If you’re looking for either contract and full time AVtweeps, AV Junction now has a free web platform. AV Junction provides companies with access to “pre-vetted” (this is their term and not verified or validated as to what exactly this means) AV professionals. This is a dedicated online marketplace for AV people. AV Junction says […]
It’s quite possible that Mike Blackman is one of the most interesting men on the planet. His name is synonymous with the Integrated Systems Europe expo in Amsterdam, but many people in the AV industry around the world don’t know all the history that led Mike to where he is today. Originally born in Guyana […]
Debbie Sausville has been a staple at InfoComm International for 22 years. She’s made such an impact on the AV industry as a whole, but how often do we get a chance to know more about the woman behind the name? A graduate of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia with a double major in […]
Like so many of us, as a young girl, Gina Sansivero was a little unsure of “what she wanted to be when she grew up.” Coming from an Italian family, she knew she loved the language and she knew she enjoyed children, so she went to study at Fordham University. She started out with a […]
Another week has come and gone and it is finally Friday or Friyay and it is time for the Weekly Wrap-Up! Every week we give you five or so top stories from the week that you can’t miss. This week’s wrap-up features the latest Crew Call column, 100 things about the AV industry, the the […]
A zoologist, an amateur fighter and an AV systems designer all walk into an InfoComm reception… No, that’s not the beginning of a joke, and it’s not three separate people — it’s our friend and blogger Mark Coxon, all rolled into one smart, dynamic person. Mark is all over the AV industry. He’s a dedicated […]
“I’ve tried to escape the AV industry multiple times… but I just can’t,” laughed Anthony Coppedge as he talked about his life in AV. Anthony needs no introduction, but instead, deserves one. For nearly 20 years, Anthony has worked in the secular world of AV, the ministry world of church staff, and the para-church ministry […]
There was a lot of news this week so if you missed anything, here are a few of the top stories from this week. Enjoy! And, if you think we missed something, please let us know! Post by rAVe.
Penny Sitler is a staple of the AV industry… but working in AV wasn’t something she originally thought she’d do! “I really did fall into the industry,” Penny explained. “ I went to DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. My passion was for languages and business and I was a romance languages and international business major. […]
Chuck Wilson’s story of how he got into AV is a little different than, well, a lot of people. Not many people can say that they’ve only held two jobs their entire life. Chuck, executive director of NSCA, however, can. “I started out in the AV industry in the late ‘70s,” said Chuck. “I came […]
It’s Friday, so that means it is time for the Weekly Wrap-Up. This week we are featuring a couple blog post, the latest AV People column, Barco is launching its new multi-screen theatrical format and more! Gary Kayye writes about business traveling for the recent grad and Corey Moss writes about Google Glass. Enjoy and […]
Although she is very much what we would all consider to be a seasoned AV veteran, Marla Suttenberg of Sapphire Marketing didn’t go to school with the notion that she’d eventually end up working in the AV industry. According to her, it was a total fluke. “I went to Clark University in Worcester, which is […]
Joel Rollins has been a staple at rAVe [Publications] for years. You’ve read his columns, you’ve heard his voice on rAVe RADIO, and you’ve seen his face in our booth at InfoComm and ISE. He’s the epitome of an AV industry veteran. He embodies all that an AV veteran should be. But, do you know […]
Len Dozier, founder of Premier Mounts, is arguably one of the hardest working people in the AV industry. Starting from the ground up, getting experience any way he could, Len has made a name for himself, and his company, over the last four and a half decades. It all started in 1967. Len was born […]
If you’ve ever been to an InfoComm show, you probably know or have heard the name Betsy Jaffe. While her title says Vice President of Communications for InfoComm, Betsy really is so much more for the organization. And it’s no surprise, because Betsy has always been one to work hard and give of herself for […]
Like many people who work in AV, Bill Mullin of Starin backed his way into the industry. As a child, Bill was always interested in anything that flickered an image or made a sound. Having grown up in the 1960s as a product of the British invasion, music and the technology behind it always intrigued […]
At the age of 12, Kevin Nelson’s mom bought and brought home a brand new organ. It was making this noise in the house and Kevin wanted to know why. So he tore apart the organ, took the speakers out, and figured out what made it work. Needless to say, he was grounded for it. […]
Nigel Brent is arguably one of the most interesting and innovative people in the AV industry today — and he’s been in the industry for over 48 years. At the age of 78, Nigel is as sharp and driven and motivated as ever (if not more so). However, his journey to the AV industry happened […]
Forty-two-year AV industry veteran Ike Eckstein is one of those rare breeds who isn’t afraid to speak his mind, isn’t afraid to work overtime, and believes in the core value of taking care of your customers. “I never wrote a resume in my life,” said Ike as he recalled his early days in the industry. […]
Sometimes people just end up working in the AV industry by accident. Maybe their family has worked in the industry for years, maybe they came in through the guidance of a trusted friend or mentor, or maybe they had a passion for something related to AV. For Andrew Brickman, service department manager at Logic Integration, […]
To say that the AV industry is in the blood of John Pidgeon, president of Draper, Inc. is an understatement. He got into the industry simply by being born. Draper is a family business through and through. It was established 111 years ago by Pidgeon’s great grandfather, Luther Draper. It’s been managed, in turn, by […]
Eventually, we all learn to glean from those who came before us or those who are ahead of us. No matter the industry. No matter the field. No matter the purpose. We can learn only so much on our own, but the help of others, the guidance of a boss or the mentorship of a […]
For Michelle Miller, her interest in AV started in high school. The church she attended at the time allowed the senior high youth to run the sound board for services and, although she never had the chance, she always had an interest in learning how to run sound. It wouldn’t be until she was dating her […]
Have you ever started talking with someone and the more you spoke with them, the more you liked them? The more you listened to them, the more you learned? The more you became like a sponge for their every word, the more you felt like you left the conversation a better, smarter person? That’s how […]
Everyone knows Ed Matthews. Ed is the CEO of Visix, Inc. and well-respected, much- loved, long-time AV veteran. He’s pretty much a staple in industry. But not many know of his past and all that Ed has accomplished. “I went right into the Navy out of high school,” remembered Ed. “I spent two out of […]
For over 34 years, Marty Schaffel has been one of the hardest working men in the business. In 1979, he started his first business with $2,000 selling Kroy lettering machines — machines that created black letters on scotch tape type material, transparencies and slides. He’d successfully convinced them to set him up as a dealer, […]
If you’ve been in the AV industry for any length of time, you know Loyd Ivey. Maybe you haven’t met him in person, but you know his name. You know his work ethic. You know the respect everyone has for him. Currently the president and CEO of MiTek Corporation, Loyd has been been living, eating, […]
Sam Taylor: Now, that’s a name people know in the AV industry. Sam, who is the current COO and executive vice president of Almo Pro A/V, is one of those people that you just can’t help but like and respect. Sam started in AV in 1987 as a regional sales manager for Electrograph Systems. He […]
By Molly Stillman The year was 1963. Chris Huston, the lead guitarist for The Undertakers, voted the third-best rock and roll group in Liverpool at the time, was hanging out with the rest of his band near the back of the Cavern Club where they were having a lunchtime playing session. They hanging out with […]