What’s Holding You Back?

Whether you’re working on improving yourself personally or professionally, it’s essential to have the ability to be introspective and analytical, in order to identify what you need to work on. That’s also true when you’re coaching others. In that, self-improvement has a lot in common with troubleshooting systems and equipment at work: Diagnose, Analyze, Repair, […]

What’s Holding You Back?

Spotlight: Shehzad Hussain, CTS, Senior Technology Specialist – Qatar

In my biweekly blog series, I am highlighting some of the incredible people who work for the Audio Video Industry. In this post, we are profiling Shehzad Hussain. Here is his brief introduction.  Shehzad Hussain, CTS is Senior Technology Specialist at TWYLA Technology, Qatar. 1. Describe your journey in the AV industry? How did it […]

Spotlight: Shehzad Hussain, CTS, Senior Technology Specialist – Qatar

Mergers, Acquisitions and the AV Ecology

I remember reading a book back in the late ’90s called “Why Big Fierce Animals Are Rare” by Paul Colvinaux. It was one of the first ecology books I read, and although the science was still evolving itself, there are a couple points in the book that have stuck with me over time and that […]

Mergers, Acquisitions and the AV Ecology

Does M&A Mark the Top?

By Paul Konikowski The last week of February 2020 could go down as the worst week in Wall Street history. The U.S. and global markets plummeted as coronavirus fears escalated. Some think it may have had something to do with Bernie Sander’s wins in the early Democratic primaries, and some think it is tied to […]

Does M&A Mark the Top?

Universal Design in Higher Ed Classrooms — Part II

In February, I wrote a blog on universal design in higher ed classrooms. In that blog, I covered the first four of the seven principles of universal design. This month, I am going to cover the remaining three principles. As a refresher, the seven principles are: — Principle One: Equitable Use — Principle Two: Flexibility […]

Universal Design in Higher Ed Classrooms — Part II

Here’s a Breakdown of My Top 10 From ISE 2020

Every year, I like to release a top 10 list of my favorite things that I have seen at Integrated Systems Europe. Last Wednesday, in collaboration with Almo Pro A/V and Barco — I hosted a webinar in which I expanded on just that. But I understand that not everyone can attend every single webinar, […]

Here’s a Breakdown of My Top 10 From ISE 2020

It’s 2020, And People Are Still Choosing Projectors Over Flat-Panel Displays

THIS IS A PROMOTED POST  By: Wayne Borg Marketing Manager, Casio  A familiar question in the AV industry: How do projectors compare to flat-panel displays? Before you answer that, first establish what kind of projector you’re referencing. Therefore, the better question is, How do lamp-free projectors compare to flat-panel displays? Because once you eliminate the […]

It’s 2020, And People Are Still Choosing Projectors Over Flat-Panel Displays

It’s a Match — How Dating Apps Can Help You Navigate Rental CRM

For a long time now, I have advocated the use of commonly available online tools to organize a rental and staging operation. Personally, I have long loved an SaaS application called BaseCamp, but there are many available tools like this one that enable us to organize our projects without having to invest a fortune in […]

It’s a Match — How Dating Apps Can Help You Navigate Rental CRM

The 20th Annual Kayye’s Krystal Ball: 2020 Edition

Welcome to my 20th Kayye’s Krystal Ball! I know, I was shocked too. Twenty years of this. But I love writing this annual predictions article. If you’re a regular reader, you already know this, but for those who don’t, my Kayye’s Krystal Ball piece is an annual article where I not only tell you what […]

The 20th Annual Kayye’s Krystal Ball: 2020 Edition

Spotlight: Alberto Ayulo, Regional General Manager – Northeast – AVI-SPL

In my biweekly blog series, I am highlighting some of the incredible people who work for the Audio Video Industry. In this post, we are profiling Alberto Ayulo. Here is his brief introduction.  Alberto Ayulo is Regional General Manager – Northeast at AVI-SPL 1.Describe your journey in the AV industry? How did it start? This […]

Spotlight: Alberto Ayulo, Regional General Manager – Northeast – AVI-SPL

Should You Service What You Didn’t Sell?

There’s an advertising catchphrase that probably dates back to the dawn of advertising: “We service what we sell!” You’ll see it appended as a tagline everywhere from car dealerships to general merchandise retailers. Last week my kitchen fridge died — it was only seven years old. I say “kitchen fridge” to differentiate it from the […]

Should You Service What You Didn’t Sell?

The Golden Rules of Sound System Implementation and Design

Disclaimer: This is one of those topics that seems to require periodic reminders and refreshers. Why this is the case is one of the great mysteries of the AV life, but we seem to lose sight of the core principals reasonably regularly, and thus — the following is your scheduled reminder that the foundational rules […]

The Golden Rules of Sound System Implementation and Design

4 Simple reasons to make your home smart

Who doesn’t wish to spend an entire day at home doing just nothing or long to get back home after a tiring day at work to just relax. But does relaxation come easy, of-course not, it comes with a price. That’s where automated homes come into picture. Now, if you are thinking home automation is […]

4 Simple reasons to make your home smart

Co.Lore (Company Lore) Stories Through Space: Episode 3: David Dewane and the Fun Palace

Sometimes you read an article that makes you say “I need to interview that person!”  Well this was that article and David Dewane was that person. Tune in to hear some amazing thoughts and ideas on people, space, and today’s modern workplace. Cedric Price’s Fun Palace concept is here as well- http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/fun-palace-cedric-price.html

Co.Lore (Company Lore) Stories Through Space: Episode 3: David Dewane and the Fun Palace

AVI LIVE 2020 | What, When, Where and Why You Need to Register

THIS IS A PROMOTED POST FROM AVI LIVE Next month rAVe heads to San Diego for the first of four AVI LIVE 2020 shows and I will be presenting the keynote at each event. In San Diego, I will be speaking about the future of AV design and why we need to think about the […]

AVI LIVE 2020 | What, When, Where and Why You Need to Register

Some Personal Observations of ISE 2020, Professional Observations to Follow Later

While the coronavirus certainly decimated attendance at Integrated Systems Europe 2020 — coming in right at around 52,000 attendees — exhibitors were thrilled with those who showed. NOT ONE exhibitor complained to me. Quantity was down, but the quality was up. Way up. This actually could have been the best thing ever to happen to […]

Some Personal Observations of ISE 2020, Professional Observations to Follow Later

How Dante Could Disrupt the AV-Over-IP Market

By Aviad Cohen Founder, Comeet I’ve been a fan of AV-over-IP ever since I first worked with the technology — but the number of vendors and different solutions out in the market make it very hard for customers to choose. How could an AV investment be protected if there is no standard? You can be […]

How Dante Could Disrupt the AV-Over-IP Market

Spotlight: Shane Springer, Solutions Architect at Zoom

In my biweekly blog series, I am highlighting some of the incredible people who work for the Audio Video Industry. In this post, we are profiling Shane Springer. Here is his brief introduction.  Shane Springer is Solutions Architect at Zoom Video Communications. 1.Describe your journey in the AV industry? How did it start?   I […]

Spotlight: Shane Springer, Solutions Architect at Zoom

An AV-Over-IP Update

By Adam Cox Senior Analyst, Futuresource Consulting Low-latency AV-over-IP solutions are on the rise across a range of key verticals, presenting clear advantages over competing technologies. Yet, technology continues to struggle to achieve mass-market acceptance. Adam Cox, senior analyst at Futuresource Consulting, explores some of the challenges and takes us through the detail. AV-over-IP has […]

An AV-Over-IP Update

Dealing With Uncertainty in Estimation

When planning and estimating, you have to deal with the unknown — this includes both the known-unknowns and the unknown-unknowns, so to speak. Everyone likes clear, concise answers, and at least initially, it’s not always possible for project managers to give them. During the development of the initial scope of a project, it’s difficult, maybe […]

Dealing With Uncertainty in Estimation

AV Industry Social Media: Quantity vs. Quality

AV marketing professionals spend countless hours pursuing more reader likes, more engagement, more content, more metrics and frankly more of the same in a never-ending hype cycle. Social media is merely another function where marketers are stuck in tactical due to feeling the pressure to produce something — anything — in order to somehow drive […]

AV Industry Social Media: Quantity vs. Quality

Selling AV Technology to Churches: Overcoming Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt

Fear. Uncertainty. Doubt. We call this ‘FUD’ and it happens all the time for audio, video and lighting sales; one minute the sale looks like it’s about to close and seemingly the next moment FUD strikes and the deal is too often lost. FUD exists in every market within the AV industry, but perhaps it’s […]

Selling AV Technology to Churches: Overcoming Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt

UI vs. UX: The Battle for Happier Customers

Like most folks out there, I spent many years not understanding what UX (User eXperience) was and, more importantly, what the difference between UI (User Interface) and UX was. Over time I came to realize that what was being commonly delivered as a UI in the AV world did not translate to good customer experience. […]

UI vs. UX: The Battle for Happier Customers

Universal Design in Higher Ed Classrooms — Part I

Last month I wrote about how I thought that accessibility would be a big topic in AV during 2020. A big reason we will hear more about this is a lawsuit that Harvard recently settled with the National Association of the Deaf. In the settlement, Harvard agreed to provide captioning for all new content placed […]

Universal Design in Higher Ed Classrooms — Part I

Going Viral

There is an old saw about the Chinese character for crisis being a combination of the characters for danger and opportunity. Friends who speak Mandarin tell me that this is not true, but it is so convenient that I wanted to use it here. Please consider it quoted. Linguistic folklore or not, I believe that […]

Going Viral

Cash Flow and Collecting Your Receivables

There’s a saying that I regularly remind myself with. It goes, “If it makes you money, it’s a business. If it costs you money, it’s a hobby.” And while in order to be a business you need to have products and services that people want, it’s no less necessary, more so perhaps, that you get […]

Cash Flow and Collecting Your Receivables

The Road Ahead for AV in Self-Driving Cars

As we turn the page on the 2010s, there’s a great deal of speculation about what this new decade will bring. Of course, nobody really knows what the future holds, but I’ve thought a lot about what’s ahead for the AV industry. One segment I find particularly interesting is the automotive space. At the CES […]

The Road Ahead for AV in Self-Driving Cars

Esports: Mom Lied When She Said I’d Never Make Money Playing Halo

By: Morgan Alley Account Manager, Almo Professional A/V We millennials sure love to ruin everything, don’t we? First, we came in with participation trophies, we moved on to tank the economy and now we have come for sports! *Queue diabolical laughter* According to this Reuter’s article, global esports revenues will rise above one billion dollars by […]

Esports: Mom Lied When She Said I’d Never Make Money Playing Halo

Spotlight: Zvonimir Prokic, Head of Programming, Platinum Vision LLC, U.A.E

In my biweekly blog series, I am highlighting some of the incredible people who work for the Audio Video Industry. In this post, we are profiling Zvonimir Prokic. Here is his brief introduction. Zvonimir Prokic is the Head of Programming at Platinum Vision LLC, U.A.E.  1. Describe your journey in the AV industry? How did […]

Spotlight: Zvonimir Prokic, Head of Programming, Platinum Vision LLC, U.A.E

Your Princess Is in Another Castle

Each level of the classic Mario game would end with our hero having battled through hoards of foes to rescue his beloved, only to be greeted with the now-familiar message that his princess is in another castle. The inherent sexism of the princess-rescue trope aside, this is what I think when I look at the […]

Your Princess Is in Another Castle

A Worthy New Year’s Resolution

At the turn of every year, I often think of blogging about the big stories or products of the past year, or the promising products of the coming year. I have never written about my resolution for the new year, as they are often personal and not business- or AV-related. However, this year is different. […]

A Worthy New Year’s Resolution

Exploring Your Organizational DNA: Combining Inside and Outside Studies for Effective Results That Pay Real Dividends

Understanding the complex relationships between the inside perceptions of your organization and its culture and the equally vital external perceptions of those same elements is the key to empowering long-term strategic growth and expansion. If you do not have a good reference for both aspects of this crucial data, it’s impossible to develop a plan […]

Exploring Your Organizational DNA: Combining Inside and Outside Studies for Effective Results That Pay Real Dividends