InfoComm International...

Today in Virginia, InfoComm International announced that it has rebranded itself as AVIXA' (the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association) as part of a wider strategic plan to engage with more professionals working outside of pro AV.

Effective immediately, the move comes as InfoComm attempts to increase engagement with end users (which the organisation reports at 41% of attendance at the 2017 trade show), in addition to the design community, content creators and IT professionals, and in turn spark growth in the pro AV industry.

We don't just have a new name, we are a new kind of organisation, said Dan Goldstein, senior vice president of marketing at AVIXA, at a press event in Reston.

AVIXA pinpointed that the decision is a reaction to the increasing commoditisation of technology its members have to adapt to in the current pro AV landscape. With the rebrand, AVIXA states it hopes to allow more people to understand what is possible from AV (without necessarily becoming members), and resultantly increase engagement between integrators and key decision makers working in commercial environments, and fuel investment in large-scale AV projects.

The organisation states the new branding, the result of focus groups, work with consultants and close collaboration with all volunteers throughout the past 18 months was chosen to be representative of both the work of professionals (AV) and the integrated experiences (IE) they are able to offer clients. The new branding including a new website will be rolled out immediately by the organisation, as the old InfoComm' logo is retired for anything that does not fall under the InfoComm brand.

Thanks to the innovative, creative efforts of so many members, partners, and their customers, we have collectively grown far beyond what InfoComm International could do to promote AV around the world. AV experiences have become so ubiquitous, and they've come to include so many more technologies, and touch so many more personal and professional lives, that we felt compelled to embrace a new identity that more accurately reflects this industry's excitement and welcomes a far more diverse community of professionals, commented David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, executive director and CEO of AVIXA.

At the event, speakers from AVIXA including the organisation's first end user member since 1939, Rebecca Onchi, director of technology solutions at PayPal, spoke about the move. Onchi highlighted the organic growth she believes the new direction of the organisation will bring, as organisational change at management level opens up to embrace AV.

Other representatives, such as executive vice president at Whitlock, Julian Philips, affirmed that the move is not the organisation attempting to reposition itself as an IT organisation. We can't expect key decision makers to come to us, stated Phillips.

AVIXA will continue to increase its presence at end user events, such as key retail shows, in a bid to connect with and drive interest to participating in InfoComm events and activities. It will remain a co-owner of ISE (Integrated Systems Europe).

Staff from AVIXA highlighted that core programmes, such as standards, will promoted in the same way to members, yet the organisation will introduce a broader approach to education to be more inclusive to the wide audience it hopes to reach. Labuskes confirmed that more events like its recent TIDE conference would be on the horizon.

AVIXA's trade shows worldwide; including the North America show (taking place from June 2 to 8 in Las Vegas in 2018) will continue to operate under the InfoComm name. The organisation also announced Integrated Life 2018' at the event, a content program and exhibition which will run throughout the show and have a strong focus on smart building, smart home, mobile, security and related AV systems.

AVIXA also shared data from its global IOTA report created in partnership with IHS which forecast that the commercial AV industry will have a value of $230.9 billion by 2022, with 4.7 % CAGR between 2017-2022.

LINK:	http://www.inavateonthenet.net/news/article/infocomm-international-reb...
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