By Brad Grimes
InfoComm International

It’s come to this, has it? Only about a month until InfoComm 2015 and you haven’t finished your planning. Because you’re an AV integrator, we get it. With your workload what it is, you need to be focused on projects. Oh, what you wouldn’t give for someone to just tell you the things you should do at the big show in Orlando (June 13-19, FYI, in case you’ve been too busy to open a calendar lately).

You’re in luck.

Standard disclaimer: Maybe you’ve been to enough InfoComms to know that three days aren’t enough to take in all the training, exhibits, networking and special events the show has to offer. Maybe this is your first InfoComm, in which case you should know, three days aren’t enough to take in all the training, exhibits, networking and special events the show has to offer.

Case in point: AV installers have some great pre-show training options. They can actually receive either of InfoComm University’s in-depth, three-day installation courses at the show, where they’ll be anyway. No need for a separate trip to InfoComm HQ (though we’d love to host you).

The three-day classes, Installation 1: System Fabrication and Installation 2: Setup and Verification, start Saturday, June 13, and run until Monday, June 15. Alternately, if what you really want is a cram session before testing for your CTS-I certification at the show, you can take the three-day CTS-I Prep course, also Saturday through Monday.

After you’ve worked hard for those three days, get ready for these three:

Tuesday, June 16

Tuesday is super at InfoComm 2015. Many of you will want to sign up for a full day of Future Trends, 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. But maybe you’ve got some other integration challenges on your mind — like integrating with IT. In which case (note, these classes are pretty popular and may sell out by the time you register) …

8:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. IPv4 Network Traffic and Multicasting Analysis. Recently-named 2015 InfoComm Educator of the Year Paul Zielie, CTS-D, of AMX/Harman, leads a hands-on session in which you’ll actually look at network traffics and better understand IT infrastructures. Then you’ll learn how best to stream AV, multicast to multiple address, etc. (Later in the day, you have a chance to get trained on the next Internet.)

1 p.m. — 2:30 p.m. Deploying USB, HDMI and DisplayPort Bus Powered Solutions in AV System Design. Last year’s InfoComm Educator of the Year Joe Cornwall, CTS-D, of Legrand, helps you ensure your AV installations work when they include some of these popular signal technologies — and they will.

Conflict alert! 1:30 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. IPv6 Network Traffic and Multicasting Analysis. See above. Paul Zielie is at it again. This time you need to memorize all possible IP address permutations under Internet Protocol version 6 (kidding).

4 p.m. — 5:30 p.m. Opening Keynote: The Internet of Things. A keynote that’s right up an integrators alley. The much-discussed Internet of Things is coming to InfoComm 2015. Nick Bilton, technology columnist and reporter for The New York Times and author of the book Hatching Twitter, leads a panel of experts from Samsung, Crestron Electronics, Cisco Systems and Harman in a discussion of IoT. What are the security implications? The business opportunities? The integrator challenges?

5:30 p.m. — 7 p.m. Opening Reception. Is that delicious appetizer part of the Internet of Things? And if you eat it, does that make you part of the Internet of Things? Of course not, but eat it anyway, and catch up with your colleagues before the show floor opens tomorrow. The reception is included with your registration, so don’t be shy.

7 p.m. — 10 p.m. InfoComm Awards Dinner. Rolling out the red carpet! InfoComm recognizes industry pioneers, pioneering educators, top volunteers, women in AV, up-and-coming AV pros, CTS holders and more. Join us in room W415A of the Convention Center. Tickets are required. Email InfoComm to learn more.

Wednesday, June 17

8 a.m. — 9 a.m. Early Bird Tour. The main reason to suggest registering for the Early Bird Tour is that you get a chance to see the show floor before you get busy doing other stuff. Yes, the ribbon cutting is just around the corner, but in case you can’t see yourself hitting the exhibits right away, invest in this sneak peak. Meet at the InfoComm Show Store a little before 8.

10:15 — 11:45 a.m. Small Screen Solutions: Dive In, the Water’s Not Cold. It’s like the Holy Grail of digital signage: integrating tablets, smartphones and other smalls screens into digital signage solutions. This session is just one of many that are part of the Digital Signage Solutions Summit, which covers four days during InfoComm 2015. Small screens not your style? Choose from the many digital signage sessions.

12 p.m. — 1:30 p.m. UCC State of the Industry Lunch and Learn. This will be a standing-room-only event. Part of the Unified Communications and Collaboration Solutions Summit (lunch requires separate registration), this event always attracts a Who’s Who of UCC industry players. You should be scoping the entire UCC program at InfoComm 2015, expertly organized by IMCCA, but this Lunch and Learn also offers one-stop shopping for UCC intelligence. And you will need to know the latest on UCC for future projects.

Conflict alert! 12:30 p.m. — 2 p.m. Systems Integration Business Roundtable. Join Tom Stimson, pro-AV consultant to companies big and small, and discuss how you could be running your AV integration company more effectively. Bring your questions.

2:30 p.m. — 4:30 p.m. Harnessing the Cloud for Content and Control. What’s more challenging (and exciting) than integrating what you can’t see into an AV application? The fact is, this “cloud” that all your IT colleagues have been talking about is really not a big mystery and could actually be a boon for pro AV. Jody Thomas, CTS, of Emergent Communications Technology, lays it out for you in this all-new InfoComm University course.

4:31 p.m. — 5 p.m. (+/-). If you’re not passed out, get thee to the show floor. Yes, you’ll soon hear the announcement that the floor will be closing, but we won’t drag you out if you’re just minutes away from finishing that conversation about the greatest new AV solution your company has ever seen.

Thursday, June 18

7:30 a.m —  9:30 a.m. Women of InfoComm Networking Breakfast. Men are invited, too! Bestselling author and communication strategist Sam Horn presents “Don’t Just Lean in — Step Up to Create the Career You Want, Need and Deserve.” All attendees will receive a copy of her book Got Your Attention? How to Create Intrigue and Connect with Anyone.

9:30 a.m. — 10:30 a.m. Show floor!!! Make sure you drop by the InfoComm booth #3859 to learn about Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) credentials, the AV Provider of Excellence (APEx) program, AV standards, and market research on global industry trends.

10:30 a.m. — 12 p.m. Holy cow. This particular time slot is AV integration education nirvana. Choose from: Contrast Ratio in Projected and Direct View Systems, Fiber Optic Infrastructure for AV Systems, Audio over IP – Network Installations, Wireless AV Signal Transportation, HDBaseT Alliance: Installer Expert Program and more. All your options for the whole week are right here.

12:30 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. You can be a little flexible here, but we suggest you hang out on the show floor and find your way to the Unmanned Systems and Drones Pavilion right about now. There are a couple sessions taking place during this window: Large Sporting and Entertainment Event Coverage, which frankly, just sounds cool; and The Drone/Unmanned Systems Business Opportunity for the Pro AV Integrators, which is right up your alley — and cool.

Conflict alert! 2:30 p.m. — 4:30 p.m. Virtualization of AV Components. That’s right: AV devices with next-to-no physical properties. Whah?! Yup, you may still need equipment racks — but for how long? Let Bill Nattress, CTS-D, CTS-I, of Shen Milsom & Wilke, explain it all.

Friday, June 19

Cheater, cheater!! That’s waaay more than three days.

But hey, you’re here, so scour the show floor or…

1:30 p.m. — 3:45 p.m. Tech Tour: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. It’s a stunning, state-of-the-art, LEED-certified facility, perfectly balancing technology, architecture and lighting. And based on the performances it hosts, the content is top-notch, too. Which makes this an exceptional experience. Check it out!

This column has been printed with permission from InfoComm International and originally appeared here.