Well it’s that time of year again. No it’s not Rabbit Season, it’s not even Duck Season, it is Spin Season. CES kicked off the year, NAMM is happening now, ISE is next week, NAB in the Spring and then Infocomm in June.  It’s a steady flow of industry shows and product announcements, some of […]

In 2017, the audiovisual trade organization known as InfoComm formally changed its name to the Audio Visual and Integrated Experiences Association or AVIXA. The addition of that little “X” caused some consternation among many in the industry at the time, and there are still some industry Luddites who take shots at the idea of adding […]

Rewind 10 years ago, and the stack of hardware in a basic conference room included a display, an audiovisual matrix switcher, an audio amplifier, a control processor, a DSP, a hardware based codec, a PTZ camera, ceiling or table microphones, wall or ceiling speakers, and a proprietary touch panel. All that was held together with […]

As integrators, at the bare minimum, we are value added resellers of AV equipment. We make AV systems more valuable than the sum of their parts through expertise in installation, maintenance, and long term support of technology. However as prices decrease, all-in-one products replace multiple SKUs, and systems come preconfigured out of the box, that […]

Hybrid work isn’t going anywhere, and the return to historic levels of in-office work and daily attendance is not anywhere on the horizon as far as I can tell — and for good reason. The utility of knowledge-based work can be done from anywhere. The proliferation of high speed internet, Wi-Fi, and cloud-based applications coupled […]

If you’ve been following along with this series, I appreciate your continued interest in the topic of fixing our meetings.  If you’re new to the series, welcome! Here are the links to Part 1 and Part 2 so you can catch up. In the last blog, I asserted that we are having the wrong types […]

If you missed “Part 1: New Tools, Old Mindset,” feel free to go back and read the anecdote I posted there. Our meetings have become bad over time because the world has changed significantly, but I’d argue that our meetings haven’t. You may be thinking, “Well Mark, you’re wrong because today we have new tools […]

When I was 18 years old, I went to visit my grandpa. We sat in his living room and talked about his favorite subject, his grandkids. He took pride in updating me, the family, his waitress at the local Greek restaurant — and anyone else who would listen for that matter — on their accomplishments. […]

Disclaimer: This is NOT a technology post. If you are looking for a post on AI cameras or the latest and greatest all-in-one sound bar, you should click the back button and surf the rest of the rAVe site. However, if you’re looking for a post on innovation, keep reading. For all the corporate real […]

I’m a huge fan of authors who write about behavioral economics and human behavior. My shelves are full of books by Geoff Colvin, Dan Ariely, Daniel Kahneman, Chip and Dan Heath, Barry Schwartz, Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt, and Malcolm Gladwell. The latest book I read by Gladwell was “The Bomber Mafia,” Gladwell’s effort […]

Earlier this month, I logged into my AVIXA training portal. I uploaded several certificates for CTS RUs that I had earned over the last three years. Some of those RUs came from moderating technical webinars or teaching workshops or courses for AVIXA. Others came from events like LAVNCH WEEK right here on rAVe. Still more […]

If you follow the debates in the social media space, you may already know there is a conversation happening about whether AV is now a subset of IT. Many people believe now that many AV devices are now network endpoints running server or cloud-based virtual services and/or applications, that AV is definitely IT. Others argue […]

If you live in North America and you’re in the AV industry, then you likely know that InfoComm 2023 is coming June 10-16 to Orlando. With literally hundreds of exhibitors, hundreds of learning opportunities/workshop sessions and tens of thousands of attendees slated to be at the event, it can be hard to determine how you […]

Believe it or not, we are still in the middle of the hybrid work debate and design process. Some companies are at different stages than others in the cycle, but most are still looking for some type of benchmark to emerge and help them define their final destination. However, waiting for someone else to go […]

This week I go to LinkedIn and answer this question from Jason Ward: “When do you walk away from an opportunity?” Tune in to learn when to walk away (and when to run). Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

In 2016, I asked the AV industry, “Why aren’t we talking about NVIDIA?” If you read my blog, I listed a lot of different areas where I thought NVIDIA could have a huge impact on AV, and although “Video Wall and Multi Window Screen Servers” were included as one of those potential opportunities, I have […]

Even if a customer meets your ideal profile, sometimes we need to qualify the project further to ensure we’re equally invested. Listen to this Selling AV episode to find out how. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

In 2013, I did my first blog on video extension technology for rAVe.  That was the year that Valens and HDBaseT exploded into the market based on it’s successful beta with Crestron, driving their original Digital Media product line. There were some manufacturers doing AV over IP at that time as well, companies like Just […]

How do we continue to grow our businesses effectively as technologies change? The secret to qualifying new customers and projects lies beyond the technology itself. Give this episode a listen for more! Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

“For every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction.” – Sir Isaac Newton I talk to a lot of people about the future of work and how businesses are rethinking their real estate footprints and spaces to adapt to the reality of a hybrid future. Companies want people to come back […]

In today’s world, you can win on price and not make money, bid to make money and lose on price … or you can lead the problem-solving and discovery process to create a scenario — and everyone wins. Listen to this Selling AV to find out how. Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

Over the last couple of years, with the shift to remote work, one of the biggest positive changes people really like is that they no longer have a long commute. Living in the Los Angeles area myself, I can relate that not sitting in traffic for 2-3 hours a day is a huge plus. Interestingly […]

In a world of highly repeatable, commoditized solutions, the art of good design can definitely get lost. In the current market, we see a lot of products being kitted together and marketed based on the size of the room.  A small room kit, a medium room kit, a large room kit, etc. In other cases, […]

I’ve written a lot about innovation over the years and if you’ve read any of my blogs on the subject, you know I’m pretty skeptical about the use of the term most of the time. A lot of people use “innovation” to describe iterative improvements over time, and I’ve come to terms with the fact […]

The ability to adapt may prove to be the most valuable superpower businesses can possess in today’s world.  Business as usual has been disrupted repeatedly by natural disasters, climate change, geopolitical conflict, war, a pandemic, supply change issues, and the great resignation … and that’s just in the last 24 months. If you think those […]

About eight years back, I got really geeky and introduced AV Phenom’s Definitive Guide to 4K. It was a simple chart. Since then, I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that images that were 3840 pixels wide are going to be called 4K (although secretly I still think 2160p is a better descriptor […]

Working in the experiential space, I hear one phrase all the time: “Wow” factor. Companies are looking for ways to create a wow factor to differentiate themselves from the competition and to get the attention of new talent and new customers. Wow factor is an important first step. In a world clamoring for your attention, […]

In sales, the biggest mistake can often be failing to set the proper expectations. In this episode of Selling AV, Mark Coxon talks about how early communication can have a positive effect in the long run. Find out why that is by checking out this latest podcast!   Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS

I’m sure you’ve all seen the LinkedIn or other social media post that looks like this: “Uber, the world’s largest taxi company, owns no vehicles. Facebook, the world’s most popular media owner, creates no content. Alibaba, the most valuable retailer, has no inventory. And Airbnb, the world’s largest accommodation provider, owns no real estate. Something […]

This time of year you will see a lot of lists for InfoComm 22. There are lists about what to pack and where to eat, as well as a litany of press releases touting “must see” products. There are more lists of events, dinners, tours, and shows outside the convention center. And on top of […]

It’s InfoComm season and the PR blitzes are in full-force announcing new products that will be available to see LIVE in Las Vegas next week. We’re used to this being a period of time for product announcements and merger and acquisition news, so it was unique to see a company make an announcement about what […]

Well it’s trade show season and the press releases are starting to pour in.  Before you head onto the InfoComm ’22 floor, it’s a good idea to polish your armor to best avoid being hit with a poison arrow of misinformation. If you missed my first post on “deceptive specs” you should check it out […]