Every week, I am highlighting on some of the incredible people who are in the Audio Video Industry. As this blog is mostly about AV insiders, today we are profiling Richard Sasson.

Here is a brief intro about him.

Richard Sasson has worked in the Audiovisual industry for over 20 years. He is currently global director of technical services at Crestron.

1.Describe your journey in the AV industry? How did it start?

My career started in live entertainment and staging. I designed, set up, installed lighting and sound for hundreds of shows in the NYC area. I worked on many different projects from Broadway to tradeshows, Rock and Roll, National Tours and many other venues. I even worked as a Balloon Pilot and an inflation leader for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

An opportunity came about to change directions and focus more on AV integration. With this new direction, I set out on a career that would land me working with the best company in the industry, Crestron.

2.What do you think is the challenges that are facing a new person who wants to join the industry.

We are currently at an interesting point of time, as the delta between AV and IT is merging. We are no longer a specialized industry, and we are moving towards IT standards. In particular, our engineers need to have more of an IT-centric mindset than they ever did before. People coming into the industry have to have a broad range of knowledge, in IT, AV, Lighting and Unified Communications.

3.What are the positives of working in this industry

This industry is always evolving. There are always new challenges and communication methods that emerge, and we have to make sure we’re working towards improving workplace productivity with our technology. It is great to be in an industry that has become the forefront in the home and corporation. Everywhere you look AV technology is present.

[RELATED] : If you have missed any of the previous interviews, please click here.

4.What in your opinion would you change in the industry? What are the negatives that are prevalent ?

The industry is conforming to standardized technology solutions and platforms such as streaming, AV on the corporate network, etc. We at Crestron are working towards attracting young emerging talent in the field to insure we’re always on the forefront of creating the latest trends. The challenges are getting customers excited about technology and making it seamless. Our industry has to focus more on scalable solutions. The custom solution is less and less prevalent on large commercial projects.

5.Describe your ideal client? What do you wish clients to know before hiring you.

We are looking to engage with large enterprise organizations that want to improve productivity based on how their employees utilize their working environments. Crestron has led the AV industry for the last 40+ years, and we continue to innovate and stretch the limits of what’s possible in the workplace.

6.If you were going to start over, what would you do differently ?

I wouldn’t have changed much honestly. At Crestron, we always put the customer first. The industry was a lot smaller when I started out, but we managed to build loyal customers based off our core principles. As a company, Crestron has only grown as emerging technologies have come and gone.

7.Describe a typical work day for you. What are your daily disciplines?

I start out checking e-mail, then a morning meeting with the team, to review the previous day and share information.

8.Describe the apps and gear that you use daily which makes you more productive?

Obviously the Crestron Pinpoint™ Mobile App. I use it to make sure my time is managed properly. At Crestron, we use our own technology because we believe in being able to collaborate more effectively.

9. Describe any high value projects that you were responsible for in your career?

We strive to offer a wide variety of solutions based on our customer’s needs. Our goal is to be able to provide the entire end-to-end platform solution. We offer solutions that work seamlessly together to give our customers a consistent experience regardless of the space. I have had the pleasure of working on some of the largest AV deployments in the world. In the Hospitality space, Banking space, Oil & Gas and Entertainment, each had exciting challenges in which we were able to provide solutions.

10. With your experience of over 20 years in the industry, how do you stay relevant in terms of new technology and value to the customer ?

In an industry and company that is constantly evolving this is a challenge. It requires a desire to play, to research and to explore different technology in the industry. Going to shows helps, listening to customers is one of the best ways to find out about technology, and ultimately working with the technology is the best way to stay relevant.

Please drop your questions in the comments below and i will make sure that he sees them.

For more information about Richard Sasson , please find a few links.
LinkedIn

Next week we will be featuring another AV Insider so please stay tuned.

*****

Did you like this post? Connect with me on LinkedIn or just sign up for my free email newsletter.