Volume 7, Issue 18 — September 23, 2021

AV Buyers.Club — Volume 7, Issue 18

September 23, 2021 | Volume: 7 | Issue: 18

I’m writing to y’all as I get ready to head to Florida for what would have been Enterprise Connect next week (but with all the tickets I bought for fun stuff to do — I’m still going). And I just have to say, I really miss in-person events. I feel like I talk about it all the time, but the relationships I’ve made with my fellow #AVtweeps at shows like InfoComm and ISE are so different from the ones I’ve made over the phone or Zoom. (This is in no way me discounting the safety measures that shows have taken due to COVID-19 — I just miss being in person.) So even though I will not get to see anyone at EC like initially planned, I’m still happy I get to spend some quality time with friends and family in central Florida all the while! I’m also excited to head to Epcot this weekend because a little bird (Gary Kayye) told me to check out its new restaurant, complete with some fun additions from our pals over at Panasonic.

Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy the columns I’ve picked for you this time. The first is some advice from Alexis La Broi about making a path for young people to enter our industry. This is important for all of us: media, manufacturers, integrators and end users! Alexis’ advice works no matter what industry corner you’re in.

Also, Scott Tiner wrote about privilege and the AV industry. This is a tricky subject to tackle. So often, when we have these conversations, they quickly turn political. Scott talks about how the first step in talking about privilege is recognizing your own. Then we can work on surrounding ourselves with people who come from different walks of life. After all, the only way to expand our industry and keep it fresh with new ideas is to bring in voices other than one’s own. Don’t you agree?

Have a great rest of the week!

— Steph Beckett

COLUMNS

+ Create Opportunities for Young People to Enter the AV Industry [Alexis La Broi]

One of the reasons I advocate for internship and apprenticeship opportunities for young people is because of the opportunities that I experienced myself as a young person starting out. Those experiences led me on the career path that I have been on for the past 25 years. All that said, paid internships are vitally important for young people to help them find the paths that they’d like to pursue in life. How can we in the audiovisual industry create opportunities for young people to find their way to us?

+ Privilege in the AV Industry [Scott Tiner]

I recently attended a graduation where the keynote speaker addressed the topic of privilege. Unfortunately, like so much of our dialog these days, the term was taken far out of context, and that out-of-context interpretation was then politicized. As I walked away, I was disheartened at the misinformation all the new graduates had just received. It did get me thinking about how we can combat this behavior. Since I only have a voice inside this industry, I figured it was as good a place as any to start. So, please indulge me for a few moments as I write about privilege in the AV industry, what it is and what we can do about it.