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Tag: CTS

  • SoundTube Now Eligible to Offer AVIXA CTS, CTS-D, and ANP Credits for Training

    SoundTube Now Eligible to Offer AVIXA CTS, CTS-D, and ANP Credits for Training

    SoundTube Entertainment has announced that its popular “SoundTube 101” training program, also known as “Tubey Training”is now eligible for AVIXA Renewal Units (RUs). This means AV professionals can now earn up to 6 RUs in a single session, including credits for CTS, CTS-D, and ANP certifications. The hands-on training held at SoundTube’s Kansas City headquarters helps integrators boost both their technical skills and professional credentials.

    SoundTube is also preparing to expand access to its training programs online with a new course, “Speaking Loudspeakers,” which will offer additional CTS or CTS-D credits through the AVIXA learning portal. This initiative highlights SoundTube’s ongoing commitment to professional development and to supporting AVIXA standards across the global AV industry.

    SoundTube Entertainment®, announced that one of its training programs is now officially eligible for AVIXA® Renewal Units (RUs), providing integrators and AV professionals with a new pathway to maintain their Certified Technology Specialist (CTS®)  and Certified Technology Specialist Designer™ (CTS-D®) credentials.

    At SoundTube’s Kansas City headquarters, participants in the SoundTube 101 (also known as “Tubey Training”) sessions can now earn:

    • 3 CTS or 3 CTS-D RUs (depending on which credential applies)
    • 3 ANP (AVIXA’s Audiovisual Network Professional training) RUs

    This means attendees can walk away with up to 6 total Renewal Units in a single visit, supporting ongoing professional development across both technology and allied disciplines.

    In addition, SoundTube will soon expand its training access online. A new course titled “Speaking Loudspeakers” will be hosted through the AVIXA portal, offering 1 CTS or 1 CTS-D RU upon completion. This portal-based credit is separate from SoundTube’s in-person or virtual warehouse sessions, making it easier for AV professionals worldwide to engage with SoundTube’s expertise.

    “Training is one of the most valuable investments we can offer our integrators,” said Peter Melvin, VP Sales, Commercial Audio, SoundTube Entertainment. “By aligning our SoundTube 101 sessions with CTS, CTS-D, and ANP credits, we’re giving AV professionals the chance to deepen their technical knowledge while also advancing their certifications. It’s a win-win for both the integrator and their clients.”

    SoundTube’s CTS-eligible training underscores the company’s commitment to supporting AVIXA standards while helping integrators design, install, and maintain exceptional audio systems for every environment.

  • AVIXA Launches Online-Proctored Certified Technology Specialist Exams

    AVIXA Launches Online-Proctored Certified Technology Specialist Exams

    In order to expand the AV workforce with accessible resources, AVIXA is now offering Certified Technology Specialist exams through online proctoring. The online-proctored exam appointments are now open 24 hours a day through Pearson VUE. Online proctoring is only available for the CTS exam at this time, with CTS-D and CTS-I exams are still delivered in person.

    “AVIXA is dedicated to helping AV professionals around the world on their pathways to certification. Online-proctored CTS testing eliminates barriers like long distances to test centers and closures of test centers due to the pandemic,” said Adrienne Knick, Senior Director of Certification, AVIXA. “The CTS program represents more than 13,500 AV professionals in more than 100 countries – a community of experts that will grow as the opportunities to sit for exams now reaches even more people.”

    AVIXA’s Certified Technology Specialist program is the only professional audiovisual certification program accredited by the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) United States representative, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). 

    “Given the challenges associated with delivering certification examinations on account of the ongoing global health crisis, the ANSI National Accreditation Board commends AVIXA for earning approval as part of the pilot program to offer accredited programs through remote proctoring in accordance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17024,” said Vijay Krishna, MBA, ED.D., Vice President, Credentialing, ANSI National Accreditation Board.

    In addition, AVIXA on-demand webinars now offer CTS renewal units (RUs) for AVIXA Premium and Elite members. AVIXA has nearly 100 webinars available on-demand covering a wide range of topics from digital signage to conferencing and collaboration. View all the on-demand webinars at www.avixa.org/av-topics/videos.

    “AVIXA is committed to helping AV professionals elevate their skills and careers,” said Knick. “By providing more online resources, we’re able to make our programs more accessible to the AV workforce around the world.”

  • Congreso AVIXA 2021 Seeks to Strengthens Ties of Ibero-American AV Industry

    Congreso AVIXA 2021 Seeks to Strengthens Ties of Ibero-American AV Industry

    FAIRFAX, Va. – With exciting innovations in its programming, AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, announces the upcoming third edition of its Congreso AVIXA, scheduled from Sept. 29 to Oct.1, 2021. The virtual event will examine the most critical challenges and solutions impacting the professional audiovisual industry in Ibero-America and around the world. “Congreso AVIXA 2021, the AV industry is built here” is a free event bringing together AV professionals in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.

    Each of the three days will be dedicated to a specific topic: industry trends, creativity, and success stories/implemented solutions. In turn, these three themes will focus on some of the most significant sectors of the market: digital signage, conferencing and collaboration, streaming, live events, rental and staging, and pro audio.

    Congreso AVIXA 2021 partipants can attend over 30 sessions presented in Spanish and Portuguese by industry experts who will discuss topics as diverse as the evolution of unified communications, how to evaluate the investment in equipment to obtain the best ROI, and the use of technology in art, medicine, and workspaces.

    The session “Art and technology, two areas that go hand by hand” will be given by Jordi Pont Bertran, Artistic Director of the multidisciplinary studio Onionlab, based in Barcelona. Marc Torne, Crestron Business Development Manager in Iberia, will present the session “Digital Workplace: A journey toward the smart workspace,” in which he will show the latest trends in offices, meeting rooms, and home-office spaces. The success stories theme will focus on AV streaming technologies for hospitals and surgical procedures in the session “Advanced streaming solutions 4.0” by Lucas Valencia, CEO of the Colombian company Ultimate Technology.

    To strengthen and create new bridges among the leaders of the AV sector in Latin America, the event will hold the Executive Members Forum for the first time. This new forum consists of one day of sessions to discuss decisive topics on the market situation, industry’s future, retention of talent, and the end user’s vision. During the opening session, AVIXA will present an overview of the audiovisual industry globally and focus in on Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. The Executive Members Forum will take place Sept. 28 and is exclusively for decision-makers or managerial-level staff with AVIXA memberships. Those who wish to participate and are not yet members can contact the AVIXA team to learn more about membership. AVIXA members will receive a special invitation to this forum.

    Congreso AVIXA sessions will provide Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) renewal credits.

    In addition, those who participate in at least three full live sessions will receive digital recognitions generated by the company Acreditta, a specialist in digital badge solutions for skills recognition and education accreditation.

    For more information about Congreso AVIXA 2021 and to register, visit congreso.avixa.org.

  • AV³ Approved for 4.75 AVIXA CTS and CTS-D RUs

    AV³ Approved for 4.75 AVIXA CTS and CTS-D RUs

    AV³, taking place virtually on June 17, has been approved by the AVIXA independent Certification Renewal Committee to provide learning opportunities for CTS holders and others for their continued professional development; the event is worth 4.75 AVIXA Renewal Units (RUs) for CTS and CTS-D holders.

    “We’re focused on future-forward education, and we’re thrilled to be able to educate the pro AV community on what’s next for pro AV,” said Megan A. Dutta, content director, Systems Contractor News. “Now, CTS and CTS-D holders can earn 4.75 RUs while listening to panels of industry experts discuss the future of pro AV and beyond.”

    “We are thrilled to once again offer the AV community 4.75 RUs for a day of education,” added Tim Albright, CEO, AVNation. “AV³ is a great opportunity for audiovisual pros to learn from their cohorts in the industry.”

    “The CTS program has been the leading AV professional credential for more than 30 years, and today there are over 13,000 CTS holders around the world,” concluded David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA. “The AV³ program will provide the opportunity for CTS holders to continue to invest in their professional development.”

    For more information or to register, visit av3event.com

  • Datapath’s online training sessions earn CTS points accreditation

    Datapath’s online training sessions earn CTS points accreditation

    DERBY, England – Datapath, world-leading engineers of visual solutions, can now run its AVIXA accredited course virtually. ‘How to Set Up and Troubleshoot a Datapath VSN Controller’ online training session has been officially approved for AVIXA CTS® Renewal Unit (RU) accreditation. This will allow professionals holding AVIXA’s Certified Technology Specialist credentials to earn renewal units towards their certification by completing Datapath’s education program.

    Hosted online and running over two days, the course provides direct interaction and real time collaboration on a one-to-one basis.

    To obtain AVIXA approval, RU programs must feature experienced instructors with clear evidence of qualifications in the session topic. Each class must contain at least one relevant learning objective or industry-related purpose, relate to a specific exam topic area and exam level and conclude with an assessment tool to demonstrate participants have grasped the objectives.

    Following accreditation from AVIXA’s CTS renewal committee, course attendees will earn 5 Renewal Units (RU) towards CTS and CTS-I certification. The Datapath VSN controllers are capable of integrating any type of video and data sources, including video over IP, on any display configuration and are fully compatible with Datapath’s comprehensive Aetria AVoIP solution.

    Ignacio Viloria, training manager at Datapath, said: “In light of COVID-19 related travel restrictions, it is important that we adapt to ways to keep our customers and partners fully familiar with our latest AVoIP technology. We are committed to education and sharing best practices in the AV community and to be able to do that online, as well as supporting CTS accreditation, is something we are immensely proud of.”

    To learn more about Datapath’s training courses and to register your interest, visit: https://www.datapath.co.uk/services/training

  • AVIXA upgrades digital presence to better connect AV Community

    AVIXA upgrades digital presence to better connect AV Community

    FAIRFAX, Va. – AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, has upgraded its digital presence to better connect the AV community with the best professional resources, including AV skills training, thought leadership, market intelligence, and standards.

    “As the association for the pro AV industry, AVIXA is the hub for bringing all facets of the industry together. This includes learning about new products, connecting buyers and sellers, sharing successes and challenges from out in the field, and providing forecasts on technologies and markets,” said David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA. “Having a robust digital platform for learning and connecting is vital to continue to advance the AV profession.”

    AVIXA’s commitment to being the hub for AV professionals led to the new iteration of AVIXA.org. It is designed around the way users look for content and information that’s relevant to them. The new features include improved navigation, an enhanced training platform, AV solutions-based content, and upgraded search functionality.

    The on-demand training platform allows AV professionals to focus their training journey to fit their career and aspirations. With new filter features, they can sort courses by language, topics, Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) renewal units, and more. The training platform is now integrated into the main website, allowing the user to explore learning content more efficiently.

    The website also features new content on AV solutions, from digital signage to conferencing and collaboration. These topics are served up on dedicated pages for users to easily consume their desired content, including videos, market intelligence reports, and the Power Hour webinar series. In the Power Hour series, AV professionals can tune in each month to learn about the solution area of interest for a session on the latest trends and best practices to grow their skills.

    “AVIXA’s upgraded digital presence is an ongoing initiative with more features to come, including an enhanced AV provider directory and a comprehensive on-demand video catalog,” said Labuskes. “The association will continue to expand its digital resources so AV professionals can stay connected and informed no matter where they are.”

    Visit www.avixa.org.

  • Almo Professional A/V reveals locations for 2020 E4 Experience

    Almo Professional A/V reveals locations for 2020 E4 Experience

    Integrators in Santa Clara, Washington D.C., Dallas and Boston will have access to certifications and courses

     Almo Professional A/V, the Pro A/V industry’s most dynamic distributor and creator of the award-winning E4 Experience, has revealed the locations for the 2020 E4 program. Thanks to its longstanding education partnership with AVIXA, the E4 Experience continues to be loaded with valuable, career-changing certifications and courses worth CTS Renewal Units (RUs) that are free to attending AV resellers, integrators, consultants and their end users.

    Highlights for the spring 2020 E4 Experience include a new keynote address focused on the people-first approach to the future of AV design, a new panel discussion about the booming eSports market and a new training track featuring a three-part series on direct-view LED (dvLED) technology, installation and content.

    The E4 Experience is visiting the following locations in 2020:

    ·        Santa Clara: March 13 (Register here)

    ·        Washington D.C. April 3 (Register here)

    ·        Dallas, September 22

    ·        Boston, October 22

    “The E4 Experience continues to grow year after year because of the increased value it offers to local attendees to see and achieve so much in a single day — from certifications and CTS Renewal Units to new technology and networking,” said Melody Craigmyle, vice president of marketing for Almo Corporation. “We are ready to give attendees their best E4 Experience yet, filled with information on trending topics to help them stay ahead of the curve, certifications to give them the credentials and credibility to grow their businesses, and access to technologies that are just making their way into the AV market.” Craigmyle added, “The small environment is inviting and achievable and our attendees appreciate not having to travel or take large amounts of time away from their customers.”

    Spring 2020 E4 Experience highlights include:

    ·        NEW Keynote. AV Technologist, Gary Kayye is starting off the 2020 E4 Experience with a keynote, entitled “The Future of AV Design: A People-First Approach.” For more than two decades, the AV industry has been designing and installing in almost the exact same way. But now we have generations moving up in the workforce that present, collaborate and communicate differently – and they aren’t into the idea of meeting after meeting, prefer texting and don’t need that personal connection. This discussion focuses less on the technology and products to spec when designing a room and more on the people using them.

    ·        NEW The E-Sports Opportunity Discussion Panel. Founder of AV Nation, Tim Albright is leading a panel about the opportunities in the growing, profitable E-Sports arena and how Pro A/V professionals can leverage their experience to deliver the next big thing in sports entertainment. Attendees will learn how to use their expertise to create exceptional experiences that deliver the E-Sports fans and players want.

    ·        NEW dvLED Training Track. A specialized three-part series training track developed for field technicians and installers to learn the ins and outs of direct-view LED installation. A precursor to the Absen Certified Engineer training program, the sessions take an in-depth look at the three phases of dvLED system design, installation and content delivery.

    About the E4 Experience
    With education partner, AVIXA, the award-winning Almo Professional A/V E4 Experience offers AV professionals and their end users a full day of educational sessions worth AVIXA CTS Renewal Units (RUs) as well as certification opportunities with the SDVoE Alliance and the Digital Signage Federation. The spring E4 Experiences, taking place in Santa Clara on March 13 at the and Washington, D.C. on April 3, will feature a dozen sessions and speakers, 40+ exhibitors, multiple workshops, and limitless networking and career-advancing moments. For more information, go to www.e4experience.com.

  • Starin grows with blockbuster hires

    Starin grows with blockbuster hires

    Chris Neto and Doug Dillman join Starin team

    Starin, specializing in the market development of digital communication solutions, is pleased to announce the addition of two key personnel enhancing their overall ability to provide even more AV solutions, Christopher Neto, CTS, and Doug Dillman, CTS-D, CTS-I.

    Chris Neto CTS
    Chris Neto CTS

    Chris Neto has joined the Starin team as the Market Development Manager overseeing the Engagement and Experience programs offered by Starin.  Neto will be expanding Starin’s overall social engagement and experience programs for their brands bringing his expertise to new initiatives.

    Neto has over 20 years of experience in the Pro AV industry.  Since 2011, Neto is noted for his social media presence elevating the profile of the industry and achieving global recognition for his efforts.  His unique combination of technical expertise and marketing activity have included creating the Sunday morning industry chat forum #AVintheAM, which brings millions of impressions and hot topics of discussion to the table each Sunday morning.  He has also provided on-site AVMag awards commentary, co-hosted AV Smackdown on YouTube and has been a guest moderator and panelist at many industry events.

    “Starin is excited to continue building on our platform of social and experience initiatives, Chris’s expertise will only enhance and enable our efforts to move forward faster with both talent and innovation,” explained Starin’s Executive Vice-President of Strategy and Execution, Bobby Swartz.

    Doug Dillman CTS-I CTS-D
    Doug Dillman CTS-I CTS-D

    Starin is also pleased to name Doug Dillman, CTS-D, CTS-I, as the new Technical Experience Project Manager.  Doug comes to Starin with over 30 years of Pro AV experience including 12 years as an AV Consultant.  He will be growing our Technical Experience team with his design and consulting expertise.  “Doug brings a unique set of experience to our team which will enable us to provide more design assistance and oversight to key partners and projects, as an expanded service offering,” explained Bill Mullin, President, Starin.

  • Getting CTS RUs from SDVoE

    Group now has CTS certified online courses

    MONTREAL — The SDVoE™ Alliance today announced it is an official AVIXA™ Certified Technology Specialist™ (CTS®) Renewal Unit (RU) Provider. The online SDVoE Design Partner Program now offers AVIXA CTS RUs along with SDVoE certification. This first-of-its-kind online program, available through the SDVoE Academy, publicly recognizes experts in the creation of SDVoE systems that take advantage of AV-over-IP scalability, yet offer matrix-switch-like performance.

    As a service to the industry, the growing list of more than 300 Certified SDVoE Design Partners is published on the SDVoE Alliance website. End users interested in leveraging SDVoE technology to meet their business needs can tap into the expertise of this specialist community. 

    “With the future of AV being network centric, the importance of the right training, backed by AVIXA’s high standards for education, is paramount,” said Justin Kennington, President of the SDVoE Alliance. “The SDVoE Academy provides entrée into designing with products from all 41 members in the growing SDVoE ecosystem as we work together to support the alliance’s mission of transforming the matrix.”

    “Organizations like the SDVoE Alliance who invest in education resources enable AV professionals to continue to grow their expertise, and in turn, propel the entire industry forward,” said Amanda Beckner, CTS, Vice President of Learning. “We’re thrilled that the SDVoE Alliance recognizes the value of AVIXA’s CTS program and has made this commitment.”

    For more than 30 years, AVIXA has administered the CTS program, which is recognized as the leading AV professional credential. There are three CTS credentials: general (CTS), design (CTS-D), and installation (CTS-I). There are currently more than 12,000 CTS holders and over 2,000 of those are CTS-D or CTS-I holders.

    To obtain approval, RU programs must feature experienced instructors with clear evidence of qualifications in the session topic. Each class must contain at least one relevant learning objective or industry-related purpose; relate to a specific exam topic area and exam level and conclude with an assessment tool to demonstrate participants have grasped the objectives. These criteria are vigorously reviewed by AVIXA’s Certification Renewal Committee.

  • Europe hits 1000 CTS holders

    AVIXA’s cornerstone cert gains milestone

    FAIRFAX, VA – AVIXA™, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, is pleased to announce that there are now 1,000 AV professionals with a Certified Technology Specialist™ (CTS®) certification in Europe. For more than 30 years, AVIXA has administered the CTS program, which is recognized worldwide as the leading AV professional credential, helping businesses to elevate themselves and deliver value to their clients. There are currently more than 12,000 CTS holders and over 2,000 of those are CTS-D or CTS-I holders.  

    “This marks a significant milestone in AVIXA’s development in the European market,” said Chris Lavelle, Senior Director of Development Europe, AVIXA. “The AV market is flourishing in the region, and we are thrilled that many industry members are committing to professional development. CTS holders across Europe are reaping the benefits of their hard work, with the program allowing dedicated AV professionals to stand out from the crowd and prove their expertise. We would like to congratulate all our CTS holders for achieving this hard-earned credential, and we look forward to seeing them utilize their knowledge to deliver outstanding integrated experiences.” 

    Many CTS holders in Europe are also progressing further in their AV education and going on to achieve specialized credentials: CTS-D (design) or CTS-I (installation). All three certifications are ANSI accredited under the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) ISO/IEC 17024:2012 General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification Schemes of Persons program. 

    “CTS benefits both employee and the employer, but I feel that CTS benefits the employee most,” said Justin Paveley, CTS-D, CTS-I, Engineering Director, AVMI. “CTS has given me self-confidence, credibility and a technical proficiency that I wouldn’t have received elsewhere.” 

    “In our business model, we see our main selling point as being a source of expert AV knowledge,” said Marcus Boij, CTS, Technical Director, Informationsteknik Scandinavia AB. “Having CTS-certified staff has allowed us to demonstrate that knowledge and compete with much larger companies when pitching for high profile tenders. As a result, we have been successful with several of these bids, including at SEB Bank, which is the largest AV installation in Sweden. With CTS credentials, we can show how serious we are about knowledge and education.” 

    “Our short- to mid-term strategy is to establish a unified environment across all departments that interface on a technical level, where we all speak the same ‘AV language,’” said Alex Sanfilippo, CTS-D, Director of Engineering at Kraftwerk Living Technologies. “We have seen the benefit of this already, and AVIXA certification is the only platform in our industry that has such a broad range of certification and coverage.”


    Learn more about AVIXA’s CTS program at www.avixa.org/CTS.