Pamela Taggart, CTS®, Senior Director of Development Europe for AVIXA, tells us how AV companies are thriving in the industry.
Q. What recurring themes and habits do you find when you speak to successful AV organisations?
A. I regularly get to visit with AV companies of all types and sizes, and one thread I find in common is that the most successful companies are dedicated to professional development, and they set aside the time and resources for ongoing professional development. It can be argued whether it is a chicken and egg thing; they are successful, so they have time and resources to train, or they train so they are successful, but what I hear from the companies themselves is that their commitment to professional development and quality is a cornerstone of their success – and who am I to argue?
Q. How do companies find the time to continue their professional development?
A. I think that when people say, “there’s not time to train,” it is a defeatist attitude. I don’t hear this from the most successful companies, regardless of size. Successful companies make the time, set the curve, and reap the benefits. However, I will say that at AVIXA we try to cooperate as much as possible to group training with member events, or cooperate with member manufacturers to add our training to their existing events to cut travel time. Plus, we offer ongoing 24/7 training online, so there is always a way to make it work.
Q. What can companies do to kickstart their professional development?
A. There’s no time like the present, and there’s no better place than to start at ISE 2018, the largest AV and systems integration show in the world. We have a range of engaging sessions on offer that will provide superb opportunities for professional development, and give a taste of what we offer year-round.
Beyond that, you need a plan – and that’s where we can really step up to help. For Gold-level AVIXA members, we offer a special consulting service where we can help you identify the skills gaps and training needs in your team, match them to the right courses, and create professional development plans specific to you. For all levels of AVIXA membership we offer free and discounted online courses, and 96 percent of individuals who take our courses use the knowledge from the course in their job afterwards – so it’s a solid first step.
Q. What does AVIXA have to offer at ISE 2018?
A. Reflecting our new brand, the AVIXA stand will look unlike anything you’ve seen before from InfoComm. It has a great modern look, and much more meeting space including a new second story this year to accommodate the increase in meetings we’ve seen at previous shows.
Our focus with the stand this year is not games or gimmicks – we provide real value to the industry and the market, and our activities on the booth must be true to what we do. For that reason, visitors to our main stand 12-N110 this year can receive executive summaries of our most recent global market research, not gimmicky SWAG. We want folks to walk away, even from this short interaction at our booth, with a tool that will help them make better business decisions for themselves or their company, based on real insight. Our “giveaways” if you can call them that, are all about gaining insight, and looking ahead to improve your career or business – which is how AVIXA can help, now and long term.
One special event to look forward to this year is the AVIXA reception on Wednesday. It’s great timing because we’ll kick-off just near show close, and enjoy drinks while everyone else waits in the cold taxi queue outside. You can come get to know AVIXA, socialize with friends and colleagues from the industry, and then when the traffic lets up head off to the rest of the evening activities. We recognize that the AV industry is a big community, and it’s important to celebrate that and get together casually sometimes, so the reception is a chance to do that.
FlashTracks are back again this year, due to popular demand. Essentially the FlashTracks are like 20-minute miniature keynotes on a topic. I think they are so popular because in 20 minutes there is not time for the “history of all technology” before you get to the point – there is no time for fluff. That makes them effective and efficient, to get concise topics very quickly. Especially at a show like ISE, that is essential, and why people keep coming back.