NEWS IMCCA Wraps Up Collaboration Week Silicon Valley The Interactive Multimedia & Collaborative Communications Alliance (IMCCA) wrapped up Collaboration Week Silicon Valley 2019 (CWSV19) earlier this fall. From October 28 to October 30, industry professionals and end users attended events at Intuit, Poly and Amazon Web Services (AWS). In addition, at a gala dinner, industry icon Bob Hagerty was presented with the IMCCA’s Emerging Technology Fellow Lifetime Achievement Award. IT/AV Report Editor David Danto provided a unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) overview, covering hot topics. These included the battle lines between various providers, the Team-Chat hype storm, interoperability, security and the new look of the office. Intuit’s Peter Kolak explained to those gathered how he goes about setting standards for rooms and systems. Pexip’s Karl Hantho and BlueJeans Network’s Robb Woods gave an overview on the state of interoperability and discussed how users can tackle it in the future. Dr. S. Ann Earon detailed the war for users’ mindshare and compared many of the biggest industry platforms’ talking points and cautionary notes. In addition, Nemertes’ Irwin Lazar explained how unified communications (UC) metrics are evolving from examining call detail records (CDRs) to measuring business value. Talking Pointz’s Dave Michels explained that “video is now the cheese on the pizza,” as our industry has changed to a video-first posture. IT/AV Report columnist Josh Srago, CTS, presented an eye-opening series of observations and warnings on security, malware, and protecting AV and collaboration ecosystems. Shen Milsom & Wilke’s Mark Peterson detailed how remote workers and societal transformations are changing how offices are designed and built. And, finally, AWS’ Sam Chon and Jennie Tietema laid out Amazon’s view of collaboration and the future of UC systems. The list of sponsors and organizations that participated included Intel, AVI Systems, Amazon, BlueJeans Network, Compunetix, Crestron, Intuit, Logitech, Pexip, Poly, Rec. VC, Sennheiser, Vyopta, Yorktel and Zoom.
LG TechTour Concludes With Technology Pop-Up In New York LG Business Solutions USA wrapped up its 2019 LG TechTour with a technology pop-up experience on Fifth Ave., in New York NY, which drew hundreds of attendees to experience the array of LG business and partner solutions. At the daylong event, which featured live entertainment and a range of food from New York’s eateries, guests experienced an assortment of digital-signage displays, along with a series of workshops and product presentations. “The LG TechTour is a self-contained innovation roadshow that demonstrates the full range of LG’s and our partners’ capabilities,” Garry Wicka, VP of Marketing, LG Business Solutions USA, explained. “This year, over 1,400 business-to-business customers from coast to coast came together in unique environments to experience LG’s broad portfolio of digital-signage displays, renewable-energy systems, enterprise mobile solutions and more. And I think they had some fun, too, along the way.” Every stop of the six-city tour featured distinct locations and specially themed events. For example, the Dallas TX event was held in AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, where LG highlighted its new direct-view LED screens and advanced LG OLED videowalls. The event included a performance by the famous Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, an exclusive meet-and-greet event with a former Dallas Cowboys all-star and an on-field Punt, Pass & Kick competition for LG guests. For the New York finale, LG hosted the event in a loft space in midtown Manhattan during New York Digital Signage Week (NYDSW). In addition to the keynotes, product showcases and breakout sessions, the day’s agenda included craft-beer tastings, coffee tastings, a live DJ and an open bar, and a unique food experience provided by an array of purveyors.
Digital Signage Expo 2020 Opens Conference Registration Digital Signage Expo (DSE) has announced that registration for its 2020 event is now open. DSE will be held from March 31 to April 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas NV. It will offer more than 100 education opportunities, including 12 pre- and post-show events, 21 industryspecific peer-networking luncheon roundtables, 32 general conference sessions, 52 free on-floor workshops and a program of study to ensure certification renewal in cooperation with the Digital Signage Experts Group (DSEG). Other new features of the 2020 conference include the following: the return of education tracks for key verticals; opening keynote; Content + Experience (C+X) Theater; DOOH Marketplace; and one-, two-, three- and four-day conference-package pricing. Registration for any of the DSE 2020 education sessions, which are eligible for DSEG certification renewal credits, can be done online at www.dse2020.com. December 2019
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