Gina Sansivero

Gina Sansivero

Gina Sansivero was introduced to the audiovisual industry early in 2005 and has embraced it ever since (she is forever indebted to NWB for the AV invitation). She first worked in sales and marketing, and then became a partner at RelampIt in New York. Recognizing and industry need, she combined her passions of environmental responsibility and education to launch Project Green AV in 2008. An industry portal for GreenAV information and dialogue, Project Green AV addresses the changing needs and is a facilitator for Green AV education, news, products, industry highlights and connections. Similarly, Gina helped RelampIt to grow into a well recognized replacement projection lamp business as a preferred sustainable vendor-partner to AV systems integrators and the vertical markets the AV industry touches. In 2014, Gina moved on to Director of Educational Sales at FSR, Inc, where she continues to remain entrenched in AV and hopes to understand the needs of a fast growing market and educate a wider scope of the industry. To reach Gina directly, please email gsansivero@fsrinc.com

Technology Has Stolen My Patience… And I Need It Back to Deal With Technology

I am writing this at 6 a.m. sitting on a bar stool at the Empire Tavern at LaGuardia Airport’s terminal C. I am gearing up for a full day of travel out to the Pacific Northwest. I will be there all week and will land in NYC (JFK airport — flying out of LaGuardia and […]

Technology Has Stolen My Patience… And I Need It Back to Deal With Technology

Makerspace: A New Campus Community Hub of Innovation AV Should Be Prepared For

This was originally posted on FSR’s education website, fsr.education, here. The last time you visited your library, what were you there to do? It may have been to hear a professional development speaker, participate in a book club, bring your child to a “mommy/ daddy and me” group. I was recently reading an article focused […]

Makerspace: A New Campus Community Hub of Innovation AV Should Be Prepared For

Snow Day: Considering E-Learning in Your Schools?

Following a disruptive snow storm in the North East this week, students across the region (especially Long Island and New England) are home sledding, playing video games, drinking hot chocolate and doing everything but thinking about school. Many schools, however, are implementing continuity of learning plans that may require students to “attend class” during snow/ […]

Snow Day: Considering E-Learning in Your Schools?

How Important is “Being Green” In the Classroom Technology Decision Making Process?

The honest answer is “not exceptionally important.” The reason, however, may surprise you. Many schools have sustainability initiatives in place that cover a wide variety of campus life processes from printing and food services to facilities and grounds keeping. While technology is an obvious environmental concern, that concern is usually a result of the amount […]

How Important is “Being Green” In the Classroom Technology Decision Making Process?

Breaking Down Barriers

I recently wrote an article for EdTech Digest called “Keys to Engagement: Connectivity Challenges in a Technology-Rich Classroom.” In it, I outlined some challenges and solutions common to modern learning spaces, but which are often not at the top of mind when designing or installing room equipment. One of the ideas I brought up was […]

Breaking Down Barriers

What’s Your Swoosh?

All these articles about AV news, new product announcements and acquisitions in the AV industry being released before InfoComm got me to thinking about company recognition. Then at a meeting the other day, one of our reps stood up and told us a story about his contact in a K-12 school who went up to […]

What’s Your Swoosh?

With Sincerity and Gratitude

New year, new company, new blog post…wow, I am on a roll.  It has been a while since I have submitted a blog for rAVe. The past three months have been a crazy ride. I probably should have written about the feeling of leaving a company I have been at for nine years — more […]

With Sincerity and Gratitude

Creating Balance… and Still Learning

In two of my previous posts (here and here), I had discussed my position of combining Sales & Marketing into a cohesive group through consistent detailed communication and collaboration. After discovering that sales people are consistently poor intra-company communicators and marketing people can be annoyingly persistent (LOVE both my sales and marketing roles at RelampIt), […]

Creating Balance… and Still Learning

Convince Me: Should My Boy Have A Cell Phone?

My son is 12 years old (to be fair, he will be 13 in November, but I will keep him out of the teenage realm as long as I possibly can) and will be heading into 8th grade come September. He wants a cell phone.  And not just any old free from AT&T cell phone, […]

Convince Me: Should My Boy Have A Cell Phone?

From the Confines of a Manufacturer’s Tradeshow Booth

A lot of people have an InfoComm 2013 recap. Most are written by AV professionals who were able to spend a lot of time walking the show floor. Those recaps are generally insightful, especially for those of us who weren’t able to spend a lot of time traversing the expansive Orange County Convention Center. I […]

From the Confines of a Manufacturer’s Tradeshow Booth

A Short Pre-InfoComm Note from ME

Last month, my company sent out its quarterly newsletter. Once in a while I get a moment to sit down and write a personal letter to our subscribers, clients and friends. Our spring newsletter is my favorite time to do this because I am in renewal mode. I hate winter — absolutely HATE winter. Once […]

A Short Pre-InfoComm Note from ME

Networks and Referral Webs

I spoke as part of a seminar today that was called “30 Seconds to Success” for my local Chamber of Commerce.  It was focusing on the first 30 seconds of meeting someone- whether it is a business meeting, a networking event, a round table, etc. My section, in particular, was addressing the well known (but […]

GinaMichelle: Gemini To The Extreme

So my sister and I are twins with very different personalities. I wouldn’t even say that we have two different personalities. It’s probably more like four different types of personalities between the two of us (we are, in fact, Geminis.) We worked as a team one minute — when we were two, I used to push […]

GinaMichelle: Gemini To The Extreme

From the Periphery of the AV Industry

Most of those who know me, know me as having one of two identities in this industry: Green lady or lamp lady.  I don’t prefer one identity over the other. I love both sides of what I do and am just as comfortable with either one.  Today, I have decided, I will be the lamp lady. Manufacturing, selling, […]

From the Periphery of the AV Industry

I Have To Hire A New Sales Person

I have to hire a new sales person. I feel like I am always hiring new sales people. But this is the truth of running a small business — or any type of business, I suppose.  There should always be new recruits coming in.  New blood, as they say. I have found that one of […]

I Have To Hire A New Sales Person

Try It – Quality Personified

Quality – the word many companies use to define the value of a product or service. Quality – the necessary stamp of the marketing department.  Quality – the long lasting buzz-word.  Is it so over-used that it has become a red flag for clients or consumers? If a business touts quality as the value proposition […]

Try It – Quality Personified

2012: A Year To Be Proud Of

This year my company, RelampIt, celebrates its 5th year in business.  SWEET! Let me take a step back,RelampIt began in late 2005 as a department within an R&D company that focused on various optics-related projects. We spun off into an independent business in 2007- 5 years ago. Considering this, we have beenrelamping for over 7 years- but my lovely […]

2012: A Year To Be Proud Of

Celebrating the Millionth Time I Have Been Asked This Question

A quick post, from the heart, in CELEBRATION of the millionth time I have been asked this question: One of the things that I am often asked by clients and industry colleagues when talking about my RelampIt business is how we are able to keep our manufacturing in the US — New York no less, with some […]

Celebrating the Millionth Time I Have Been Asked This Question

GinaMichelle: Single Word, No Spaces, One Breath

I haven’t written in a while, mostly because we have been undergoing a really big and successful internal change that we initiated last year.  Our language has changed, our policies have been prioritized, our priorities have been clarified and our team is ready for the next stage in RelampIt growth. We no longer consider ourselves as a […]

GinaMichelle: Single Word, No Spaces, One Breath

92 Years and Counting

My grandmother, Nonna, is 92 years old and one of the strongest and spunkiest people I know. She’s been through a lot; more than most. Despite years of hardships, accidents, death, cancer, etc, she has remained optimistic, faithful and kind. No bitterness remains.  In fact, I don’t think it was ever there to begin with. But […]

92 Years and Counting

Slow Down, New Yorker, and Enjoy the View

So you are asked to help co-present a keynote at a historically well attended industry event.  After you go through the vicious self-esteem sucking spiral of “It’s Just Little Old Me” you start panicking about all the preparation that has to be done.  Trying to recall those skills you developed (or were supposed to have […]

My Accountant Wears a Suit

So I guess lots of industry people are wondering what’s with all the mystery and secrets behind the InfoComm 100 even that just passed in Portland.  No one was allowed to talk about the guest list no one was allowed to talk about the award winners until the event had begun.  What’s the deal??!!?? (Wait- don’t stop […]

It’s Just Little Old Me

I don’t really know how to say this tactfully- so I am just going to come right out with it.  No beating around the bush:  What if they find me out? No, really, what if I am not what they think I am? What if they made a mistake? What if I can’t live up […]

Be a Systems Integration Hero! or The Rhombus Issue

The AV community is full of amazing people with whom you can share ideas and from whom you can learn an incredible amount.  I sat down with two just a few weeks ago who are not only AV geeks (I say that with nothing but love and respect) but who also challenge my way of […]

Social AV Executives- Here’s a Quick Invite

I recently helped one of my friends and colleagues develop a presentation for his fellow executives. One of the criteria for this presentation was to explain the benefits of social media in a language that they can understand.  These executives aren’t unintelligent. They are heads of a successful and established AV integration company with one […]

What happens when the AV service industry is commoditized?

I had a great discussion recently with one of my AV colleagues and friends, who I have known for about 5 years.  He works for a well known and successful AV integration company.  We were discussing AV service from an integrator’s perspective; specifically that in this difficult economy it seems some integrators are focusing less […]

Green AV: Beyond Energy Management

Ok- who said Green is passé? Granted, the term “Green” may be getting kind of annoying.  And the references to our childhood, redundant (poor Kermit doesn’t get royalties, ya know!) But we, as the AV industry, haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of Green. It will go beyond sucking less energy and reducing or carbon footprint. Heck, […]

Where’s the Communication?

Background info:  We had been trying to contact InfoComm’s PR department for well over a month (since she canceled a meeting with us). We respectfully reached out a number of times via both email and phone. My frustration finally got the better of me and I sent out an SOS to @InfoComm on twitter, not entirely expecting a response.  […]

Tweeps- The New Cool Kids?

I really wanted my first rAVe blog post to deal directly with my passion- Green AV. But something has been on my mind over the past few weeks.  So, here it is:  Is twitter creating cliques of “cool kids” in the industry? Many of us are on Twitter; some are even on every day.  We use it […]