The big story from InfoComm, at least for residential integrators, is less about the trade association’s name change to AVIXA and more about a plan for the annual InfoComm trade show to include content and exhibits that sound a lot like what’s already offered at CEDIA.
InfoComm organizers have announced a new Integrated Life content program and exhibition for InfoComm 2018, which returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center June 2-8, 2018. Integrated Life @ InfoComm 2018 comprises a special track of workshops and sessions, plus a dedicated area on the InfoComm 2018 show floor, for spotlighting smart building, smart home, mobile, security, and related audiovisual solutions that “create integrated experiences wherever people use technology.”
“We plan to take everything that is cool, but maybe abstract, about new technology — the Internet of Things, sensors, artificial intelligence, the cloud, and more — and present it in terms of real-world AV solutions that result in outcomes for customers,” said Jason McGraw, senior VP of expositions for InfoComm International. “Audiovisual experiences are all around us, from the time we get up in the morning, to our work days, to the entertainment we enjoy in our lives. We could be in the kitchen, car, classroom, or office. And increasingly, those AV experiences are more interconnected. The Integrated Life program and exhibition space at InfoComm 2018 recognizes that fact and invites new and different solution providers and professionals into our pro-AV marketplace.”
Integrated Life sessions at InfoComm 2018 will include case studies of AV experiences spanning retail, hospitality, education, transportation, and other facets of daily life, plus sessions on everything from using data and analytics to enable integrated experiences, to intelligent digital signage, to securing information in an increasingly connected world. Manufacturers’ Training at InfoComm 2018 will embrace the growing ecosystem of smart solutions and platform-based AV systems that form the foundation for an Integrated Life.
On the InfoComm 2018 exhibit floor, the Integrated Life area will showcase smart lighting, sensor technology, building and home automation, voice control, integrated security, mobile AV solutions, and smart car technologies.
“Thanks to advances in network technologies, all of the AV that people enjoy each day can come together in an integrated experience,” said David Labuskes, executive director and CEO of InfoComm International. “How they interact with and benefit from technology should be as seamless as possible, whether they’re at home, at the office, commuting, travelling for business, or even dining out.
“InfoComm is dedicated to acting as a catalyst for market growth,” Labuskes continued. “We all know how AV experiences follow us throughout our lives — as AV professionals and as everyday consumers of technology. The Integrated Life program at InfoComm 2018 will reflect this important cultural phenomenon and open our industry to new avenues of innovation, creativity, and customer outcomes.”
