ISE 2019 in Amsterdam last week brought Pro AV professionals, products and perspectives together for a week of learning and demonstrations.

As the dust settles, MarketScale wanted to catch up with some insiders to get their thoughts on why shows like ISE matter and what they see taking place in the Pro AV world at the moment.

In today’s mailbag we hear from:

–Richard Derbyshire, Consultant Relations Manager, Christie Digital

–Marcus Yarborough, Staff Instructor, AVIXA

–Ernie Beck, Founder and Director, Integrate Baltimore

Why is it important to have a conference like ISE?

“Viewing a display system through another display system, such as a computer viewing information on the internet, is not the same experience. So conferences such as ISE provide the world an opportunity to see and hear the latest offerings from a constantly evolving marketplace,” –Richard Derbyshire

“ISE it is very important not only to grow the AV community, but foster knowledge and communication with professionals in other countries. We are all working on similar systems, products, and goals. This keeps us in the ‘know’ just like the conference InfoComm does here in the United States,” –Marcus Yarborough

“I think it’s important for manufacturers to show how they’re innovating and moving the industry, and the social element of creating an industry buzz that keeps people excited and on the edge or their seat to witness these innovations. It’s a pilgrimage that makes you feel connected to your industry that’s hard to replicate on that scale any other way,” –Ernie Beck

Where will Pro AV applications have the biggest impact this year?

“Do you remember the bumper sticker:  “If you can read this, thank your teacher”. The same is true for everything AV. Other than a hike in the woods or boating on a lake or ocean, virtually every other destination will have some aspects of AV installed. Go to a school, mall, place of business, you find an AV system of some sort or other. The ubiquity of AV in our lives is significant and will continue to increase- hence the projected 9% plus growth recently predicted in some trade publications. The AV Association AVIXA was once called the ICIA, International Communications Industry Association. The operation term in that former title was communications. The AV industry provides the means and methods to communicate to small and large groups simultaneously with both aural and visual content.  So the biggest impact will be the continued success of providing those systems using the latest and technology available.” -Derbyshire

“Experiential digital signage deployments using the latest in fine pitch LED products to push the limits of art, technology and architecture. These are high impact installations, tons of visibility, and really create that wow factor the industry is known for,” -Beck

What is one thing the industry must do a better job at?

“The industry has been terrible at developing new human resources. A recent survey showed that a huge percentage of AV professionals are 50 years old or older. There are simply not enough younger persons entering the industry.  Huge improvements are needed in vocational and post high school education; we need to value the AV engineering skill as much as we value the IT engineers; we need to provide pay and benefits for true careers rather than rely on the casual contract labor strategy that seems to have taken over the integration business,” -Derbyshire

“In my experience; our industry has not always had a clear voice. By that I mean that training and volunteering in the industry can only do so much. We need all of us to speak up and share what they think is important not only to know but change or add as well,” -Yarborough

“A continued push for creating more workforce opportunities in marginalized communities, beyond traditional colleges and university students. There is a large talent pool of untapped potential in community workforce programs that want in. If we can find a way to address this collectively the benefits are multi-dimensional for the industry and communities,” -Beck

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