” *

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Arlington Industries

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Aurora

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AVIXA

Barco

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B & h

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Bose

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Chief

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Christie

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COMPANY

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Meyer Sound

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NAB

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Neoti

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Panasonic

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Peerless-AV

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Premier Mounts RGB Spectrum

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Rose

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SecurityTronix

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Shure

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Sound Productions

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Stampede Global

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Synnex

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TOA

Digital Projection

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DVI Gear

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Extron

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Harman

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TV One

Hall

Vangaurd

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Planar

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Vaddio

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VITEC

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Williams AV

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Matrox

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supp - 5

matrox.com

supp - 10

Product Index PROJECTION 52

CONFERENCING Bose 53

Christie Digital Projection

BenQ 43

Epson

BrightSign 43 Chief 43 43

Epson 43 Kitcast 43

44, 45 45

NEC 43 Peerless-AV 43

Optoma 45

Sony 43 43, 50

DISPLAYS Absen 48 LG 56 48

Neoti 48 Sony

46, 48

LIGHTING Chroma-Q 53

PTZ CAMERAS Atlona 55

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16; Appspace…32; Ashly Audio…21; Atlona…22; AVI-SPL…12; AVI Systems…24; Avitech…37; AVIXA…23, 32, 33, 46; Barco…45; Black Box…18; Bose…23; BrightSign…32, 33; 24, 32, 34; d&b audiotechnik…14; Digital Projection…45; Digital Signage Federation…40; disguise…37; Diversified…12, 32; Electro Acoustics…16;

SIGNAL MANAGEMENT

Electro-Voice…15; Epson…44; ESI

Datapath 52 Extron 56

Design…12, 46; Exponation…40; Futuresource Consulting…46; Gefen…37; Green Hippo…22; IMCCA…24; InReality…32, 34; IPtec…15;

Kramer 50

KanexPro…21; Kramer…23; LG…32, 38;

Macnica 52

Lumens…23; Marlin Equity…12;

Samsung 43

NEC Display

williamsav.com

Christie…23, 44; Cisco…32; Crestron…20,

44, 45

Navori 43

tvONE

vanguardled.com

Absen…47, 48; Adder…37; Almo…14,

Barco 45

DIGITAL SIGNAGE

Crimson AV

tvone.com

Company Index

AMPLIFIERS LEA Professional

toaelectronics.com

Lifesize…16; Lightware…37; Logitech…20; NBBJ…12; NEC Display…35, 47; Neoti

MuxLab 56 RGB Spectrum

SDVoE 56

SOFTWARE Audio-Technica 55

LED Video Displays…47; Netgear…18; NSCA…24; Oculus…23; OneLAN…23; OpenEye Global…35; Optoma…23, 45; Panasonic…36; Panduit…22; PBell Sound…21; Peerless-AV…23, 33, 34, 38; Premier Mounts…26; RGB Spectrum…10; Samsung…23; SDVoE Alliance…18, 21; SEGD…35; Sensory Technologies…12; Sharp…23; Shem Milsom & Wilke…24;

Biamp 56

Shure…18; Sony Electronics…47, 48; Snap

Lifesize 52

Userful……28; VCA…12; VITEC…15;

Install…38; Stampede…23; Synnex…16; Volta…33; Whitlock…12; Yamaha UC…20;

Shure 50

Yorktel…12; Yuneec…23; Zoom…24

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viewpoint Social Media Matters B Y A L E S I A H E ND L EY

ocial media has been key in building my personal brand, that’s no secret. All of my social efforts, from behind-the-scenes looks at installations to vlogging about my experiences, have played a role in my career path thus far. Through trial and error over the years, I learned from analytics platforms what types of content people who engaged with me regularly enjoy and want to see.

But social media is underrated in the pro AV industry. There is data underpinning social media that many forget about— successful brands aren’t putting out content just for the sake of putting out content. Social media is the land of opportunity, and there are people all over the globe looking for your brand and your business. In 2020, if your company or personal brand isn’t online in some form, you’re not only missing out on potential business, you’re also missing out on those connections. Each follower isn’t going to bring you a dollar, but each follower can connect you to your next business partner, your next speaking engagement, or to an industry event you may have not known about otherwise. My social media story starts in 2016, when I began to install digital signage as an AV technician. It was out of the norm for me, as I had always been a SoundGirl. The more I learned about other aspects of AV, the more valuable I became to the team—and to my company. It also led to more experiences to share on my social platforms, which over time became a sort of résumé. I wanted to be around people who knew about digital signage and had a love for content as I did. I got on LinkedIn and created a list of digital signage companies and people with DSEG certification. Long story short, I reached out to those companies and individuals. Megan Dutta, now SCN ’s content director, provided me with tons of information about Digital Signage Expo (DSE). To think: Without my initial connection with Megan, this article probably wouldn’t exist. If it hadn’t been for this outreach, the foundation of a handful of business and personal relationships may have not been laid, and the relationships might never have become what they are today. Many look to social media to give ROI in the form of a dollar, which will happen in a roundabout way. The greater benefits are in playing the long game and recognizing which avenues lead to those benefits. Whether you’re an individual brand or a company, one of the main goals of social media is to gain exposure. Once you have a clear vision of where you want to drive traffic, you can use social media as a highway to direct more people to where you ultimately want them to be, which is more than likely your website or YouTube page. One of the biggest reasons to have an online presence is to engage. As I mentioned previously, social media connects you to potential that’s physically out of your reach. Many people you connect with online won’t walk into your office to engage with you directly, at least at first. Social media opens the doors to those conversations. That one connection might never physically walk into your office, but they can click a link to your web store, or see that your team will be at an event and possibly meet you there. Another hidden gem in social media is analytics. Almost every social platform has an analytics tool to help you measure what works, who you core audience is, and more. How do we make all this work for business? Foot Traffic If your goal is to gain online traffic, you should focus on the type of content you put out. Are you launching a new product, attending an event, or learning something new about a specific technology? Share it with your audience! Even if you’re B2B, other brands expect you to have an online presence and are looking at what your business is up to based on the content you produce. Want to get started? Do the following:

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* Shoot video (even if it is on your cell phone) * Take photos (show more than just your product: show culture, show passion) * Create blog posts These are a few simple ways to get started with building traffic. When I learned there was a whole industry of #AVTweeps, I used the tips above to share my experiences. That’s what brought traffic to my website and inspired further connections with industry thought leaders and companies. Create, Engage, and Listen Meaningful content leads to connections … which leads to you having to actually engage! You don’t have to spend all day on social media, but you do have to find time to engage. Social media is a twoway street, just like the communication systems we sell, deploy, and operate in our industry. Designate two to three times a day to do the following: * Respond to direct messages, comments, tweets, etc. * Join the conversation—find a hashtag and chime in. * Ask questions. Run polls and ask your audience their opinion in blog posts. We all have other things to take care of throughout the day, but social is all about engagement. It’s a must for building an audience and increasing traffic. Make time to create, engage, and listen. Let Analytics Guide You After you’ve created, engaged, and listened, it’s time to see how your content is performing and identify who is engaging with your social posts the most. Each social media platform is different, but they all have measurement tools. * LinkedIn Check your “Profile Views.” Data is limited in the free version, but you’ll be able to see how many people have viewed your profile in the last 90 days. Premium accounts offer more insights. * Twitter Click on “Analytics.” This feature is available only on the desktop version, but it’s powerful and free. You can break down top tweets, top followers, how many impressions you’ve gained over the past 28 days, and more. * Instagram Hit the “Insight” button, which is free for business profiles. You can see how many accounts you reached with each post, how many people have seen your story, the number of people who have visited your profile, and more. Analytics are the most powerful tool you have because they show what resonates best with your audience—what type of content is generating the most traffic and which methods of engagement show the most ROI across your social profiles. They help guide you to your goals and ultimately lead to higher ROI and deeper connections. Over the years, our AV community has been growing its presence online. Now it’s time to extend our reach and grow our communities and brands with the power of social media. Alesia Hendley, a 2018 member of SCN’s The Nine, is an AV professional who found her passion at a young age as a sound engineer with her father’s church. By using different audiovisual technologies, she found creative ways to go higher both musically and spiritually, taking the congregation with her. Now you can find her working with Access Networks clients or executing creative ventures. As a young professional she’s finding ways to bring AV and creatives together in the effort to leave her mark by making an impact, not just an impression.

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