Tim Albright walks us through how Almo Professional AV’s virtual take on its popular E4 Experience regional event came together
At the start of the year, like most of you, I had grand plans for 2020. One of those was getting to help the team at Almo Professional AV with their E4 education events. However, COVID-19 had other plans for the world and for in-person education.
Due to the global health crisis we all faced, the team at Almo started working on a way to still offer world-class education, AVIXA renewal units (RUs), and connect manufacturers with dealers and clients. Out of this necessity was born Almo’s E4 Evolution, or E4v.
Almo maintained the regionalism of their award-winning E4 events. The three days were time-shifted to give AV pros on the West coast, Central time zone, and East coast times that best fit their day. E4v also gave participants eight RUs for going through the vast array of education. As an additional benefit of going virtual, audience members had an extra couple of weeks to go back and consume the education at their own pace.
I was honored to help create two tracks: The Future of Projection and Direct View LED. This involved one of the best aspects of my job. Eight of the smartest and best industry experts sat down with me to talk about where they see their specific channel of the industry. Experts such as Nick Belcore from Peerless-AV, Michael Ferrer of NEC, Joseph Viola from Samsung, and more discussed their area of expertise and gave their view on where the AV industry can move forward. Both the Future of Projection and Direct View LED sessions came in at an hour each. By watching each hour you received an AVIXA RU.
Being in the St. Louis area, I signed up for the Central time zone session. It was a great experience. Gary Kayye from rAVe Pubs kicked off the day with a keynote highlighting the opportunity the industry has in the UCC space. After Gary’s presentation I took in the pre-recorded eSports interviews.
The creation of Almo’s E4v in such a short period of time was remarkable in ideal situations. During this time, the Almo team’s ability to still connect with their customers virtually was greatly needed and they pulled it off quite well. Moving forward none of us know what the future will hold when it comes to in-person events. I believe we will overcome this current crisis and come out stronger on the other side. As we do, my hope is that Almo, and other groups, continue offering a virtual event annually. These on-line sessions can be in conjunction with live events or produced completely separately. Either way, giving the audiovisual community the ability to come together, learn, and network regardless of where they are will be important to grow our industry and make us all better.
Savant’s surprise business acquisition underscores the growing recognition and viability of the residential integration channel in the large consumer market
Last week, seemingly out of left field, Savant Systems announced that it was in the process of acquiring GE Lighting, a storied brand with more than one hundred years in operation solidifying its name recognition. It’s a little fish swallowing a big fish — a scenario that is rarely seen in nature let alone the AV tech industry. The significance of the acquisition for residential integration in particular, is just as dramatic: a niche market channel leaping up and netting a popular consumer brand.
“If you look at the power of this acquisition, it’s really brand and access that you get,” Paul Williams, GE Lighting’s general manager of product management and growth told AVNation’s Matt Scott. “We’ve got fantastic people at GE Lighting and then there’s technology that’s part of that. The technology is not just the electronics, software and all of these things, it’s also our supply chain and our sourcing and our distribution ability. We’re really going to fine tune that and that’s going to be a big boost to what Savant is doing today to help dealers out and make sure they get the product when they need it; to make sure that we are lowering costs when we can to give the most affordable and best products on the market. Really fine tuning that supply chain is going to be a big deal.”
On the face of it, GE Lighting’s folding into a well-respected home AV integration manufacturer’s brand is also a sign that residential integration itself is emerging from the niche shadows of consumer tech. We often joke in the industry, as Fregosa Designs’ Rich Fregosa notes, that AV integration still has a bit of that wild, wild west reputation clinging to it.
“The big thing about this is that it’s an opportunity for manufacturers, both from the general public side and from our industry side, to focus on coming together more than ever,” Fregosa says on how the acquisition brings an often misunderstood sector like AV integration into the large consumer conversation. “The technology shifts are happening to the point that you can be innovative and you can bring out a product that’s unique in its market and you can also partner with a large manufacturer with an established name and shed new light on the market.”
Pun not withstanding, Savant’s acquisition coup is also a boon to its own operations, as Josh.ai’s CEO Alex Capecelatro observes, not only in terms of the company’s reach but also in how it develops its manufacturing and supply chain. GE Lighting brings to the table a deep knowledge of the market as well as established international roots in sourcing and manufacturing that will likely be a big boost to Savant’s robust but relatively smaller operations, a point not lost on Capecelatro, who notes that most integrators and other key players in residential AV integration don’t truly understand how difficult it is to build hardware from conception to delivery.
“This is something that Savant has had to figure out over many, many years probably with many different manufacturing partners,” Capecelatro says. “And I imagine GE Lighting is going to offer decades and decades of insight into ways to make that more efficient. Ultimately, I am excited. I think about it not too dissimilar to when Lutron bought Ketra with the roles sort of in reverse. In that case, Ketra had some great technology, but I think they were struggling with how do we scale up? How do we keep quality and control? How do we build the right distribution arm? In that case, Lutron was really able to help with a lot of those pieces.”
Kristy Albrecht of WAVE Electronics shares a life-altering love that has shaped her life in AV and underscores her optimistic outlook in times of crisis
How did you get into this industry? The short answer is love. No, not the love for the music or the smartness of the devices, or the amazing sound that comes out of those speakers and gives me goosebumps or the control of the lights — the dimming and the timers and the mood setting (which is my first love of this technology world). But real love…real human love, between a man and a woman. The special kind of unconditional love — the you-set-me-on-fire love, the we’re-gonna-build-an-empire love, your-brain-gets-my-brain love, and our-hearts-became-one-heart love.
I was a young woman back then, only 23, and he was 28. It was love at first brainstorm; he came to work on our computers. I was a loan officer assistant at Chase Manhattan Mortgage, now J.P. Morgan Chase. I’ll never forget that day waiting for him to arrive. I knew that he was coming to address our computer situation, whatever it was, at one of my bosses’ home offices. I was really looking forward to meeting him, Jason Spuzzillo.
I remember feeling like I needed to wear the most perfect outfit that day. I wasn’t anticipating love but for some reason was compelled to dress for success. I answered the door, “You must be Jason.” That day we shared so many ideas back and forth on business. It blew my mind because I didn’t think anyone thought like me or could go on and on about what could be. We ended up doing that for years — what I thought would be a lifetime with him. Sadly, it only got to be five short, but very fulfilling years.
He was into all this stuff that I didn’t even know existed — the lighting control, the whole-home audio, the rack in the closet. This was 2003. My first venture was lighting control: Vantage Lighting Control. The sexy keypads with multiple buttons on each one, precisely engraved. The kind that I got to tell what to do with a computer program. I was mesmerized, and he taught me to program it all! I was in control, loving every scene I created.
Chase was paying for my courses at UNLV (University of Nevada Las Vegas), which was a huge perk when you have to pay for your own college. I got down to my last few classes that required daytime attendance. That’s when he said you should come work with me. Actually, he probably said “for me.” And, I sort of hesitantly accepted. I know now it was the best decision I ever made.
I started working in the office managing accounts receivable, payable, payroll — anything he needed help with, including growing and creating a viable, sustainable company. The intellectual chemistry we had was incredible, second to none. Jason always had a way of making it happen. When my apartment lease ended, he said “you’re moving in with me.” So, he came and loaded me up in his 6-foot trailer. And just like that, we moved in together and began to share a life.
Kristy Albrecht and Jason Spuzzillo
He was so passionate about everything: business, life, ideas, me. We were going to set this world on fire one way or another. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t always perfect, but looking back it was definitely perfect enough.
We got involved with some amazing projects. Nothing feels better than landing 5- and 6-figure contracts, well, almost nothing. We were electrical contractors first, so we got our foot in the door early. Then came low voltage — the fun stuff, the things that brought these giant, magical homes to life. Music playing everywhere, lighting to set the mood, theaters to impress the movie buffs. We brought entire 10,000-plus-square-foot homes to life with a touch of one button. It was so fulfilling, inspirational and kept us wanting more.
We got engaged in December of 2006 in New York City, but unfortunately, never actually got married. Time ran out. We did have a beautiful baby boy, Nicolas, in 2008. Oh 2008, you were certainly rough. It started off phenomenal! We were excited about the arrival of our baby boy, and we had several monster contracts on mansions in a highly sought-after golf course gated community in Henderson, NV. Nicolas arrived March 1, 2008. We were head over heels for him and Jason wanted nothing more than to be an amazing Dad to his boy.
Then it all came to a screeching halt.
Little did we know, Jason would only be present for eight weeks of Nicolas’ life. He passed away April 30, 2008. Heart complications. He was 34. I was 28.
I’ll never forget walking into our office that early morning to share the news with our guys: their fearless leader is no longer with us here on earth. I had no idea what they would do or say or want for the future of M West Corp. Inc. Much to my surprise, they were all on board to complete our projects. We continued and made it through 2008, 2009, 2010, ‘11, ‘12, ‘13, ‘14 and ‘15. Naturally, the teammates changed, but I was always on a mission to make it and to make Jason proud.
I went all in Vegas-style, baby. I did whatever it took to make the company work, grow and thrive, and it did for many years. We grew to a 7-figure business. I learned so much. And I’m still learning every day.
I got married in those years and built my dream home at the time with America’s Builder. We were a vendor partner of theirs, so we were granted permission to run our own Electrical and provide and install low voltage. Naturally, I had miles and miles of wiring running through it, panelized Vantage Lighting Control, boasting sexy engraved backlit keypads and motion sensors, an obscene amount of audio zones playing the sweet sound of music through Monitor Audio Speakers, all the while controlled by RTI with multiple large touchscreens throughout the home and iPads housed in iPort sleeves and wall mounts, along with QMotion motorized shades on a schedule to match wake up and evening activities. I loved that smart house.
But all good things must come to an end. I was forced to make a personal relationship decision: keep fighting or take flight. If you know me now, you know I’m back in my home state of Illinois, which means I choose the later. I gave it all up. I’ve been back in Illinois now going on five years. Nicolas and I are settled, and it feels really good. It took a long time to get to this place in our lives. Until very recently, I wasn’t even sure I’d ever feel safe and secure on my own, but I do now. Despite all the challenges, I know I’m right where I need to be.
I’ve been at AVAD, now Wave Electronics, for two years. Nicolas and I are adapting and thriving here in our new town in our cozy home. I love my role at Wave: it’s exciting being on the other side of the table and being able to relate to our dealers because I spent so many years in their position. I understand what it means to be a supplier and be a partner in their business. I work hard every day to make sure they receive the service and compassion they need to keep their businesses growing and profitable while serving their customers efficiently, as I wanted mine served.
I realize there’s sadness about this story. That’s not the message. The message is that you can do it, whatever your “it” is. We as humans can overcome adversity. Commit to it, let it consume you. You can get knocked the f out – you just gotta get back up. If I can do it, you can do it.
For AV integrators and crews working in the rental and staging sector, the pandemic has ruptured and will likely define how live events are produced going forward
The ghost light is a single light set downstage center that remains on while a theater is dark and unoccupied. Of course, the light — often called an ‘Equity Light’ — has a practical purpose. The illumination is positioned to provide safe passage across the stage and prevent a crew member from taking a bone-breaking or litigious-inducing nosedive into the orchestra pit.
Theater folks recognize the light on a more intimate level, one that pays respect to those who have come before. The ghost light is steeped in the superstitions of live theater, providing a means for the players and stagehands who have walked the boards before us. These spirits of the past can have a stage available to them while the living are otherwise engaged.
Whether we work supporting concerts, theater, large-scale events, or the ballroom industrials, every stage is now inhabited this single point of illumination.
We are all ghosts now.
Live entertainment will come back, eventually, but the path there will be like none other we have experienced before.
The Carnage Just think of what has happened: an industry employing 12 million people generating over a trillion dollars of revenue annually came to a sudden halt. The quiet did not come after a great cataclysmic roar of disaster, it simply stopped, practically overnight. The carnage is widespread — bookings are non-existent and, in some cases, these have gone into negative territory. The virus struck just as the concert season was revving up and industrials like the broadcast upfronts simply vanished — the lifeblood, make-it-or-break-it profits gone.
Well-established companies and eager ‘Mom and Pops’ are simply idle with no real idea of when things will return. Entire staff have been ‘furloughed’, shops put into moth balls with only critically essential systems running. Some turned off the lights months ago and may never be back to turn them on again.
Thousands and thousands of freelancers and contract workers, the fair majority of the events workforce, struggle still to get assistance from unemployment. Too many talented folks are, (or are wrestling over) leaving the industry for good. To those of us who have invested decades in the business, this loss of talent is gut wrenching.
Awaiting the Return Many states have placed entertainment, which includes large business meetings, trade shows, etc., in the fourth and final phase of reopening. We were the first to go and will be the last to come back. In truth, without shows many cities cannot fully come back from the brink economically. Our industry is a lifeblood to entire sections of cities; it supports thousands of surrounding businesses. This downturn affects not just theaters and concert halls but the airlines, hotels, restaurants, and the folks who provide support services such as catering, housekeeping, transport, printers and designers.
While we ruminate amongst ourselves about a possible deus ex machina to resolve our woes, many feel that the event staging shows may not return with any import until January of 2021. Broadway has set a September 6 date but few, if any, theater folks believe that shows will be back before the new year. Tours, some of which are still in place at the last theater they performed in, may be better positioned to start up again as regions of the country open more.
This downturn affects not just theaters and concert halls but the airlines, hotels, restaurants, and the folks who provide support services such as catering, housekeeping, transport, printers and designers.
Regional theaters are playing the waiting game. Not wanting to decide anything outright, most of these venues simply await the 6-8 week cancellation announcements from acts. The cancelled shows are marked as such on webpages and we all anxiously anticipate the next wave of no shows.
A lot will depend on whether people will be willing to come back to live events anytime soon. There has been a good deal of noise raised by a small number of folks demanding to have things back, but most polls show a larger reluctance. Will they come back? Numerous industry surveys show that large percentages are not willing to travel to trade shows, meetings or for vacation given the current concerns. These respondents don’t anticipate any travel until late December at best. Get on a plane and stay at a hotel for a companywide national conference? Many do not see a reason to do so and would take a demotion to avoid one.
Short of a vaccine and established procedures for dealing with the infection many would rather not, thank you very much.
When Will a Return Be Worth It? There are some big questions as to if it can be worth it for shows, venues, ballrooms, to actually open. Without a way to prevent or cure the virus the CDC and WHO recommendations severely limit the number of people we can actually fit in a space. Major League baseball is grappling with this now: just how many people can they allow in and what do they charge to just break even? It’s an issue that has, in part, stalled talks to get the season going.
In more practical terms, how can a theater, event space or venue make any money when the rules of distancing and safe egress considerably cut available seats? Take for example a 2,700-seat venue. According to the safe distancing rules the total available seats would be reduced to 980. A loss of revenue for just over 1,700 seats is no small matter. The profit margins for houses are small enough to start, this is just not feasible. Broadway cannot make these changes work, the spaces are just too tight, the seats too close to accommodate social spacing.
It is possible that acts may lower their guarantee to accommodate the lower number of attendees and could possibly work more dates per venue of make up losses. Regardless, many could not afford the change and would have to work at an operating loss for a considerable time.
What does the Future Look Like? Live events will come back, the question is when and in what form? Safety is key for not only the participants and patrons but also for the crews. Patrons will need to pass though temperature readings with entry dependent on a good reading. It is likely that masks will be required when seated, entry and exit will be tightly timed and regulated by seat location.
Patrons wishing to purchase drinks will have to do so with contactless payments, chip cards while wearing gloves and using straws to sip under their masks. Many industry folks interviewed could not even fathom how bathrooms would be managed. Cleaning services and labor to do so properly will be an added expense, most likely deferring facility upgrades or high tech engagements until the danger has passed.
Crews, of whom there will be fewer and only from a local pool, pose a whole set of concerns. Whether the show is a multi-day ballroom event or multi-week run crews work in close contact. From the shop to the techs on site a whole new set of protocols will need to be in place. Gear will need to be sanitized after testing and most likely packaged in a way that assures it cannot be exposed to the pathogen while in transport and installation. Will crew need to have their own com headsets or have disposable mic covers? Given the variety of com systems in use currently, just how do you assure each tech has a proper one?
Live events will come back, the question is when and in what form? Safety is key for not only the participants and patrons but also for the crews.
The staff will have to have their temperature taken several times during the load-in, show and load-out. What happens when several techs become, or are suspected of being, ill. Do companies need to keep a set of staff on retainer, ready to jump in as needed? What the heck do we do with the lead production crew? The standard set of draped six-foot tables are just too tight for the rules and for comfort.
Finally, what do we do for the talent? Backstage is notoriously tiny, often with less than six feet in total to work in. Will each presenter need a new microphone and will each need to be disinfected in between? Will a person need to wipe down podiums between presenters? When we use lavaliers, should the talent put them on themselves The list of new procedures and the bureaucracy of who manages their enforcement are dizzying. The standard processes and ingrained ways will have a multitude of new layers and associated costs added.
Virtual is the New Normal During the shelter in place and statewide ‘pauses’ a number of musical acts, comedians, and artists have turned to streaming. Some have presented free shows while others as part of their Patreon subscriber offerings. In truth, the audio and experiential feel are lacking but they have struck a chord for those deeply missing live performances.
Everyone is using Zoom now, from corporate check-ins to religious services, sales calls and personal occasions. Our societal reluctance to use these tools has been chipped away due to necessity. We are all part of a virtual community now.
Event staging companies have long had at least a toe-dip into streaming services. Most owned a few encoders and computers to manage but depended on really good streaming backbone provider. The process itself is fairly straight-forward but it is dependent on the network reliability — something many shops have not fully engaged. Many of the industry folks who were willing to discuss details for this article made it clear that their next major pitches and equipment purchases will be centered on streaming.
Streaming also means a bit of change for the required knowledge of technical crew. A working understanding of streaming components and the technologies, especially Ethernet networking, will be critical. Clients often associate streaming with Facebook Live or via a YouTube channel or Zoom meetings. While these can work in a bare bones practical manner, we know that they are not experiential, often leaving attendees flat or completely missing the message. Our talent will need the graphics and virtual space management skills to make presentations with punch. It will mean a culling of the herd, leaving a select few to carry on. Companies who have invested previously in the technology, the talent and techniques will weather the storm, albeit doing more shows with less equipment and fewer staff.
To Infinity and Beyond! Live events bringing together a multitude of people may take a good full year to start coming back. When they do it is more than likely it will start with local shows. These will be in places that folks can conveniently travel to and get home from after. The destination events, bringing folks from all across the country and world will have to wait some time before coming back.
The uptake is that folks (and crews) will have a deeper appreciation for the excitement and social bonding these events create. We will all be ghosts no more.
Astroman AV’s Sean Reid candidly discusses the emotional and financial impact the global lockdown is having on him and his business
I wanted to begin this article on a more uplifting tone, but the words seemed empty. This is a sobering time and despite the protests of a few, it is a time to put the public good ahead and above our own petty animus and wants. As Spock was so fond of saying, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.”
As a small business owner with a new enterprise, this shutdown has been particularly crippling. Coupled with my responsibilities as a single father with an asthmatic child, these past 8 to 10 weeks at home with no work have been a true test. For the first part of the pandemic many avenues of relief were closed to me and I spent much of my free time emailing and calling past clients for work, looking for new opportunities, and juggling having a young child home all day.
As the days turned into weeks, weeks into months and the toll became more visceral, eroding at my child’s and my personal safety and welfare, the reality of the future for Astroman AV has become uncertain. I speak to friends, clients, and co-patriots in the AV field, and I hear the same story coast to coast — everyone is just waiting to see what happens. And, that is where I find myself as well, RFQs and proposals just hanging in the wind with no close date. To their credit, some of my loyal clients have tried to ‘find’ work to send me, but that is not what is needed.
I love what I do. I truly I love AV. I enjoy the problem solving, navigating the maze of system design, the 20-sided Rubik’s cube of large-scale design-builds and all the madness and hair pulling that goes along with it. They say if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life, so I am glad to be doing what I love. Now though, I am searching for a path to provide rather than engrossed in the career of my dreams. I am fielding questions from past projects as end users try to save money by DIY’ing their systems or attempting to resurrect some legacy system for distance learning or an Easter service that requires social distancing. Their desperation is a reflection of the anxiety and uncertainty we are all feeling now, while attempting to hash together the pieces of what was into something that it needs to be and questioning if this is what it will forever be.
The current situation in the world has shattered all preconceived notions of our sense of safety. We are more isolated, yet at the same time more interconnected and interdependent. Everyone is seemingly making the best of a difficult situation — using time to connect with family, friends, and catch up with those with whom they have grown distant. Much of that connectivity is via technology. The very tech within our industry has been brought to the forefront of everyday life, allowing students to continue their education, doctors to serve patients, and religious communities to still congregate in safety for worship. Are we, the AV elite not essential in these times? And are we any less deserving of appreciation for enabling said technology; not to mention a growing need for our expertise?
As we all wait to see what the future holds and how our individual careers and businesses will be impacted, we are also anxious. The AV industry is, now more than ever, at the forefront of essential services. From engineers and designers, to technicians and programmers, all of our skills and trades are now or soon will be in increasing demand. Yet it begs the question, how many firms or available professionals will be left when the economy reopens?
I for one plan to hold on for as long as I am able; to continue to grow, learn and hone my craft, despite the uncertainty of what is to come. I have chosen this path and it is too late to walk another. Many of us have been involved in AV from an early age and now well into our adult years. Our assorted menagerie of sci-fi geeks, anime nerds and metal heads who remember fondly tinkering with home stereos and home theater systems, writing code on Commodore and Osbourne computers in between long sessions of D&D; we are survivors if nothing else. We have seen CRT replaced by plasmas and then OLED, standard definition became high definition and then 4K and now 8K. We are the industry that adapts and rises again like the phoenix. I hope we all come out of this stronger and more prosperous than before!
Sean Reid is a consultant and owner of Astroman AV.
If AV integrators wish to survive both the current work stoppages and whatever comes afterwards, they’ll have to first identify — and then satisfy — what may be an entirely new set of customer needs
I don’t have to tell you these are challenging times for AV integrators. Companies are drifting with the tides, employees are anxious, and nobody appears able to control or predict the future. So what should integrators do while we all wait to find out what happens next?
Harsh Reality: Businesses exist solely to meet the needs of their customers. If AV integrators wish to survive both the current work stoppages and whatever comes afterwards, they’ll have to first identify — and then satisfy — what may be an entirely new set of customer needs. Here are four questions to start answering now:
How can we help customers today?
How can we help customers the first few weeks their workplaces reopen?
How can we help customers as they adapt to ‘new normal’ workplace conditions and practices?
What technologies, services and insights will best benefit customers in a future where the concepts of ‘workplace’ and ’collaboration’ may be redefined.
A Little Empathy Will Go A Long Way Today You may have discovered your customers feel just like you do right now — anxious, confused and uncertain. Some are furloughed or on reduced wages. Others are working from home in less than ideal conditions, with limited resources and even less corporate leadership. Please don’t make them fell any worse!
This is not the time to fill customer inboxes with new product information, webinar invitations or white papers. Nor is it the time to ‘follow up’ on pending proposals or ‘nail down the timelines’ for future projects. Be patient and empathetic. Some types of calls can be very stressful for people who don’t have any more answers than you do!
Be Gentle. Be Genuine. Be Helpful. This is, however, a very appropriate time to connect or reconnect with your customers. Reach out. Touch base. Wave the flag. Let them know you’re still at work and available to help any time in any way they need it. Then, perhaps, briefly define what you mean by “help”.
Generic examples, which could be spread out over several weeks’ emails, might include:
You have webcams in stock for immediate delivery, in case they’ve had difficulty finding good ones. (Or, perhaps, that you have service technicians available for ‘safe’ house calls).
You’re able to supplement their internal resources by providing free help desk support for newly remote workers who may be struggling with Zoom / Teams / Whatever. Or need help setting up an approved virtual backdrop.
You plan to offer ‘start-up services, support and technology’ for the initial return-to-work’ phase. And are taking advance bookings…
You’ve heard (or developed) some great ideas on re-configuring existing systems for ‘the new normal’. Which you’d love to talk about whenever they’re ready.
Your objective is to be seen as an available and supportive service provider, not a revenue-hungry what-can-we-sell-now supplier. And, what you really want is to start (or restart) a conversation about how you might be able to best help in future.
Be Generous. Be Diligent. Have you told your customers you’ll extend their service contracts by the duration of the work stoppage at no extra charge? It’s a great opportunity to ask if they feel they’ll need any remedial, recertification or other preparatory work done before their workplace returns to full occupancy and production. And to discuss what the ‘new normal’ might look like for them.
Have your project customers been receiving weekly status updates on projects already in progress, about to start or scheduled for later this summer? Do they know how long your re-mobilization delay will be after government restrictions are lifted? Is your remobilization date contingent on specific dependencies they need to arrange with others? Have supply chain issues been identified and communicated?
Be Flexible and Forward Thinking. Chances are, COVID-19 has negatively impacted your customers at least as much as it has you and your company. How you respond to their business (and personal) problems today will define your relationships going forward and, possibly, your reputation in the business community forever.
Do they need to cancel their project? Give their deposit back, no questions asked, no strings attached as soon as you can.
Do they need extended payment terms? Work with your vendors and bank to help make that happen, at least partially.
Do they need work completed after hours at no extra cost? Throw out your old rule book, bite your tongue and find a way to say ‘yes’.
Be Focused. Be Proactive. Be Strong. In challenging times it’s easy to be distracted. Everyone is worried, and many may be looking to you to ease their anxieties. You’re worried too, because so much of your future suddenly appears outside your control.
Work, not worry, is what pays the rent and now, more than ever, you need a laser focus on work. Do what you can to strengthen and retain customer relationships. Do what you can to quickly reposition your service and system offerings for whatever becomes the ‘new normal’. And do what you can to help your customers also survive and adapt.
One of the few thing you can control today is how you interact with your clientele. If you find ways to help them cope with their new needs at a cost they can afford, they will find ways to help support the resurgence and future success of your business too. Because, as the saying goes, “we’re all in this together.”
Brock McGinnis is a longtime audiovisual integrator. Now, as Principal of avitaas inc., he provides technology program consulting for enterprise and advisory services to integrators.
Drainer Technologies’ Michael Drainer implores patience and empathy as many of us transition into the unfamiliar rhythms of working from home
In 2012, I was sales manager for a regional AV integrator. A typical day started at 9 a.m. and wrapped up around 5 p.m. For the most part, I left my work at the office and returned the following day to pick up where I left off the day before. My wife knew when to expect me home; life was fairly predictable.
That all changed in September 2012. I was offered a tremendous opportunity to represent one of the world’s premium audio brands across an eight-state territory. It was then my life changed drastically: no office where I can leave my work, no conference rooms to collaborate with team members, no commute to prepare the mind or to decompress, no colleagues to exchange cordials with at the coffee pot, no lunches with work friends, no consistency. There were many things I lost, but I gained a lot as well. More freedom, more autonomy, more control, more flexibility, less oversight, more accountability, fewer interruptions (unless you have three children under age seven at home), more discipline, more responsibility, and less visibility.
Once I transitioned from an office environment to a road warrior/work from home employee, I learned a whole lot about productivity. I learned that I could do eight hours of regular office work in about two hours from a Starbucks. In person meetings are the most unproductive use of time for all involved. Daily commutes cost way more than you realize and you can save a significant amount of money and time by working from home. Working from home requires a tremendous amount of discipline. It’s very easy to slack off, become distracted, develop claustrophobia, forget to take breaks and give your mind room to breathe. These are things that come more naturally in a typical office environment.
Ohio University released an infographic in 2019 showing the effect of work-day length on employee productivity. It indicates the average employee is productive only three hours per day. Based on my personal experience, I have to concur. I successfully completed 40 hours of office work in about 20 hours per week and still had time to travel my territory, develop new business and meet with clients.
The onset of COVID-19 this past January led to the expedient need for companies to move employees out of the corporate office and into their homes. This has been a difficult transition for employees and managers alike. The learning curve can be steep and expectations on both sides have to be reset. Some folks will thrive in this new environment while others will flounder.
Many conversations today center on the technologies being used to connect the workforce and keep people productive. Let us not forget that this transition from the office to home may not be easy for everyone. It takes time to learn how to navigate the home work environment, hold oneself accountable and not over work in the process. Additionally many families have children and spouses at home that bring on more distractions and may make it extremely difficult to be productive. I encourage everyone to exercise patience, understanding and empathy during this time. We are all weathering the same storm but we are doing so in different boats.
Five things you can do to stay sane as the world collectively slows down
Focus on what can be done at a time like this, when the world slows and all are in a similar position. Things that you never have time for, that get de-prioritized because other, more pressing issues take the lead. Here are five things you can do to stay sane.
#1 Opportunity: Buff up your website
Get website updates & enhancement done. It’s not often we get the gift of lower website traffic around the globe. Take advantage of this by handling updates, enhancements, and make sure all plug-ins and security updates are done. Be sure you’re sharing data or access with only those who are deemed critical to your site’s operation.
Look at the language and images your site uses. Is it up to date and using the same language, tone, and approach as you and your team? If not, update it. Ask your team what they’d suggest and if you can, also as your closest clientele to share thoughts on how your brand presents itself to the outside world. Start a punch list and work from easiest to hardest so you don’t overwhelm yourself or those you’re asking for input.
Take a look at SEO and how you might be able to attract new prospects or trades to your brand, start a list of keywords, phrases, and competitors you want to monitor closely. SEO MOZ offers a host of free tools and more if you want to pay. https://moz.com/free-seo-tools.
#2 Update your Social Media profiles
Now’s a very, very good time to invest in a wholesale review of you and your company’s social media profiles and overall presence. Are your profiles, contact info, hashtags, URL, and related information still current? Are the images used for the Cover and Profile sections as high-quality and on-point as they should be and do they reflect you and your company’s current offering? Is the language being used appropriate, effective, and targeting your intended audience? Update passwords and initiate 2-step verification where it’s offered.
Do a thorough review of who you follow and who follows you, and eliminate all that aren’t relevant to you, your company, or its offering. High follower counts do not equal a high-performing feed or following, period.
Check other connections. Look at the platforms and who they or you are sharing your information with. If you don’t recognize any that you see, delete or disconnect them.
#3 Introduce yourself to “adjacent trades”
“Adjacent trades” are those who you or your company may interact with on projects and would include architects, designers, specifiers, etc. Now is a great time to reach out to them with a brief introduction of your services and offering and ways you and your company could be beneficial to them in the future. Don’t pitch or sell, just share and seek a connection down the road.
Offer to do a short 30-minute webinar for the adjacent trades or the contacts you’ve made within them, specifically. Give them the knowledge and resources they need to make you and your firm part of the future work and follow up in 30-days.
If you’ve got an AIA or other course that offers CEU make that content available to them online, on-demand, etc.
#4 Start a genuine conversation and stay present
As COVID-19 spreads and state and local mandates are evolving rapidly, people are understandably going a little crazy. Take 30-minutes every day to reach out to your team members, clientele, partners, and peers to see how they are, what they need, and how you might be able to help them. Send a text, an email, a DM, or just make a call. Just be genuine, no matter what you do.
Share the services you and your company are able to provide during these times. Now, more than ever, people need strong internet, access to entertainment, and the ability to communicate with loved ones. Don’t be pitchy, but do let people know what’s possible, now. If you offer remote services to troubleshooting, support, etc., share how that works and consider making it free for all during this time. Be the resource your community needs, now.
Find and share funny memes, sayings, etc., to introduce levity into people’s lives and give them something else to focus on. Make sure whatever you share is appropriate for your audience and if you happen to slip-up, be quick to delete (then move on, don’t hold onto that mental baggage).
#5 Take a break
Turn off the TV and step away from your news sources for at least a few hours every day or for as long as you can stand it. Do NOT let the news be your day-long background noise or narrative.
Bodies in motion stay in motion. Start or get back into a workout routine, just get your body in motion. Go for a walk, take the dog out, or just sit in the open air.
Learn a new skill or take care of honey-do’s. YouTube is full of insightful, educational content and you’ll be amazed at what you can learn in a day, hour, or even 5 minutes. Likewise, you undoubtedly have a list of things to get done around the house. Take the time to get those done and give yourself the gift of time, later.
Last but not least, just breathe. This too shall pass!
Katye McGregor Bennett is the CEO of KMB Communications, a leading provider of PR, Social Media, Content Development & Copyediting, SEO, Podcasts, and Video production services whose clients typically include manufacturers, integration firms, and industry associations serving the AV and adjacent trades.
In these troubling times, keeping AV equipment clean and as free from bacteria as possible has never been so vital. Philips Professional Display Solutions offers its advice for helping mitigate the threat of germs.
On average we pick up our mobile phones 58 times, and touch them as many as 2,617 times, every single day. For most of us, making a call, reading an email, sending a message or posting a Tweet, is something we do without thinking twice. But did you know, the average mobile phone carries up to 9,000 times more germs than the average toilet seat?
There’s more. If you use a computer or laptop, your keyboard could be up to 20,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat. Pretty disgusting! Similar statistics are prevalent when it comes to other everyday items you encounter, especially when it comes to touchscreens used in QSRs for ordering food and beverages, transportation hubs for ticketing, and point of sale displays.
The AV industry is, therefore, a potential breeding ground for COVID-19, with equipment. From professional TVs whether used in commercial settings or in the more than 15.5 million hotel rooms globally, through interactive displays in schools and businesses, LEDs, digital signage in retail and other settings, monitors and touch screens, through to remote controls – the list is endless – all require some form of human contact, be it directly (physical), or indirectly, being controlled via laptops, tablets or PCs.
Touching on interactive hygiene Before Coronavirus was even brought to our attention as a risk, the hygiene of interactive displays has been a big concern for many. In fact, a Kiosk Marketplace report last year found that more than 70% of us were already worried about using public touchscreens. The online survey highlighted respondents that 80% of bacterial infections come from what people touch, then asked them to indicate which of a range of self-service situations concerned them most.
ATMs caused the most concern among respondents, with 72% citing bank ATMs as posing the greatest risk. Hospital check-in screens were second at 70%, followed by 58% for both QSR touch screens and supermarket self-service kiosks. Airport and hotel check-in kiosks both scored 40%.
COVID-19 and AV Bring into focus concerns now about health and safety over Coronavirus and the importance of keeping electronic items clean, helping to reduce the risk from potentially harmful germs and bacteria, has never been more important.
The World Health Organisation states that COVID-19 can be spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets can, if not caught, land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
Little is yet known about the amount of time COVID-19 can remain contagious on hard surfaces, but studies have suggested that other coronaviruses, like SARS and MERS, can stay alive for up to three hours in the air and as much as two or three days on metal, glass and plastic surfaces.
Reducing the risk of infection has always been a factor in the health sector, which is why the Philips bedside TVs include hydrophobic glass, antimicrobial casing and no raised buttons, but when it comes to hygiene, other products, including interactive displays such as the Philips T-Line range, need extra vigilance.
Taking action against unclean screens AV In light of the current climate, Philips Professional Display Solutions offers some basic suggestions on how to help keep your AV equipment clean, reducing the potential risk of COVID-19 and any other germs. Some will seem obvious, some are already common practice, while some may provide food for thought.
For those using touchscreens as a part of their business – installers and resellers included – regular cleaning is essential.
The best way of killing the spread of coronavirus is through simple but effective actions, ensuring you wash your hands thoroughly (for at least 20 seconds) and catching any droplets from coughs or sneezes. The reality is, such practices are not guaranteed, nor full proof. So, what else can you do?
Wipe it off, wipe it out For businesses offering the use of touchscreens to customers at their premises, regular cleaning is essential. Likewise, for those using touchscreens as a part of their business – installers and resellers included – there are a number of methods and products that can help:
Antibacterial wipes The most practical method of safely cleaning an electric item is using antibacterial product. There are many to choose from – albeit in very high demand.
For displays (all types), the most effective and accessible way of fighting back against unwanted germs is through using a simple screen wipe. When searching, it’s important that you choose a brand that is designed specifically to eliminate germs (key words: alcohol, antibacterial), as opposed to simply water based (baby wet wipes) making your display look clean and shiny.
If you think a surface may be infected, or even simply for good practice, clean it and then clean your hands.
Foam While antibacterial wipes are perfect for cleansing flat surfaces, they’re not always sufficient for equipment with multiple small parts, inaccessible areas, or even high sensitivity to moisture.
As stated before, a computer keyboard, if left untreated, is a festival of dirt and grime both above and below. A quick cough into the hand, an unexpected sneeze, bits of food and, in commercial situations, multiple users can quickly escalate the problem.
It’s recommended by many microbiologists that we should all wipe down ours desks and keyboards at least once a week, while some go even further, suggesting at least once per day. With the current climate, we’d recommend the latter – as a minimum.
For examples such as these, the use of an antibacterial non-abrasive foam will do the trick. Beware, most are not suitable for screen cleaning.
Note also that, for those tiny hard to reach areas, additional cleaning accessories, such as cleaning swabs, might be useful.
Your personal AV hygiene toolkit There are, of course, other methods you can adopt to help reduce, if not eliminate, coming into contact with any infected surfaces:
Stylus In addition to regular screen wipes, for those who regularly use an interactive touch display (including tablets), owning and using a personal stylus will help cut direct interaction, further reducing the risk.
Gloves You could also, should you wish, go a step further and adopt a strict practice of wearing touch screen utility gloves, again practically eliminating any direct skin contact. Of course, it’s vital these gloves are regularly cleaned and removed before making any contact with your own body parts, i.e. scratching an eye, touching your mouth or when visiting the bathroom.
Receiving a delivery – whether from home or abroad Of course, many people are also concerned about the deliveries they receive and the potential for these to carry infection. In the AV industry, we receive a lot of deliveries from overseas. However, the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is marked by WHO as low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperature remains low.
However, a quick clean can help further reduce the risks and provide peace of mind on arrival and subsequent use.
For more information related to the coronavirus, please view the latest advice from WHO here.
Technology can help bridge the gap during the Coronavirus pandemic as higher education institutes and corporations are moving to a remote work model
There’s a great deal of uncertainty over the spread of the novel Coronavirus and our response to COVID-19 infection. The response of social distancing has been rapid, and is causing disruptions to workplace, education, and entertainment. Offices in areas of exposure are shifting to remote work, college campuses are shifting to online courses, and entertainment events are being canceled or altered to limit the numbers gathered in a common space. As we all seek to understand how this will impact our near-term experiences, we expect to see a shift in how technology will support our daily lives, possibly long-term as well.
Health experts say social distancing is important because it can slow the virus’ spread, providing a chance to keep the caseload at a more manageable level for care providers. But when it comes to the use of technology, there will be no “flattening of the curve” as we expect current trends toward remote collaboration and distance learning to accelerate, increasing network loads. The Internet is already demonstrating its indispensable value as the fourth utility. Companies like Zoom, Microsoft, and Slack are opening up their paid collaboration platforms for free to students, businesses, and individuals. Internet Service Providers are offering free service to low income households.
However, this presents strains to online infrastructure as the number of simultaneous online collaborations increases dramatically. Service companies, businesses, and individuals must be prepared for continued strain on private and public networks. The service providers must ensure their systems have the capacity and bandwidth to accommodate a large influx of users.
Likewise, businesses must evaluate their infrastructure and policies to ensure they can support remote participation, both technically and socially. Companies may need to consider executing portions of their emergency preparedness and disaster recovery plans. And managers will find new metrics for accountability. Hopefully they’ll better align with actual output and productivity than 40 hours at a desk. Our Technology design team is considering implementing a task-based Scrum methodology to give some transparency across our multi-office team members.
We need to be empathetic to the impact on workers and students who will be forced to work and learn differently while continuing to meet social needs despite physical separation. At the time of publication, mandated quarantine and isolations are limited to specific regions where the concentration of COVID-19 cases are the highest. But already, a trend is emerging in higher education to shift to online courses for the remainder of the school year. Schools moving to online learning already number near the thousands, and the list is expected to grow.
As consumers of online technologies, what can we expect in the coming days and weeks? Before the Coronavirus, online video for streaming and collaboration accounted for about 70 percent of all peak internet traffic. That number is expected to rise as a result of our response to the virus. Video is one of the most bandwidth-intensive activities we engage in online. That means despite service providers attempts to ensure availability, consumers should be prepared for service outages and increased customer support wait times. Best practices must include a backup plan if your primary online meeting and collaboration solution is unavailable. Websites such as Down Detector, Down for Everyone or Just Me?, and API-based status trackers like Zoom status will help end-users troubleshoot connectivity issues by identifying widespread outages with websites or services.
Remember that patience is a virtue. In the immortal words of Douglas Adams, “Don’t panic!” And as always, be sure to consult your company or school’s IT department for guidance of how to stay safe online while working from home. One helpful tip for simulating the in-person experience is to turn on your laptop or phone camera. This will be helpful for signaling non-verbal body language which is critical for communication and will also help demonstrate our attentiveness and make us feel less isolated.
We hope to be back to normal soon, but we anticipate this experience will result in a “new normal.” Moving forward, expect a cultural shift as we recognize that more of our meetings and classes could be covered over email and Instant Messenger and some of our travel could be replaced by web meetings. In the meantime, let’s stay positive. Necessity is the mother of invention as the saying goes. We anticipate that there will be new tools developed to help us adapt to remote work and education at-scale, and we anticipate new technologies will help providers, higher education organizations, and companies become more elastic at rapidly scaling their infrastructure up and down. These developments will have a lasting effect long after the coronavirus has been contained. And we can expect to grow as individuals. We will learn how resilient we truly are, and we’ll inspire ourselves as we learn that we’re capable of exceeding even our own expectations.
