- Our industry is back and is growing.
According to AVIXA, this year’s conference welcomed 29,325 attendees, from 115 countries, with 37% of these attendees being first timers. While we did not quite reach pre-Covid numbers with this show, these statistics tell us that our industry’s reach is expanding both geographically and through the population.
- Virtual Production environments are hot.
We saw many booths presenting virtual production environments and immersive LED experiences in which you could participate. From movie-set-like setups where you see yourself on screen to The Unreal Ride, (https://www.infocommshow.org/attend/vu-unreal), in which users embarked on a Jeep journey through different immersive worlds, right on the show floor! These technologies hold the power to reduce time and cost of content production by replacing traditional sets and broadcast studios with virtualized versions.
- The Future of Meetings remains unknown.
We heard about a number of technological advancements that would be immediately applicable to the meeting room by leveraging face and eye tracking technologies, voice tracking and blocking technologies, and sound bending and blocking technologies. While hybrid meetings have solidified their place in future of work strategies, meeting room layouts and technology types have remained largely the same. We are curious to see how the enhancements we saw at Infocomm will tie together to redefine the meeting room experience in the future.
Efforts in sustainability rise.
Katie, our Business Development and Marketing Coordinator, and Dipal, one of our Physical Designers, joined in a Sustainability Floor Walk at the show, led by AVIXA’s Sustainability Task Force. The group stopped at various booths to hear how different exhibitors are responding to the call for sustainability. They heard a range of answers, from suppliers who have reduced the use of single-use plastic and simplified packaging, to manufacturers who have integrated features into their displays that can manage power consumption, to distributors who certify the suppliers they work with have sustainable practices in place. Perhaps the boldest sustainability statement at the show this year was made by Samsung, who opened their booth with announcing their involvement in RE100 Global Initiative (https://www.there100.org/about-us), followed by the four pillars they plan to action in achieving their 2050 sustainability goal.
- AV is integrating into new markets.
Each year, we see more exhibitors present technology which makes it clear that AV is becoming relevant in spaces beyond the traditional, transaction-focused boardroom and classroom settings. This year, AVIXA dedicated an entire booth to Live Esports (https://www.infocommshow.org/attend/esportslive), in which collegiate teams played live matches on Rocket League. The setup combined various AV technologies, including gaming stations, large format displays, multi-camera production, and headsets. We also saw several digital art activations. From new transparent LEDs to seamless digital canvases, it is clear that AV is making a splash in this new vertical. One of the Infocomm booths featured an interactive experience in which the user stood at the center of the art piece, immersing them in Attractive Butterflies (https://www.infocommshow.org/attend/interactive-experience).
Infocomm 2023 was a success! It showed that, although there may be changes in the ways clients are using their physical spaces post-pandemic, there are many opportunities for the AV industry to diversify and expand with new technologies. Most importantly, the show brings us together to share expertise, see the latest advancements, and dream up new ideas for our clients.
