Associations Focus: AVolution at TECHXNY
Dec 1, 2004 12:00 PM
The ICIA shares details of a successful AVolution technology pavilion at TECHXNY.
The AVolution campaign hit the road from Oct. 5 to 7, 2004, with a pavilion dedicated to AV technologies at the TECHXNY show in the Javits Center. More than 20,000 technology professionals and consumers were greeted by the The World of AVolution, a large pavilion that featured AV technology demonstrations, products, and solutions providers. The World of AVolution pavilion was sponsored by the International Communications Industries Association (ICIA) and its New York-area member companies.
Lou Nanni, ICIA director of certification/workforce development, at the World of AVolution pavilion at TECHXNY.
“The New York IT audience was very receptive to the AV pavilion,” says Duffy Wilbert, vice president of business development for ICIA’s foundation, International Communications Industries Foundation (ICIF), which funds AVolution. “We met with IT professionals who work in financial services, government, and education. It advanced our mission of raising awareness for our industry.”
Additionally, the New York location gave ICIA and its member companies exposure to important media. Broadcast and print media in attendance included The New York Times, Reuters, Fortune, Financial Times, New York Post, Newsweek, CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, CBS News, ABC News, PC Magazine, eWeek, Network World, InfoWorld, Wired, CNET, Fast Company, and the CMP publications including CRN, InformationWeek, Digital Connect, Network Computing, Network Magazine, VARBusiness, and TechWeb.
Special attractions in The World of AVolution pavilion included Boardroom Place, Integrator Alley, Resources Road, and Theatre Row.
Special thanks goes to Advanced Media Design, Newbury Park, Calif., for sponsoring the pavilion and setting up the turnkey boardroom and a neighboring technology area, both powered by MediaPointe, AMD’s multi-conferencing solution. Visitors sat at the boardroom table to hear presentations that were repeated throughout the show.
“By joining forces with ICIF, the show was a success for us,” says Steve Villoria, president and CEO of Advanced Media Design. “We are very pleased to be working directly with ICIF and other AV companies in promoting the convergence of AV and IT technologies and to demonstrate the tremendous opportunities AMD can offer companies by having a standardized, scalable, open-platform system.”
The pavilion also featured six leading AV systems integrators and consultants who sponsored kiosks along Integrator Alley and served as industry advocates and representatives of their respective companies. Thanks to these sponsors: ACE Communications (New York), Audio Visual Associates (Denville, N.J.), Audio Visual Resources, Inc. (Williston Park, N.Y.), Emanuel Audiovisual Consultants (Ft. Lee, N.J.), SPL Integrated Solutions (Columbia, Md.), and VideoSonic (New York).
“I couldn’t hope for a more cost-effective use of market dollars, selling to my customers in my local market,” says Mario Maltese, CEO of Audio Visual Resources. “The aggregate presence with the other AV companies added and enhanced our presentation.”
Other sponsors who provided products, demos, and/or experts in the pavilion were Audio Technica U.S. (Stow, Ohio), Barco Visual Solutions LLC (Kennesaw, Ga.), Chief Manufacturing (Savage, Minn.), Da-Lite Screen Company (Warsaw, Ind.), Hewlett Packard (Palo Alto, Calif.), Kramer Electronics USA (Hampton, N.J.), NEC Solutions America (Itasca, Ill.), Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems (Secaucus, N.J.), Sharp Electronics Corporation (Mahwah, N.J.), and Toshiba TechnoRainbow (Tokyo).
The reception area on Resources Road featured display signage from HP and Sharp, and attendees received information about ICIA’s programs including InfoComm 05, the online database of AV products, and AV training, education, and certification programs.
A projection theater along Theatre Row showcased Barco’s award-winning iQ series of products that are suited to any venue, from brightly lit boardrooms to larger conference centers.
Plans for 2005 AVolution roadshows are underway. Shows under consideration are the Government Technology Conferences in Austin, Texas, and Sacramento, Calif., and Educause in Denver. The AVolution team is interested in suggestions for other shows. Please contact Duffy Wilbert or Cheryl Regan at [email protected].
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For more information about ICIA and InfoComm, visit www.infocomm.org.
