4 Things I’ll Miss Most Skipping InfoComm 2015

Embrace these elements of the largest North American pro AV trade show, says a guy who won’t be there. >

Tom LeBlanc

Odds are you have heard me say this before, because I’ve uttered this sentence approximately 25,000 times in the past two months:

“I’m actually not going to be at InfoComm this year, for the first time since before we launched Commercial Integrator, because my wife is due with our second child around the same time as the show.”

There’s no question that CI is written to integrators, not manufacturers. But you know what is super-important to integrators? Manufacturers

. Indeed, I am missing the most important tradeshow in North America for our readership. The impact of that omission is felt a lot more by me personally than in our actual coverage of the event. Our CI and (sister publication) TechDecisions editors do an excellent and thorough job of covering the announcements and happenings at InfoComm 2015.

It is me that misses out. Here’s what I miss most by not attending:

Community — As easy as it is to stay connected these days with the folks who run integration firms, it’s extremely valuable to see people in person and shake their hands. Read our content and it’s easy to see that it’s actually not me or even editor-at-large Craig MacCormack who drives our content; it’s the integrators and consultants who take time out of their busy schedules to talk with us and share their industry perspectives. Our job is to facilitate that. It’s the readers that make us look good.

Not going to InfoComm 2015 means that I don’t get a chance to buy a single beer for a single person who helps to create a community within CI.

Solutions — There’s no question that InfoComm is my best opportunity to see, touch and experience the products that our readers depend on to deliver solutions to their clients.

Not being a system designer myself, I don’t pretend to be capable of providing product advice to readers but I do relish the opportunity to report on new gear. I particularly enjoy coming across a product that I suspect might give some readers a chance to get back in front of existing clients to update and improve their solutions — keeping that integrator-client relationship ticking.

Relationships — There’s also no question that CI is written to integrators, not manufacturers. But you know what is super-important to integrators? Manufacturers

InfoComm is the optimal occasion for me to stay in touch and forge new relationships with manufacturers that our readers may depend on. It’s an opportunity for manufacturers to plant article ideas in my head that they think are important to our readership. It’s a chance for me to emphasize to manufacturers why we try to provide integrators with a voice in CI, what they’re trying to say and to give them a chance to join in the dialog.

Socializing — I’m not talking about having drinks, although that’s good, too.

The social media aspect of InfoComm has exploded over the past few years. Attendees have become so good at connecting and sharing information on Twitter that entire industry seems to collectively gasp when big news breaks. Yes, I am experiencing that remotely but it’s better to be there and be part of the immediate groundswells of excitement and disappointment—and to share it.

All this being said, do I regret not going to InfoComm 2015? No way.

I’ll never give the decision a second thought. If you’re ever in the same situation, I hope you do what I’m doing.

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