Latest headlines: Christopher Gillespie on finding the good in 2020, Mark Coxon on the possible death(?) of the huddle space and more
May 19, 2021 | Volume: 19 | Issue: 19
I am obligated to let you know that LAVNCH WEEK 4.0 is next week! So join us May 25-27 for yet another few days filled to the brim with educational goodness, new products and new faces. Also, I’m once again emceeing the event, so it’s just guaranteed to be a good time.
I made this meme in hopes that you will register here:
Our first featured column this week is from Chris Gillespie on finding the good in 2020 (because yeah, last year was a whole bunch of bad). However, some good things came out of it , and I hope you enjoy reading about just a few of them.
Another good column is from Mark Coxon. Tell me, #AVtweeps, do you think the huddle space is going away? Gary and I discussed this the other day — I think companies will gravitate toward using regular-sized conference rooms as huddle spaces and Gary doesn’t think they’ll ever entirely disappear. Read through Mark’s latest and greatest, then tell me what you think!
Check out the latest product news from SnapAV (new architectural speakers), Bluescape (integration with Amazon Chime SDK), HDTV Supply (new Ethernet extender set) and more.
When looking back on last year, the best description that neatly wrapped up our collective experience in a bow was from Leslie Jones on a 2020 recap show on Netflix. Her character said, “I’d say it was a train wreck and a s*&tshow, but that would be unfair to trains and s*&t.” Seriously though, let’s just call it the year of Murphy. Because anything that COULD go wrong … DID! While I am not trying to gloss over the economic and other devastation that was unleashed upon us, I think it’s important (if for nothing other than our sanity) to try to find some blue sky in all this mess.
I believe that people will go back to working in the office at least part-time, and the new office will indeed be somewhat different. I also believe there will be a range of reactions to working in the same space. Old habits die hard, and those who suffered little impact from COVID may be very willing to just resume the old method of working. Others who lost relatives, fell severely ill or have more risk factors may understandably be more cautious. In either case, this means change for the office and for huddle spaces as we know them.
I achieved my CTS back in 2000, CTS-D in 2001, CTS-I in 2006, LEED Green Associate in 2010, Network+ in 2012 and became an ATD Master Trainer in 2015. There’s other stuff too, like manufacturer and association training. So what? Big deal — and I would agree with that. In the overall scope of things, it’s not something I can pass down to my kids or put into my will. What it does mean is that I’m willing to push myself, learn something I didn’t know before and become better, more efficient and knowledgeable in my profession.