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AV Insider Spotlight : Vincent Bruno , CEO – CEDIA

Each 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 Vincent Bruno .

Here is a brief intro about him.

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Vincent Bruno has worked in the Audiovisual industry for over 32 years. He is currently serving as the CEO of CEDIA.

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

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

I began my career as a product engineering manager with a manufacturer and distributor of professional video products. From there I became a Board Director and Vice President for Tower products. I was there for 11 years and in that time my team pioneered concepts and launched award-winning digital video technology for the broadcast, media and entertainment industries.
My next step was Vice President for VCOM International Multimedia Corporation, a distributor of professional AV and digital equipment. And finally, prior to joining, CEDIA I was the Director of Marketing at Crestron. I’m proud of the fact that I have served our integration companies for my entire 32 year career and that’s longer than CEDIA, which was started in 1989, has been in existence.

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

Perhaps the biggest hurdle for getting new people into our industry is not having the technical background employers may be looking for, especially for someone coming from a different job background. This past year at CEDIA’s Business Xchange one of our workshops talked about hiring for attitude and I think that was a critical message for company owners to hear.

The hard skills of running wire and learning to troubleshoot can be taught, and CEDIA is there to help facilitate the learning of those skills. But at the end of the day only 11% of new hires flounder because of a lack of technical skills. The soft-skills of customer service, work ethic, and yes, attitude, are things that can’t always be taught so that is an important consideration for companies that are looking for new talent.

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3.What are the positives of working in this industry

I’ve said time and time again that we get to work in the coolest industry out there. We are surrounded by vision and innovation that drives forward the best solutions for a life lived best at home.

Aside from being awed by the exponential growth of technology, we are fortunate to have a deep reaching sense of community in our industry. I’ve heard it more than once that the CEDIA show often feels like a family reunion. Our members are committed to helping one another and developing the industry that was hatched with a small meeting of thought-leaders to the $14 billion dollar business it is today.

4. 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?

CEDIA member businesses are evolving all the time – 10 years ago our members were not concerned about managing the network of a home and today that is something that is essential. I think our strength in staying relevant to our members and providing value is our ability to stay nimble. We proactively address emerging trends and their potential impacts for members and we continue to seek and provide resources that will help members at every level position their company for success.
av-insider-spotlight-vin-bruno-2[RELATED] : If you have missed any of the previous interviews, please click here.

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

I want to make it easier for homeowners to find our members – we know that as an industry we deliver exceptional experiences to homeowners but what does that homeowner enter in the search-bar of their browser to find a home technology professional?

We don’t have a recognized nomenclature like the plumber or the electrician. We need to figure out how to describe our position in the market as the single point of contact for all the technology needs a homeowner has. There are a lot of opinions about what we should call ourselves and I am sensitive to the nuance – but I look forward to finding a solution that will position our members for continued growth and success with new and existing clients.

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

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As an association our clients are our members and we are an inclusive organization so anyone who is installing technology in the home is an ideal client for us.

Our clients should know that we work for them year-round. Of course most people in the industry are familiar with CEDIA through the lens of our show. While those 5 days are essential, CEDIA is constantly and continuously working on behalf of members, whether it is updating our training and resources to reflect the most up-to-date industry standards or advocating on a federal, state and local level to protect members from harmful legislation.

The benefits of being a “client” of CEDIA are numerous and significant and I would encourage anyone who is interested in learning more to visit cedia.net/join to see the full list of benefits.

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7. How has CEDIA helped the industry grow and how has it grown over the years?

Over 25 years ago, a group of technology enthusiasts and thought leaders gathered together to cast a vision for an industry that was growing quickly before their eyes. They defined the custom residential technology space, and formed CEDIA as the connection point for the numerous stakeholders to share their passion, find resources to help them grow, and share in the outlook for the future of the industry. CEDIA delivered a vision of what could be and helped bring it to the world.
CEDIA in 2016 continues a forward-thinking focus, seeking new opportunities to foster community and provide pathways for prosperity to CEDIA members.

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

Honestly, I’m not sure I would do anything differently, as all my experience and trials and tribulations have gotten me to this point, leading CEDIA. I just celebrated my one-year anniversary with the association and I could not have dreamed a more rewarding or inspiring position for myself.

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

I love the work weeks that I get to spend at CEDIA Headquarters (in Indianapolis) with the rest of my team. On those days, I typically have a pretty full schedule of meetings, I want to be very accessible to members so I often have several calls with them throughout a day, and as I travel quite a bit, I make time to visit members whatever city I’m in. I start each work day by exercising. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are elliptical machine and lifting weights days while Tuesdays and Thursdays are running days. I eat nothing but fruit until noon on days I work. When I’m in Indianapolis I love walking across the street from my hotel to the YMCA to enjoy playing a little basketball before ending the day. Now on weekends and holidays, I enjoy making pancakes, crepes or banana bread for breakfast and I enjoy just hanging out with my family before taking on projects at home. I enjoy 3 mile walks around my neighborhood and hikes with my 15 year old daughter.

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

Outlook is my most important productivity tool. I’m constantly in Outlook reading and answering emails and determining where I need to be and when I need to be there. I use social media apps such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to communicate CEDIA news and business articles. I never use these social media platforms for my personal information or views. We recently launched our CEDIA Online Community. I’m enjoying the frequent posts from our CEDIA Members and very soon I will be very proficient with our platform.
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For more information about Vincent Bruno , please find a few links.
LinkedIn
www.cedia.net |  Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

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