AVNation TV

Tag: Florida

  • InfoComm 2025 Draws Record-Setting End User Attendance

    InfoComm 2025 Draws Record-Setting End User Attendance

    InfoComm 2025, held in Orlando, Florida, saw a record-breaking turnout with nearly 31,000 verified attendees from 97 countries, 35% of whom were end users, making this the highest end-user attendance in the show’s history. The expo hosted 817 exhibitors across 400,100 square feet, showcasing the latest in pro AV, IT, and broadcast technology. Highlights included new product launches, hands-on demos, and deep-dive sessions on immersive experiences powered by AI and cloud solutions.

    The show also featured thought-provoking keynotes, certification opportunities, and networking events like the AVIXA Women’s Breakfast. A total of 121 attendees earned their CTS credentials, underlining the event’s role in professional growth. Industry leaders emphasized how InfoComm continues to shape the future of pro AV by bringing together innovators and decision-makers under one roof.

    InfoComm 2025, June 7-13 in Orlando, Florida, set a show record for end user attendance, representing 35% of verified attendees. In total, the show welcomed 30,998 verified attendees from 97 countries. International attendance made up 18%. Total registrants for InfoComm 2025 reached 39,579.

    InfoComm 2025 hosted 817 exhibitors showcasing pro AV products and solutions across 400,100 net square feet in the West Hall of the Orange County Convention Center.

    “From the moment the doors opened, the energy at InfoComm was palpable. What was most fulfilling to see was the business being done on the show floor,” said Jenn Heinold, Senior Vice President, Expositions, Americas, AVIXA, producer of InfoComm. “We were very intentional about attracting end users to the show – they are critical part of growth for the pro AV, IT, and broadcast ecosystem. They drive product enhancements from manufacturers and push for more innovative technology. Solution providers came out in full force – with product launches and interactive experiences.”

    The InfoComm 2025 program was vast – featuring dynamic speakers, education, networking events, and certification exams.

    On Wednesday morning, Dang Ly of Universal Destinations & Experiences, Jeff Zabel of Amazon Web Services (AWS), and moderator Todd Hougland of Ripley Entertainment discussed the rising demand for immersive, personalized experiences that blend the digital and physical worlds, like Universal’s Epic Universe. They shared the critical role that cloud infrastructure and AI-powered intelligence plays in driving these experiences.

    Brad Hintze from Crestron, Eric Hutto of Diversified, Christine Schyvinck from Shure, Jason Antinori from TELUS, and David Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA, took the stage on Thursday for a discussion on the future of AV, covering topics from the workplace to collaboration, standards, and AI.

    Also on Thursday, the AVIXA Women’s Breakfast drew hundreds of attendees to celebrate the of accomplishments of women in pro AV. Technologist Noelle Russell, founder and chief AI officer of the AI Leadership Institute, provided the keynote “Scaling Responsible AI: From Enthusiasm to Execution,” sharing stories from her career, which includes roles with AWS and Microsoft.

    Also at the show, several attendees took the Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) and Audiovisual Network Professional (ANP) exams. A total of 121 attendees earned their CTS at the show – 78 earned their CTS, 22 attained CTS-D (Design), and 21 attained CTS-I (Installation). The total number of CTS holders is now over 14,800. In addition, 10 attendees earned their Audiovisual Network Professional (ANP) certification, bringing the total number of ANP certification holders to 230.

    “It was evident this year that the future of the pro AV industry is created here,” said David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, CEO of AVIXA. “The importance of InfoComm is directly reflected by the quality of attendees who brought their questions and needs to our amazing exhibitor presence.”

  • AlarMax Opens Fort Lauderdale Branch

    AlarMax Opens Fort Lauderdale Branch

    AlarMax offers cutting-edge security solutions from top manufacturers, providing exceptional customer service, technical support, next-day shipping, and robust stocking inventory at its branches nationwide.

    AlarMax, a national distributor of security, AV, and low-voltage products, has announced the opening of its newest branch location in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The branch aims to provide personalized support, training, and access to products from over 400 vendors to dealers in the area.

    The opening of the new AlarMax branch in Fort Lauderdale aims to expand accessibility to security, AV, and low-voltage products in the region, providing personalized support, training, and access to innovative vendors for local dealers. Led by industry veteran Derek Bonner and his experienced team, the branch aims to continue AlarMax’s tradition of exceptional customer service while empowering dealers to succeed in a rapidly evolving market.

    AlarMax, a leading national distributor of security, audiovisual and low-voltage products, today announces its newest branch location in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

    The opening of the Fort Lauderdale AlarMax branch marks the latest milestone in the brand’s quest to expand accessibility for exceptional products and services that bolster success in the evolving security, fire alarm, surveillance, access control and AV markets. Operated by a seasoned team with extensive experience with the industry and the local dealer community, the new location will provide dealers in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding areas with personalized support, training and access to products from over 400 innovative vendors.

    “The AlarMax team is committed to bringing its comprehensive product portfolio to more dealers nationwide. We’re eager to serve the Fort Lauderdale area with the exceptional customer service and support the AlarMax community expects, advancing business opportunity on a local level and empowering innovation from our vendors,” shared Randy Hall, president at AlarMax.

    Industry veteran Derek Bonner will serve as the Fort Lauderdale branch manager. Derek started his career as a technician in 1979. He later held various roles in business management, training, sales and leadership – amassing over four decades of versatile experience in the custom integration industry. He brings a wealth of experience to the branch. Bonner’s team at the new location also has strong roots in the local market, boasting decades of experience servicing the Fort Lauderdale community. From day one, the new branch will provide the region with knowledgeable, personalized support that customers expect from AlarMax.

    “Over the past 40 years, I’ve taken on many roles in the integration industry, yet my focus has always remained the same: supporting the talented individuals behind successful projects. With many of us having decades-long tenures serving this region, we’re eager to continue supporting our existing customers with the personalized service they’ve come to enjoy and welcome new dealers to discover the AlarMax difference,” shared Bonner. “Whether we’re trying to map out the perfect product mix for precise project specifications or simply being a sounding board, we aim to empower dealers, ensuring they confidently navigate business complexities with the support of a team genuinely dedicated to their success.”

     

  • You Select Your Level of Risk

    You Select Your Level of Risk

    Article comes from Bradford Benn’s LinkedIn page. You can check out the original post here.

    For those in the AV industry, one of the bigger shows in the United States is coming up in about thirty days. For the Themed Entertainment industry, it is a little later in November. Both are in Florida at the Orange County Convention Center. The current rate of COVID-19 cases, especially the Delta variant is high in Florida. In fact, it is consistently in the top two vacillating with Texas with lowest number of intensive care beds available or the highest levels of infection based on various metrics. I am not going to debate which study to believe and how the math is being done. There are people who do that and do it better than I do. What I am going to say is that one (1) in five hundred (500) American citizens have died from COVID since the start of the pandemic. That easily is a scary number.

    There is also a woman (hill_deeee) who has gone through the math of contracting and dying from COVID on TikTok that has gone viral (definitely R-rated language). In a nutshell, if one is not vaccinated there is a one (1) in eight (8) chance of getting infected with COVID in the United States. If you are vaccinated there is a lower than a one in thirteen thousand chance of getting infected with COVID. Here is her math in a safe for work form:

    • There are approximately 330 million people in the United States. There have been approximately 41 million COVID cases reported in the US. Based on those numbers you have a one in eight chance of contracting the virus.
    • There are 173 million people who are fully vaccinated in the United States at the end of August 2021. There were approximately 12,908 breakthrough cases in August. The reduced value is approximately a one in 13,402 chance of catching COVID if fully vaccinated.
    • There are various ways to calculate COVID deaths, such as does someone dying in a car accident count as a COVID death if they are infected? There have been 2437 deaths of fully vaccinated people with COIVD. However about 480 were not directly caused by COVID. That results in about 2000 people that have died from break through COVID out of a pool of 173 million fully vaccinated people. If we reduced that it becomes about one in 86,500 chances of dying from COVID after vaccination.
    • Assuming InfoComm has 26,802 attendees in theory two people would become infected if they are vaccinated. If they are not vaccinated it is a one in eight chance of becoming infected.

    While trying to quantify the risk, I found the microCOVID Project from an article in the Smithsonian Magazineby Corryn Wetzel, “This Calculator Estimates Your Risk of Getting Covid-19” posted electronically on September 14, 2021. This simulator came about from friends trying to determine what the “risk” cost of various activities are. I am not going to explain everything about it, their video does a better job of explaining it than I could. The idea is to provide a risk number that one can use to evaluate risks of various activities. These values include taking precautions such as wearing masks and distancing from others.

    To put all of this in perspective, based on 36,096 fatalities from car accidents in the United States during 2019, the odds of dying in a car crash is higher; 1 in 942 if calculated the same way.

    These numbers do not count illness nor the availability of medical services. You need to make your own decision. Let me repeat that. I am providing information I have found and the research I am using to weigh my decisions. You should do your own research and determine your own comfort level.

    These calculations do not include activities that might take place outside of the Orange County Convention Center. What are the risks from riding in a taxi? What are the risks going out to dinner with a large group? What are the risks traveling via airplane?

    All these things should be considered. And the one that is even more difficult, what is the impact on your family?

    Bradford Benn is the founder of Advisist. Check out their story and what they offer on their website.

  • Just Add Power Supporting Local Non-Profits by Providing Training and Meeting Space

    Just Add Power Supporting Local Non-Profits by Providing Training and Meeting Space

    SEMINOLE, Fla. — With the grand opening of its new Seminole, Florida, headquarters delayed due to COVID-19, Just Add Power, a leader in video-over-IP distribution, announced that the company has been supporting local nonprofit organizations during the pandemic by allowing them to use the facility’s multipurpose room as a training and meeting space.

    Organizations that have utilized Just Add Power’s multipurpose room include the Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas and Directions for Living, which has used the space to provide Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training. Created by the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), CIT is a 40-hour program designed to educate police officers in recognizing when individuals have mental illness, de-escalating crisis situations, and navigating people toward resources and help.

    “Nonprofits have struggled to provide continued training and conduct meetings during COVID because many social service buildings are closed, aren’t admitting outside personnel, or just don’t have rooms large enough to allow for social distancing,” said Ed Qualls, CEO and founder of Just Add Power. “So, while we wish we were able to open up our new headquarters as planned, we’ve been glad to support the social services community during the pandemic.”

    More information is available at www.justaddpower.com.