The last September 13, ISP Audio & Light attended the press conference organized by InfoComm in Fairfax, Virginia, USA. In this great event attended by the most relevant specialized press of the international panorama of the audiovisual commercial sector, we were able to obtain information of great interest on strategic changes of the InfoComm organization, from now on AVIXA.
InfoComm International® is the trade association representing the worldwide audio-visual industry and it has been renamed by AVIXA™ (Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association). This major change marks a new era for InfoComm International and reflects its new mission AVIXA to expand the industry with the new purpose of updating, continue to grow and be more present in the audiovisual world.
"We not only have a new name, but we are a new type of organization" said Dan Goldstein, vice president of commercial marketing for AVIXA
"This is an exciting time for our industry and for the advancement of audiovisual solutions across a wide range of customer experiences" said David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, Executive Director and CEO of AVIXA.
"Thanks to the innovative and creative efforts of so many members, partners and customers, we have collectively 
grown far beyond what InfoComm International could do to promote AV around the world. Audiovisual experiences have become so ubiquitous in our lives, that's why we feel compelled to create a new identity that more accurately reflects this industry’s excitement and welcomes a far more diverse community of professionals"
With the new brand, AVIXA hopes to increase the commitment among integrators and top managers working in commercial environments and contribute to the investment of AV projects on a large scale.
The three pillars on which the name of the new AVIXA business model is based are:
- AV: The importance of AV, where new technologies must be updated and continue to bring magic to the industry.
- IX (Integrated Experiences) They will focus on developing more and better AV experiences programs that go beyond having a good technical installation. They try to truly connect with more customers and members.
- A (Association) They are committed to improving partnerships and collaborations.
The new AVIXA organization defends this new change with a futuristic vision and believes that it will bring a new value based on the experience of providing new AV solutions and connecting with a greater variety of collaborators and clients. The new name of AVIXA want to reflect both what your AV members do and what they create for customers.
During the press conference, Labuskes said: "With this great change we are reaffirming our audiovisual brand, and it is not about leaving everything behind. We have a continued shared need to advance in the industry"
Gary Hall, CTS-D, CTS-I, President of the AVIXA Board and Federal Strategy, Planning and Operations Leader at Cisco Systems said: "The AVIXA Board of Directors has set out an ambitious plan to grow the association, increase awareness of AV experiences, and reinvent our brand in order to propel drive this industry into the future. There are new people and different technologies coming into this space and we are thrilled that AVIXA is the home to all of them"
The organization noted that the new brand is the result of a great work among several groups, working with consultants and close collaboration of all volunteers over the last 18 months, where InfoComm has been focusing on experience technology and experience integrated into their past marketing events. Today we know that this was nothing more than a strategy to lay the foundations of its new model of organization.
Dan Goldstein who has been pushing InfoComm for several years to change its brand added: "The name change is a new value proposition" Rebecca Onchi, Director of Technology Solutions for PayPal also commented on the importance of being updated in the market in order to connect with new people and transform the industry.
In recent years, AVIXA’s members have evolved to offer more than audiovisual products and systems. Their innovation and attention to customer requirements has led to an industry of solutions providers that use audiovisual technology to create new results. AVIXA membership has grown to include experimental designers, content creators, IT companies and users who bring new AV solutions. And this was demonstrated at the InfoComm show in Orlando, held last June, which attracted a greater share of AV customers than in any other year.
During the press event, AVIXA's top team members shared their vision of global expansion and how brand reinvention is important to drive the industry forward. Among its new activities, projects and plans, it is necessary to emphasize the broader approach that they will dedicate to education, where they will try to contribute a better experience of the technological teaching. To this end, Sean Wargo, the new member of the Market Intelligence Team, commented on the importance of improving all systems, facilities, buildings, technology... to expand the AV market and create more and better collaborations.
The organization also announced at the event the new program called 'Integrated Life 2018', a content and exhibition program that will focus on bringing improvements to systems and offering new solutions. For this, this program will focus on intelligent buildings, smart homes, mobile, security and related AV systems.
The new brand and its new website have been launched immediately by the organization as the old InfoComm logo has been replaced by AVIXA.
However, all AVIXA trade shows around the world, including the North American event that will take place June 2-8, 2018 in Las Vegas, will continue to operate under the name InfoComm International. The last fairs, like the one of Orlando, reached a record of visitors very high in comparison with previous years. "Our shows are growing all over the world, and we are reaching out to the kind of people we want" says Goldstein. "We are very happy and satisfied with all the brand has given us, and we would be crazy if we put all of that in danger"
This year's AVEC theme, "Differentiate, Accelerate, Disrupt," will focus attention on key differentiators that elevate a brand above the rest, the steps to building a high-performing team, and how to disrupt the status quo.
Focused on the management side of running an audiovisual business and completely re-imagined for 2017, the event will host industry leaders for three days of strategic business planning, industry insight sharing, and networking. To demonstrate exactly how organizations can differentiate, accelerate, and disrupt, speakers with resumes featuring ABC's Shark Tank, CNBC, Google, BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, and best-selling books, will share their life lessons with attendees.
For the first time in the event's five-year history, the 2017 iteration of AVEC will give attendees an exclusive sneak peek into some of AVIXA's latest industry research, with a specific focus on how today's larger macro-economic trends are impacting the ways AV products and services are being bought, used, and maintained.
Headlining AVEC keynote speaker Daymond John is the Founder and CEO of global fashion brand FUBU, star of ABC's Shark Tank, and the Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship. Also a New York Times best-selling author, John is the personification of the American Dream, from his humble beginning on the streets of New York, to a self-made multimillionaire with over $4 billion in global product sales. During AVEC, he will teach attendees how to apply his successful methods -- from innovative marketing techniques to optimizing talent -- to their businesses.
In addition, Marci Rossell, former Chief Economist for CNBC, will kick off the conference, providing a snapshot of macroeconomic trends. Rossell is an expert in explaining the interconnection of economics, politics, culture, and the media. She will also join a state-of-the-market panel with AVIXA Chief Executive Officer David Labuskes, CTS®, CAE, RCDD, for a microeconomic discussion examining the professional audiovisual market. This will be followed by an executive end-user panel to discuss trends impacting key vertical markets and share insight for the challenges facing the AV industry.
Jonathan Perelman, who previously held the roles of Vice President of BuzzFeed Motion Pictures and Global Lead for Industry Relations at Google, will show AVEC attendees how to differentiate their companies by rising above the noise, standing out in crowded industries, and telling brand stories in memorable ways.
Also joining the conference is Stephen Shapiro, innovation expert and author of Best Practices Are Stupid, who will reveal his strategies for disruption. For over 20 years, he has presented his provocative strategies on innovation to audiences in 50 countries. According to Shapiro, the more you know about the audiovisual industry, the harder it is for you to think differently. He will share why expertise is the enemy of innovation and what you can do about it.
John Foley, former Lead Solo Pilot for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, will talk about performance acceleration. Foley's journey to becoming a pilot didn't come easy; with persistence, hard work, and the will to overcome obstacles and setbacks, he achieved his dream. With an energizing delivery, Foley will share a practical model for achieving your goals.
"We're thrilled about the incredible lineup of speakers joining AVEC this year," said Betsy Jaffe, Senior Vice President, Member Services, AVIXA. "They offer such a wide range of expertise and life experiences that will leave attendees not only inspired, but armed with concrete strategies they can implement at their organizations. Attendees will leave the conference feeling reinvigorated after gaining new ideas from the speakers and their industry peers."