AV Month Starts in 10 Days

October is officially AV Month, a time when the audiovisual community unites to celebrate our industry with the world. With our collective voices, we can make an impact on raising awareness, encourage students to consider AV careers, change perceptions about the industry and so much more. Learn all about how to get involved at infocomm.org/avmonth. Be sure to use #AVmonth when sharing your AV Month celebrations on social media.

Call for Nominations: InfoComm’s Certification Steering Committee

If you’re a proud CTS holder wanting to make a difference shaping the industry, listen up. InfoComm is accepting nominations to fill three positions on its Certification Steering Committee. This committee oversees the development and administration of the Certified Technology Specialist™ program to ensure the credentials meet industry practices. The deadline for nominations is Oct. 5. Learn more.

AVEC 2016 to Focus on Driving Profit Through Customer Experience

InfoComm’s fourth annual AV Executive Conference (AVEC) is set for Nov. 9-11, 2016, at the Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami. This year’s theme, Driving Profit Through Customer Experience, will focus on creating a memorable and distinctive experience for customers rather than having price be the deciding factor. Register for AVEC by Oct. 10 to secure your discounted room rates at the Ritz-Carlton.

What I’ve Learned From 30 Days of Videoconferencing

Joining a company that uses videoconferencing on a regular basis can be a shock to the system. Cameron Craig, guest blogger from Polycom, shares his experience of immersing himself into a company culture that utilizes videoconferencing for nearly every meeting. How does it impact the way he connects with his colleagues? Is he now a proud videoconferencing user? Find out in this blog article.

Don’t Miss InfoComm Connections NY

InfoComm Connections, co-locating with the National Association of Broadcasters’ NAB Show New York, takes place Nov. 9-10, 2016. The InfoComm show will host four separate conferences: Collaborate, Developing Your AV Staff, Digital Signage Summit and The New Learning Technology Landscape. (Early bird pricing ends Sept. 30.) Plus, the exhibit hall will feature 300+ exhibitors and products from across the AV, media, entertainment, broadcasting and satellite communications industries. Learn more and get registered.

Meet the Middle East’s First AV Provider of Excellence

Consolidated Gulf Co. (CGC) of Doha, Qatar, has become the Middle East’s first AV company to receive the AV Provider of Excellence (APEx) designation. APEx is InfoComm’s seal of approval for companies that set high standards for employee training and certification and meet their clients’ needs by delivering exceptional solutions. With this mark of distinction, CGC joins an elite group of almost 50 dedicated integration companies and AV design consulting firms worldwide. Read the full announcement.

Reaching Goals and Celebrating a New CTS

After working in the live events/rental and staging side of the business and a subsequent move into integration two years ago, Alexis B. La Broi, MBA, CTS, set herself a new goal: to finally try for her CTS certification. She felt motivated and encouraged after attending the inaugural Women of InfoComm Network Breakfast at InfoComm 2015 in Orlando. "At the WIN breakfast we talked a lot about the importance of certification for women in the industry, so I gave myself a goal to get my CTS by the time InfoComm rolled around this year," says La Broi. Read her story.

Learn About InfoComm’s Cable Labeling Standard

As an AV pro, how does standardized cable labeling benefit you? A lot of ways. It’ll help you deliver what was promised to your customer, provide a way to measure the professionalism of companies competing for business, provide consistency and much more. In this webinar, Tom Kehr, CTS‑D, CTS‑I, senior staff instructor for InfoComm, explores InfoComm’s Cable Labeling for Audiovisual Systems standard. Watch the recorded webinar now.

Give a Student a Jumpstart in the Industry

Do you know an exceptional university student with his or her sights set on a career in AV? InfoComm’s International Communications Industries Foundation (ICIF) is currently accepting applications for its Michael Vergauwen scholarship. This $5,000 scholarship is open to third- and fourth-year college students pursuing a technical degree with plans for a career in the AV industry. Learn more and apply. And read about last year’s scholarship recipients, Sarabeth Mullins and Lauren Koske.