InfoComm 2023 Wrap Up
We can sum up our three days in Orlando, Florida, at InfoComm 2023 in two words: unparalleled partnerships. AVIXA now has multiple large venue tradeshows under its post-covid belt, and it is safe to say engagement at these shows is back. As we discussed at the Edge Spring Partner Meeting, there is no replacing in-person experiences. From handshakes and hugs to walking a few miles every day, it’s not about the destination, but the relationships made along the way.
On the Show Floor
There were a few themes throughout the show that I think we will continue to see grow over time. Collaboration and partnerships among manufacturers is a common topic we saw back at Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), and it continued at InfoComm The desire to have a one-stop-shop offering from a UC perspective is evident from many manufacturers. All-in-one camera displays and even furniture bundles as a single SKU were popular topics. MTR (Microsoft Teams Rooms), specifically the front row experience with 21:9 was another prevalent discussion. There were a few key standout vendors incorporating MTR while some others are playing catch-up, but one thing is for sure… people are excited about the MTR experience.
AV-as-a-Service has long been talked about in the industry, but having manufacturer-supported products was always an issue. We saw more options and offerings designed specifically to help integrators make the transition to services. We’re excited to see how these offerings are embraced and configured to be a revenue generator for the AV community.
Events like InfoComm are filled with run-ins, which lead to ad-hoc discussions (sometimes the best part of these events). Commercial Integrator, Rave, AVIXA, NSCA and many others that we made connections with were truly remarkable. This is a tight-knit community of like-minded people who truly care about the AV industry and each other. These run-ins are often times the catalyst for new ideas and help foster the growth and evolution of our industry. We helped with a few of those discussions by hosting a coffee break Thursday morning at the Exertis Almo booth.
Edge Reception
Edge hosted its reception at Cuba Libre, in conjunction with NSCA, with almost 200 attendees. The number of new faces in the room showed the continued growth of the organization, which brings more offerings to our membership to fuel their growth. We spoke with many Edge members about how their year started, and they all had the same response… business is good! While we continue to be cautious about the economy, our membership is busy sending proposals and closing out projects. Our partners have also been seeing an uptick in orders, which has settled some of the early jitters.
Our event theme this year revolved around our tagline Unparalleled Partnerships. We tied this theme in with F1 racing to encourage the membership to fuel their partnerships! On the show floor, we had Edge partners pit stops where attendees could scan QR codes marked by racing flags to win incredible prizes provided by Edge partners. Congratulations to our four Edge integrators who won the Edge partner pit stops:
1st place - Daniel Kochowski of USIS
2nd place - Ned Coleman and Val Gorecki of Smarter Systems
3rd place - Wesley Backhouse of RoomReady
Wrap Up
InfoComm is a special event, and it is difficult to describe if you have never been. For those that have, we can say without question, InfoComm is back! Yes, it is exhausting, but it is worth it. From travel challenges to a long day of networking, to the general atmosphere of the event itself, Orlando was filled with excitement. And for Edge, the mantra of unparalleled partnerships was on full display. We will see you next year at InfoComm 2024 in Las Vegas!
