Walking the floor at ICIA's Infocomm 11 trade show
“Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.”
Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Infocomm is huge this year. From the entire show floor to the second level of classes and demos and breakout rooms throughout it just seems to never end.
It has been twelve years since I last had the chance to see the show as an attendee and not a booth builder slash floor barker and perhaps this has altered my perception of space at the show. When you work the booth for a major manufacture there is little chance to wander from your post and explore - one eats sleeps and yes poops the product(s) with little chance of getting beyond the immediate parcel of show floor . The universe is indeed a very defined area during these days.
As attendee, well, it is like being transformed from Sisyphus into David Bowman , complete with wide eyed expression and a multitude of lights reflecting in them.
Being here at the show is a must, having a physical relationship with the products and people cannot be recreated by reading press releases or wandering the halls of a ‘Virtual Tradeshow’. Only when you can touch a device, turn it over in your hands and look into the -proverbial- eyes and look directly into the - real- eyes of the company employee does one get a connection with the possibilities.
This is not to argue against virtual connections. In addition to seeing the gadgets, gear and goodies in action I am excited to finally meet, face to face and beer mug to wine glass, the fine folks of #Avtweeps. We are a group of Audio Visual folks who have gathered a tribe on social media, more specifically Twitter. The daily and sometimes hourly conversations are extremely constructive and I could hardly imagine a day without ‘hearing’ from the group at least once a day.
Truth is that I have sought out the company booths of the folks who regularly chat, chide and console each other via the avtweeps association because I trust them. And in turn I am more likely to trust the products - or at least give them the benefit of doubt.
As I head out to dive into day two of the show, my feet still ache and my knees feel as if someone put them on backwards I am determined to see as many demos and presentations as possible.
Coming from the cloistered world of working for one major manufacture has me learning anew and re-submerging myself into an industry I had taken a short sabbatical from.
See you on the show floor, say hi and join me for a coffee and nosh at the Infocomm Lounge.
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