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Socialized Media

what I just saw in 140 characters, then repeat. Social media has become an important part of how PRO AV keeps in touch with members of the AV community. Our new PRO AV 60 reflects that.

Socialized Media

what I just saw in 140 characters, then repeat. Social media has become an important part of how PRO AV keeps in touch with members of the AV community. Our new PRO AV 60 reflects that.

So as we look at PRO AV and PRO AV Online, we ask ourselves how we can reflect what’s going on in social media. This month we bring you the PRO AV 60, a group of integrators, dealers, and consultants who stand out for what they share about themselves, not necessarily for what they earn. Let me explain.

Last month at CEDIA Expo in Atlanta, my routine was thus: visit a manufacturer at their booth, take in the new features and capabilities of their latest products, retreat to a corner with my BlackBerry and summarize what I just saw in 140 characters, then repeat. Now, that 140-character thing is something new. Since InfoComm 09 in Orlando, Twitter has become an important part of how Pro AV keeps in touch with you, the professional, as well as vendors and other members of the AV community. Granted, my Twitter following isn’t yet the biggest, but it’s already part of a brand-new conversation. Case in point: The PRO AV LinkedIn group, with its 1,200-plus members, has become a place where pros share experiences, advice, and encouragement.

Brad Grimes, Editor

I love rankings: top places to live, most admired companies, Letterman’s Top Ten. But how should we rank AV companies? Should we even try? So many are privately held, small- to medium-size businesses, that to rank them based on revenue could only produce an imperfect, incomplete picture.

We decided to recognize firms in a social media-style way. We invited them via the Internet to tell us what makes their companies great, including their specialties, projects, advice they’d give others, and their views on green AV. They sent us pictures, “tweeted” their unique selling propositions, and shared their thoughts on the future. It became this cool conversation, the highlights of which make up the PRO AV 60.

As editors, we always want to mirror your experience, as in this issue’s story about growing a services business (“At Their Service”). In the article, AV pros explain what works and what doesn’t. One even tells contributor Jeanne Stiernberg why his company hasn’t yet thrown itself into services.

As companies have told us, business remains challenging. Aren’t socializing, sharing, and tweeting, if you will, good ways to get through this? We think so.

Brad Grimes, Editor

email: [email protected]

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