With so many things to see and learn at InfoComm, getting the most out of the show can be daunting. Wouldn't it be great to get an in-depth briefing on the biggest trends and speak to experts about them before the show floor opens?
David Danto, director of emerging technologies at the IMCCA moderated the panel of experts.
That’s the idea behind “Emerging Trends Day,” a new joint program by InfoComm and the IMCCA that will take place on Tuesday, June 13 in Orlando. At the Sapphire Marketing Roadshow in New York on Wednesday, the IMCCA gave a preview of what’s in store for attendees of the all-new program.
“It’s really a terrific way to kick off InfoComm,” said David Danto, IMCCA’s director of emerging technologies, who served as the moderator for the preview event. “In past years, there’s been two or three or four things going on during that Tuesday before the show; this is it. This your opportunity to network and learn and come up to speed.”
After an introduction by Danto, three panelists—experts in the fields of audio, video, and control—gave run-downs of the topics they will present on in greater depth during the InfoComm program.
Leading things off, Mike Sinclair of Audio Incorporated discussed how he believes InfoComm 2017 will be “the beamforming mic show”—in much the same way that last year was “the Dante show.” Other topics included the future of wireless microphone systems with the narrowing of the spectrum, and dealing with architects who insist on confining AV design to “tech zones” that would lead to suboptimal results.
The panelists at Wednesday’s preview session were (L to R) Mike Sinclair, Audio Incorporated; Dan Jackson, Crestron; and Joel Silver, Imaging Science Foundation.
Next, Joel Silver of the Imaging Science Foundation sampled his presentation on video, in which he posited that throughout the history of video, standards committees have always failed—but that they’re finally going to get things right with UHD (which, by the way, is far more than just higher resolution). At InfoComm, he will talk about HDR, the expanding color gamut, and installation guidelines like InfoComm’s PISCAR spec for contrast ratios.
Crestron’s Dan Jackson (who won’t be among the presenters in Orlando) touched on trends in control and UC, such as doing more with less of an interface, and the “walled garden” of conferencing systems that don’t talk to one another. The panelists then fielded questions from the audience.
According to Danto, InfoComm approached the IMCCA with the intention of revamping its “Super Tuesday” structure of shows pasts, which consisted primarily of daylong classes. Danto, along with IMCCA executive director Carol Zelkin and InfoComm’s director of education programs Rachel Bradshaw, deliberated on what they’d want out of a program.
“It’s got to be something where I can get the information that I want,” Danto said. “It’s got to be something that’s fresh and teaching me something; it’s got to be something that I can take in small bits—so if I don’t want to know about topic three, four, and five, but I do want to know about topic one, two, and six, I can do it.”
They decided on an agenda consisting of presentations by nine experts, picked by a consortium, on categories like audio, video, and control, followed by Q&A sessions. The day will be broken into a morning and an afternoon session, and Dr. S. Ann Earon, president of Telemanagement Resources International, will moderate the discussions.
“Each person will come on, present on one or two or three slides on what the changes are, then talk about where at InfoComm you can find out more about this,” Danto said. “If you’re interested in this topic, these are the IMCCA classes, these are the manufacturers’ trainings. So it’s a great primer to know if this is your topic, here are the five or six things you can go to during the show.”
After presenters finish, they will proceed to a lounge area where attendees can visit with them one on one for more in depth discussion, or to ask for advice. “I may say, ‘Look, Mike Sinclair obviously is a guy who understands how microphones work; I want to talk to him about my job,” Danto said. “‘I want to talk to him about a situation I’m in and get his advice.’ And he’s there the whole day to provide that advice.”
For those interested in attending, Danto and Zelkin advised registering as soon as possible; and those already signed up should plan to arrive early—the morning session begins at 8:30 a.m., and the afternoon session commences at 12:30 p.m., after a one-hour break. “It’s going to be a sellout,” Zelkin said. “There’s over 200 [people registered now], and we’re sure it’s going to break 300, which means they move it to another room. We know it’s going to be a record-breaking year in general.”
For the full schedule of presenters, and to register, click here.
