Crestron has reported record-setting participation for its 13th Crestron Masters program, bringing nearly 700 of its premier programmers together for three days of rigorous training, testing, and professional development. The Crestron Masters program equips its programmers with new knowledge and skills to continue providing solutions to Crestron customers worldwide from a design, programming, and user experience perspective. Crestron’s solutions enable enterprises and luxury homeowners to create custom interior environments by controlling their AV, climate, lighting, shading, and security needs.
This year, participants from around the world have converged on the Doral Arrowwood resort in Rye Brook, New York, April 12-14, 2016. Attendees have been working with the brightest and most creative minds at Crestron, learning about new technologies, gaining insight into the Crestron innovation process, and engage their peers in a fully interactive learning environment.
“Master Programmers are some of the most respected leaders in our industry and help us bring our technology to life,” said Richard Sasson, Crestron global director of technical services.
“Crestron goes to incredible lengths to empower these integrators and partners with the best training possible, to ensure that they are operating at the highest level in the industry. At the same time, our Masters program professionals recognize the opportunity to be at the forefront of the latest technology and products. We are excited to continue to build a vibrant network of global programming professionals, and we applaud our Masters students for their dedication, commitment, and continued partnership.”
This year’s program kicked off with a keynote presentation from Crestron CEO Randy Klein and CTO, Fred Bargetzi, and will be followed by three full days of intensive classes on topics such as deploying and supporting DigitalMedia technology; implementing Crestron Fusion enterprise management platform; using Crestron PinPoint proximity detection technology; understanding Crestron Studio software and how it simplifies classroom AV system design; and learning the new Crestron Home Elements modules and implementing them with the Crestron Pyng App, among numerous other classes.
Each year, Crestron recognizes select elite “Master Programmers” with a Silver (3 years), Gold (6 years), Platinum (9 years) or Diamond-level (12 years) programming achievement award, depending on how many classes they have attended and exams they have passed. This year, Crestron celebrates four individuals that have achieved a Diamond-level Master Programmer status, which requires more than 300 hours of training, as well as completing and presenting complex programming projects. This year’s honorees include: Jim Pope, technical director, at Applied Global Technologies; Tom McLaughlin, director of technical operations, at Dobil Laboratories; Jon Ottesen, director cloud solutions, at Crestron Electronics; and Steve Swartzentruber, senior ATSG engineer, at Crestron Electronics
“Our Diamond level participants have been a part of Crestron Masters from day one and represent the best in the business,” said Sasson. “We are incredibly proud to recognize Jon, Steve, Jim, and Tom for their passion and continued dedication to challenging themselves and refining their skills.”
Crestron Masters was started in 2002 after the company recognized a need for programmers to be kept up-to-date on their newest hardware and software solutions beyond industry tradeshows and basic programming classes. Today, Crestron has built a vibrant network of global programming professionals and Masters represents the highest level of achievement for technology professionals in the industry. To learn more about this year’s Crestron Masters classes, visit the website.
