NSCA BLC 2019 Preview: Innovation Is About Insight and Vision, Not AV Technology

Dr. David Ricketts will share his thoughts about the root of innovation and the fun of creating the next big thing in AV technology at NSCA BLC 2019.

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Where does innovation come from? How can you add value to the AV technology you’re installing for your customer? If you’re looking for lightning to strike or some sort of divine intervention tap you on the shoulder, you’re thinking about it all wrong.

David Ricketts from the Technology and Entrepreneur Center at Harvard University says added value and innovation come from a much simpler place: the five senses, particularly seeing and hearing.

“Added value and innovation come from those who get insight into what their customers need,” says Ricketts, who will lead the executive power hour, “How to Create Disruptive Innovations (And How to Keep Them from Disrupting You) at NSCA BLC 2019 (Business and Leadership Conference) in Tampa, Fla., Feb. 27-March 1.

What NSCA BLC 2019 Attendees Can Expect

Ricketts works with about 65 CIOs around the world on IoT-related pursuits and was recently part of a NSCA BLC 2019 feature that explored the social impact of artificial intelligence. He’s also well versed in virtual reality and how that technology is changing lives today and will continue to do so in the future.

BLC attendees who attend Ricketts’ keynote and his breakout session, “Scaling Up Your Business Through Disruptive Innovation,” will come away with a better handle on how AV technology integrators can better navigate what NSCA executive director Chuck Wilson calls “the intersection of the digital and physical workplace.”

That intersection can come through voice recognition to start meetings, biometrics and facial recognition, among other concepts that will soon be as commonplace as smartphones.

“What can we do that adds value and separates ourselves from the off-the-shelf, hang-and-bang solutions?” asks Wilson. “What can we do to become an innovation company?”

Tech Innovation isn’t About the Tech

Ricketts notes that “innovation is not about invention. It’s about understanding the impact AV technology can have.” He’ll illustrate that at BLC using BMW as an example of innovation without invention.

Innovation, he says, is ongoing and it can cause some people to constantly be chasing the next trend, but it’s up to business leaders to decide where they want to innovate and lead and where they want to leave the trail-blazing to others.

“Each time there’s a disruption, there’s a question about how you play there,” says Ricketts.

In the breakout session, Ricketts will focus on where most ideas come from and solving both internal and external problems that could be stifling creativity in your business.

“Some of the things integrators are struggling with the most is exactly where innovation should come from,” he says. “Innovation is about insight and vision, not the technology. It’s about asking different questions, not about having particular skills. Most importantly, innovation is fun.”

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