This month’s article comes about due to discussions I have seen on Twitter and heard on different podcasts. Growing the AV field and getting new blood into the field seems to be on the top of many folks’ minds but it seems to be met with pushback. For example, Commercial Integrator has been doing the 40 Influencers Under 40 for the past 9 years and it seems each year people push back saying ‘what about those over 40?’ Now I have only been in the AV field for a short time, about 6 years, and I am under 40 myself but with that said,
this article are my thoughts on ways to grow the AV field once AV gets out of its own way.
If they can see it they can be it.
I do believe that if you can see yourself doing something then you can do it. This goes for seeing people like you doing something you want to do. For example, I would always see an increase of girls joining youth soccer when the US women’s national team is playing. When it comes to AV and seeing it, where is AV visible? Yes, AV is all around us but how many understand they are seeing AV and let alone it could be a career for them? If we want to get more people into the AV field we need to let people know we are here and what we do. This is where AV can follow suit with IT and start getting the field out there more.
Manufacturers can spend their marketing budget on TV ads and other marketing channels. Right now it seems they are selling their products but targeting folks who know already know what their product is. Look at Apple, Google, IBM, and even Intel. They all have ads on prime-time TV, showing their products in situations that a ‘normal’ person would use. They also have ads that show the professional using the product. For example, the latest Intel ad I have been seeing shows not only gamers, but kids using laptops at school, and even has a ‘system admin’ walking the data center with a bunch of racks behind her. I have also seen Google ads talking about their phones/watches/headphones and how people are using them in everyday life. If you grab a random person off the street I would bet good money they would know Apple, Google, and even Intel but would not know Crestron, AMX, Kramer, or even QSC.
Let’s also look at TV shows and movies. There are talks about cyber security, IT department, computer techs, etc.. but the only mention of AV I can think of is the AV club in Stranger Things. Most people chop AV Club up as the ‘nerd’ who pushes the TV down the hall to a classroom or the person who can make the VCR’s clock stop blinking. We all know AV is much more than that. For example, take a look at an NHL game where they have projector mapping on the ice. According to Statista.com the 2021/2022 average NHL attendance for the top 10 teams is around 16,394.2 (Statista, Oct 2022).This might not seem like many folks, mainly when Infocom brings in more than that, but that still 16,394.2 people who are experiencing AV but might not know they are. There are all walks of life at NHL games which might have no clue what AV is whereas a show like Infocomm is targeted at AV pros.
Talk to them at a young age
If we want to get new blood into AV we need to hit them at a young age. I hear people say we need to get them at college but we need to hit them sooner than that. We should be in grade schools and high schools talking about what AV is and how it can be a career. When schools have a career fair we should have booths there. We should be showing them projects that AV is part of, like projector mapping. We should also be showing them that we handle live events, like concerts and theaters. Showing these skills to students before they head to college is key as by the time they enter college many already have picked out their path. Yes, college students can change their major but many still already have an idea of what they want to do. Also waiting until they are in college rules out the students who enter the trade field and I have seen #avtweeps say higher education isn’t needed in our field. If we look at other fields they are going to where their prospects are but I feel AV is sitting back thinking ‘they will come to us’. To grow the field, mainly with younger folks, we need to go to where they are and not wait for them to come to us.
Conclusion
If we want to grow the field of AV we can not continue to stick our heels in the ground and expect people to come to us. We need to celebrate everyone in our field and not stomp our feet when the spotlight is on one group over another. We need to keep an open mind and show people that ‘good enough’ is not good enough. We need to get what we do out to the masses and not just our small circle. We need to talk to the younger folks and bring everyone we can into the field. We should use events like the Super Bowl, World Cup, and other big events to show what AV is. We can use those events to give behind-the-scenes tours and not just to members already in AV. We should become active in the STEM/STEAM program. We should hold contests like hackathons and other IT-related programs, but AV-related, that target the younger generations. We need to step from the shadows and shine the light on our field.