The world from the podcast station in Vegas from June 8th through the 10th was filled with #AVselfies, magical Tascam gear, and interviews galore. My partner in crime, Johnny Mota, and I set up rAVe Pubs RADIO desk successfully in the Kramer booth with the help from our friends Eric Larsen of Tascam and our rAVe Pubs Project Manager, Michael Williams. Even with our smaller desk set up this year, we had no problem fitting 8 microphones and all the Tascam gear required to run The Trade Show Minute, one product in particular that shall remain unnamed until Q4 later this year. From my interaction with the unnamed, I found that it is easy to set up, comes with software that has interchangeable sound effects, quick access to gains, and is portable friendly. Johnny and I got a kick out of using this product, and I would highly recommend it to podcasters looking to spunk up their recordings. Listen in to our shows to see what we are rAVing about!

Along with set up came pre-show podcasts including an interview with Eric from Tascam, Penny Sitler from Draper Inc, and the founder of rAVe Pubs, Gary Kayye. We applaud our guests for getting the ball rolling even before official Day 1. Gary throws a pinky promise at me that I just could not resist, and more news to come in my next blog!

The next 3 official days of the show was what I would like to call organized chaos, and only in the best way. The Trade Show Minute recorded 50+ podcasts thanks to our many guests. I must admit, I felt burnt out after doing back-to-back interviews, but this was purely a first-timers overload: first time in Vegas, first time helping to host a show, and a first time working behind the scenes during InfoComm. Next time we record with The Trade Show Minute, I will have this “InfoComm 2016 training” prepared up my sleeve like when runners prepare for one of those 5K marathons. This year was just a warm up for the epic podcasts to come.

After an opportunity like this, it would be impractical not to do an After-Action Review:

+1. Learned a lot about podcast production and the fantastic Tascam gear to go along with our new show. Save all recorded sessions in every format possible, so that if falling behind on uploading, you can recover it when you have a longer period of down time.

+2. Without prep work, a bigger show will not run itself. That includes spreadsheets of guests (if necessary), making room for surprise knick knacks and testing equipment prior to show.

+3. Even though uploading podcasts the same day may sound hectic, it is a better approach than saving 50+ podcasts to upload after three days worth of a trade show. Listeners and guests want to access it the same day, so make the extra effort to post it up ASAP.

-1. Stock up on coffee and food, and don’t be afraid to use it in the 2 seconds in between podcasts. We stocked up plenty of snacks, but practically forgot about it.

-2. We need to block out a solid half hour time slot half way through our day, so we can recharge.

-3. Don’t leave any prep work to do during the show week because that will eat up the time you wanted to walk the show floor.

The chance to podcast with such an enthusiastic group of people really motivates me to continue working in the AV industry as well as pulling others in. During the interviews, I paid attention to our guests’ passion for technology, which radiated from them tremendously. Luckily, I was able to ask for their advice about giving tips to anyone who is new coming into the industry. My next blog will cover all of the tips and tricks from the pros.

Shout out to the rAVe Pubs team for creating such a comfortable, smooth-sailing, and kick-ass trip. Everyone had a great attitude, creative mind, and a helping hand. Some great new upcoming works that sprouted at InfoComm 2016 from the rAVe team that you should really check out are rAVe TV and The Trade Show Minute. Another special thanks to Corey Moss and the AV Power Up! crew! Great show with over 25 guests on Wednesday and over 10 executives on Thursday. The podcasting experience from InfoComm 2016, thanks to rAVe Pubs, inspires me to keep moving forward in not only learning more in my field, but to continue spreading the news about technology to the generation to come into the work force.

Some miscellaneous fun during InfoComm 2016 and Vegas:

• After attending the Women of InfoComm breakfast, I was excited to see mentorship is not just a buzzword but something that is being discussed and acted upon.
• #AVselfies for everyone! This including all our Trade Show Minute guests (all found on Twitter) and a surprise bump into our AVP team (former hosts, current co-hosts, and guests): Christa Bender, Justin Watts, Michael Shiin, Katye McGregor Bennett, Corey Moss, Bill Nattress, and Bradford Benn.
• Snagged an #AVselfie with InfoComm’s Educator of the Year, Jeremy Caldera, my awesome mentor. I am so proud to see him work as hard as he does in the industry and to watch him continue to go far.
• #AVKaraoke night with many friends including the wonderful winners of the InfoComm 2016 Harald Thiel Volunteers of the Year: Hope Roth and Christa Bender (and let me tell you, these ladies can sing!)
• Mon Ami Gabi = awesome breakfast place in Vegas
• I will just leave “mechanical bull” here…
• Crestron party had musicians from Sugar Ray, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Limp Bizkit, and ZZ Top perform at their annual post-InfoComm party.

There is no doubt that the AV industry dominated Vegas for the week. I could not help but laugh every time an enthusiastic concert “raver” came up to me on the Vegas Strip and asked where the next rave is at.. I just told them the Convention Center with all the AV gear is where everyone is rAVing. Stay tuned for the next blogs including tips and tricks from the AV pros and an announcement to make coming up within rAVe!

Comment below and share with us some of your great moments at InfoComm 2016 in Vegas!