Volume 3, Issue 12 — December 18, 2009
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As Good As It Gets….
By Joel Rollins, CTS-R Well, I seem to have hit a nerve with my last column on training programs (or the lack of them) in the Rental and Staging portion of our little industry. And, with only this column left in the current year, it’s been difficult to answer the emails — or, better yet, to answer the questions they brought up.
So I’ll do it here.
For those of you just tuning in, we’ve been talking about the current lack of a formal training and certification program for the AV Rental Technician or Stager. In that article, I said that I’d try to put together a roadmap for where to get the various elements of training for a rental staff. To that end, for the last several weeks, I’ve been talking to trainers and managers from manufacturers and associations, as well as a number of readers by phone and email. I’ve discovered a lot, and still have a number of calls pending, so that subject is going to be continued in the new year.
But those conversations brought up a number of questions I thought should be answered first, so that the people I’m talking to would understand why I’m looking, and what I’m looking for. And so that they would know that I’m not going to find it – or, at least, not yet.
The two most significant issues you brought up were: first, what makes me pick out training as the most important issue to our future, and, second, what exactly do I think would constitute the ideal training and certification program?
The answer to first question, “What makes you pick out training and certification as our most important issue?” is pretty simple.
I’ve seen it happen, and the effect on rental companies and the industry as a whole, before.
Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, the ICIA Institute for Professional Development (now known as InfoComm) was pretty much THE place to get training in AV. The semi-annual week-long institutes were all taught by volunteers, and these guys were among the “rock stars” of the industry. Fred Dixon, Duffy Wilbert, Terry Friesenborg, Andre Lejeune, Gary Kayye, Steve Thorburn, Steve Somers, Bill Sharer, Luke Rawls… the list goes on and on, and there are too many to mention here. The year I was asked to join them and write and teach a course in Rental was one of the most exciting of my career because of the people it threw me together with. We were all very active in the industry, coming together (usually, in the case of guys like Andre and I, straight from some show) to teach and collaborate for a couple of manic weeks. It was a bit of a training free-for-all, and needed to become more organized, but that collaboration brought together people who managed to put down on paper (and overheads, and videotapes, and primitive computer-based presentations) the core of much of the knowledge of our industry that is still in use today. Over twenty years, I taught more than 30 Institutes for InfoComm, which tells you how valuable I thought the experience was.
So, the reason I think it is most important: Organized training programs that are specific to our portion of the industry bring us together in one place to share knowledge. I learned as much by teaching as I taught to our students – and we encouraged many of them to go on to become the next generation of teachers, like Chris Gillespie and Tom Stimson, who is today Infocomm’s president-elect. Infocomm (formerly ICIA) has grown up along with the industry, and formalized and improved those early programs to an incredible extent, largely through the patient hard work of Melissa Taggart, Infocomm vice president of education, and her crew.
However, in doing so, we’ve (at least temporarily) eliminated formal rental training and certification – because it wasn't formalized enough, and had smaller numbers of attendees. But if you look at the leaders of today’s Rental and Staging industry, many of us, both at manufacturers and in staging companies, came up through teaching or attending those Institutes. While they weren’t as formalized as what InfoComm teaches now, they served an important purpose as a place and time for people who shared a craft to come together in a cooperative learning situation. And that is the overriding importance to the future of our industry – specialized, comprehensive training creates a professional community, and future leaders, in a way that nothing else does. And in a way that no collection of courses taken in different places and times can.
The second question, “What do you think would be necessary in a training and certification program for Rental?” would produce an even longer answer than the one above, if I weren’t able to give a model from another part of our industry – but I can. One that I think should be the model for a future rental training and certification program – regardless of which organization does it. One that I consider to be the best organized, documented and thought-out program in our industry.
The CTS-I.
The CTS-I (that’s Certified Technology Specialist – Install) does what I think any program of professional qualification has to do – it addresses both the technical and organizational aspects of the installation portion of the industry. It begins with the basic technical, hands-on skills, ascertaining that the attendees all have a common knowledge of the basics of the craft to begin with, even though everybody who attends is already convinced he or she knows those skills. It does it because in order to go on to the organizational aspects of the craft, and to certify, we must first ascertain that this person has all the basic background of the industry. I don’t believe any professional training program that offers a certification can do so without first establishing these vital basics. Then, the CTS-I goes on to teach the skills of organizing and planning an installation – which produces a certification that has become the most generally accepted in that portion of the industry. The CTS-I actually means something because the basic skills are common to the class, which allows them to learn the planning and organization portion based on common industry knowledge. In doing so, it also prepares the CTS-I designate to LEAD.
Kudos, InfoComm, for producing a truly meaningful industry certification that is valuable to the attendees, to those certified, to HR personnel, and to end-user clients.
So that’s my answer to the question I have been most frequently asked… and a call to the industry in general for what needs to happen for Rental and Staging (again) over the next few years.
For my part, these are my opinions – finally set down so that the people I’m talking to will understand what it is I am asking about.
In the new year, I’m going to talk to a few more of them, and attempt to draw that temporary “roadmap” for where to acquire all the appropriate training in pieces in the meantime.
Until then, happy holidays – and be sure to return all the camcorders, projectors, and lighting instruments to the inventory when your company’s holiday parties are over. rAVe Rental [and Staging] contributor Joel R. Rollins, CTS-R, is General Manager of Everett Hall Associates, Inc. and is well known throughout the professional AV industry for his contributions to industry training and his extensive background in AV rental, staging and installation. Joel can be reached at Joel can be reached at joelrollins@mac.com |
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Philips Debuts Solar-Powered Outdoor LED Stadium Lighting Although not bright enough for professional or college-level stadiums, this new LED-based solar-powered lighting system does have a lot of staging and maybe even some rental apps. And, the system is available as a fully portable solution. Using the energy-efficient LED lighting technology, the system can illuminate areas up to 40 meters by 20 meters with bright white light (even though the picture they gave us of a system seems to show very yellow light). Advanced battery cells provide up to eight hours of floodlighting on a single solar charge. The system is also highly sustainable, with a rugged design able to withstand most weather conditions. The new solar LED floodlighting system is available to order now from Philips on a project basis. Philips can provide a total solution including the LED floodlights, portable poles, solar panels and batteries, or just a set of floodlights. The system can also be used for sporting or non-sporting applications in locations without access to an electricity grid, and is perfect for emergency lighting for disaster situations. More information can be found at www.philips.com/offgridlighting I’d probably change the wording above to say “lots of rental and maybe a few staging apps” since in any outdoor staging application that is too far from an electrical source, you’d have a generator anyway. But I can see some rental situations, such as approaches to multi-day outdoor events, where this kind of solar-powered floodlight rig might be useful. But, personally, I’d probably look to cross-rent it from a general rental company (like United Rentals) for the few times I’d need it than to put it in the rental inventory of an AV company.
–JRR
Back to Top Wybron Launches Cygnus 200W LED-based Wash As energy concerns rise, it’s no surprise that LEDs have commanded much of the lighting world’s attention. Unfortunately, many of the fixtures flooding the market provide less than stellar light. Technicians and lighting designers are still in pursuit of that holy grail of LEDs: one that can provide incandescent-quality light while still remaining simple, energy-efficient and easy to maintain. Wybron says their Cygnus 200W Wash is an LED luminaire that “is a generation ahead” (their words) – and we have to agree. It looks great!
Compact, lightweight and self-contained, Cygnus is the first fixed-focus luminaire on the market to incorporate red, green, blue and white elements housed in a single LED package. According to Cygnus, this technological adaptation allows color mixing to occur in the lenses, rather that outside the fixture itself, and also eliminates distracting rainbow shadows produced by most LED fixtures. The addition of a white element to the red, green and blue also means that Cygnus produces pastels, each mixed within the lens itself.
Check it out yourself at: http://www.wybron.com/news/press_releases/2009/11-09-09.html
We’re now bombarded with a plethora of new LED-based lighting – and with lots of new capabilities built in. I also like the trend toward integration of power supplies, since the LED fixtures draw so much less power than incandescents that it makes it possible.
–JRR
Back to Top CubeX Intros 2×2, 3×3 Video Wall Controllers CubeX Vide last week introduced what they said is the most cost-effective 2×2 and 3×3 video wall controllers yet to hit the market. These are stand-alone systems, without a PC, that turn new or existing plasma or LCD monitors into video walls. The video wall controller accepts analog (VGA) or digital (DVI or HDMI) signal up to 1920×1200 and automatically displays signals from sources such as a digital cable or satellite TV receiver box, PC, digital signage player, or Blu-ray player (non-HDCP) as a 2×2, 2×3, 3×2, or 3×3 video wall, depending on the model deployed.
The CubeX 2×2 video wall controller accepts a single input, typically DVI (HDMI with adapter) or VGA, and generates four outputs, also DVI (HDMI with adapter). Supporting the same input and output types, the CubeX 3×3 video wall controller accepts a single input and provides up to nine outputs. On both systems, an onscreen menu display makes it easy to set characteristics including the input format, the gap compensation (bezel masking) required to correct picture distortion, and the output resolution.
Prices start at $2,995 for the CubeX 2×2 video wall controller and $3,995 for the CubeX 3×3 video wall controller. More information can be seen at http://www.cubexvideo.com
OK, this one interests me. I now have lots of clients wanting to do small (read: cheap) multi-plasma arrays for walkups and even for smaller on-stage applications, and I find the “built-in” controllers in most plasmas not flexible enough, while finding it silly to haul out an Electrosonics for this kind of application.
–JRR
Back to Top Extron Ships "Extended Distance" Twisted Pair Receivers Extron has started shipping the MTP 1500RL 15HD RS and MTP 1500RL 15HD RS SEQ Extended Distance Twisted Pair Receivers for VGA and RS-232. These receivers work with MTP Series transmitters to send high resolution video 1,500 feet or more and RS-232 signals up to 1,000 feet over a single CAT 5-type cable. The extended distance receivers are compatible with resolutions up to 1920×1200 WUXGA, and feature separate continuously variable level and peaking adjustments that precisely optimize image quality for various cable lengths. Each receiver also offers an additional female MTP buffered output, enabling up to eight receivers to be connected in series, reducing the number of parallel cable runs required. The SEQ model adds independent skew compensation adjustments for each color.
The extended distance receivers are housed in low profile, rack-mountable metal enclosures that can be discreetly mounted in racks or behind wall-mounted displays. They are compatible with the MTP Series of transmitters, switchers, distribution amplifiers, and matrix switchers and you can see all the specs at: http://www.extron.com/product/product.aspx?id=mtp1500rl15hdrsserie&search=MTP%201500RL
Just consider the weight of cable and amplifiers needed to run analog over these distances, and you’ll see the niche this product can fill for stagers.
–JRR
Back to Top InfoComm Publishes 2010 Educational Calendar The 2010 Education Catalog and course calendar for the Academy in Fairfax are available online. Get a head start on your training for the new year — registration for online, virtual classroom and first quarter 2010 courses is open and available. Call your regional representative or 1.800.659.7469 to sign up, but to see the course catalog first, go here: http://www.flipbookserver.com/scripts/showbook.aspx?ID=10001172_917426 |
Of all the products listed here, this one I can recommend wholeheartedly 😉 See today’s column for the reasons.
–JRR
Back to Top For all you REGULAR readers of rAVe Rental [and Staging] out there, hopefully you enjoyed another opinion-packed issue!
For those of you NEW to rAVe, you just read how we are — we are 100% opinionated. We not only report the news and new product stories of the rental and staging industry, but we stuff the articles full of our opinions — in this case, it’s industry-veteran Joel Rollins' opinions. That may include (but is not limited to) whether or not the product is even worth looking at, challenging the manufacturers on their specifications, calling a marketing-spec bluff and suggesting ways integrators market their products better. But, one thing is for sure, we are NOT a trade publication that gets paid for running editorial or product stories. Traditional trade publications get paid to run product stories — that’s why you see what you see in most of the pubs out there. We are different: we run what we want to run and NO ONE is going to pay us to write anything good (or bad).
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rAVe [Publications] has been around since 2003, when we launched our original newsletter, rAVe ProAV Edition. rAVe HomeAV Edition, co-published with CEDIA, launched in February, 2004. rAVe Rental [and Staging] rAVe Ed [Education] rAVe DS [Digital Signage]
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rAVe Rental [and Staging] contains the opinions of the author only and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other persons or companies or its sponsors. |
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