From June 15th until June 19th, 28,132 Pro AV folks headed to InfoComm, which was held in Las Vegas. This was my 6th InfoComm, and each one has been a different experience for me. As I look back on this year’s show, I realize how much I have grown over those 6 years. This growth was due to each InfoComm show and the AV community who opened the door for me.
What I Look For
One thing that has grown over the 6 years is what I look for while I am at the show. My first InfoComm focus was the education sessions. I remember reviewing the list of all the sessions and trying to jam in as many as I could. I would review each session’s details to find the ones that piqued my interest. I would sit in the room and take as many notes as I could.
After that first year, I still look for sessions that pique my interest and aim to attend those. I just no longer jam-pack my schedule with as many sessions as I can. This is not because the education sessions are not good or important, it’s just that my focus has changed.
The second year I attended InfoComm was an interesting one for me. This was when I moved out to Las Vegas for my current job. My focus at the show was no longer the education sessions, but to see the gear and have technical discussions. I still remember coming across a product that I was interested in, and I started to ask questions to the representatives on the floor. One of them then brought me into a back room of their booth where their technical engineer was. I was able to get into a great technical discussion with this engineer and left their booth excited to demo the equipment.
Now I no longer attend the show looking to have technical discussions. This does not mean I don’t have them, it just means I no longer focus on having those discussions.
Over the last couple of shows, my focus has been on having key discussions with key folks. These discussions could be in a booth, during an education session, in an NDA room, or at a networking event. I also look for opportunities to share my knowledge and experience with others. This year I presented at four different sessions. One session is the fifth year we have held it. Each year we make a few adjustments to try and meet what folks are looking to learn.
Networking
Another reason I enjoy attending InfoComm is being able to network with others at the show. I get to see many of the HETMA community members as well as other AVTweeps. Attending events like this allows you to cross paths with many different folks that you might not normally encounter.
I still remember my first InfoComm, where I attended an after party with a group of HETMA members. As we entered the venue, the group I was with went over to grab some drinks and food while I went the opposite direction. One member of the group then called to me, saying, “James, we are over here!” I replied, “I know,” and they asked, “Where are you going?” to which I replied, “To network.” As I walked the room, I came across folks like Tim Albright, Steven Greenblatt, and even David Labuskes. The discussions I had with these and other folks were valuable for building my relationship with the greater AV community.
New Folks
The last area I would like to talk about was new for me this year, but it brings me back to my early days at InfoComm. I had the opportunity to introduce two new folks to InfoComm. The first person is Jamison Vandenberg. I met Jamison during a recording of the Ask the Programmer podcast. The information he shared during the two episodes was so strong that I had to have him join me on the Networking 101 panel at InfoComm. I asked Jamison if he would be interested in joining me. This was Jamison’s first InfoComm and first time speaking at a conference.
This reminded me of what John Douglas did for me. John reached out on LinkedIn about five years ago asking if I would like to join him on a panel on how to design a classroom. I did join John for that panel, and we have held this session each year since then. When I joined John, it was my first time presenting at a conference.
Lastly, I had a former student worker of mine reach out right before InfoComm. He was about to graduate college and was looking to get into the AV field, as he enjoyed his time working for me and the AV Services team. I was able to get him a free show floor pass. On Friday, our schedules aligned, and I was able to show him around and make introductions.
As we walked the show floor, I would introduce him to the folks I knew. He would then get his phone out and connect with these folks on LinkedIn. He also asked them questions such as how to get into the field and what he was looking to do. This reminded me of my first InfoComm, where Joe Way would introduce me to folks as we attended events.
To wrap everything up, it is important to attend shows like InfoComm. It is at these shows that you can network with others, grow your knowledge by attending education sessions, have discussions on products, and develop your skills by presenting a session or two.
If you are a long-time InfoComm attendee, please share that experience with others. Find someone who is new and show them around and open the door for them. For new folks out there, if a door is open for you, please step through it and make the best of it. We need new folks in this field, and we need new voices sharing their knowledge with all of us.
