I am sad to say I will no longer be with Commercial Integrator after this week. I’m leaving the AV industry behind to start a new chapter in my career.
When I came into the industry almost eight years ago it was a fluke. My father heard about a job opening as an editor that sounded interesting. I had no journalism training, but the interview went well and my predecessor Tom LeBlanc hired me.
Like most people on the outside, I had never heard of the integration industry. I had never even contemplated its existence. I passed by a video wall, speaker, or security camera with no curiosity as to how it got there. I certainly never imagined there was an entire industry dedicated to it.
When I started covering the integrators a new world opened up. Suddenly I was at the cutting edge of technology. I was writing about IoT before any of my friends had heard the term. I was learning the benefits of data and analytics when most people I knew didn’t realize Facebook was paying attention to what they liked and looked at. I actually knew what 4K meant when it was time to buy a new living room TV.
I went to my first InfoComm and it was like stepping into Willy Wonka’s Technology Factory. The scale and sophistication in each booth was overwhelming, and by the end of the day I had heard so much about technology I felt drunk – and not just because it was in Vegas and every booth wheeled out a happy hour cart of wines and beers at the end of each day.
Endless possibility. That’s what I took away from the show. This was an industry that was pushing the capabilities of the human race forward exponentially. Manufacturers created ever-evolving tools to help us communicate, and integrators pulled them together in novel and exciting ways. I was hooked.
Seven years later I leave with incredible experiences, and having met many of the intelligent, kind, hard-working individuals that make this industry so great. I grew in my career and ultimately took over Commercial Integrator. With that, I hope I’ve earned the right to offer one bit of advice:
The last year has changed the way businesses look at technology. It’s no longer reactionary, it’s proactive. Technology is an integral part of business plans. Which presents an opportunity for integrators to finally get a seat at the table. To become partners to their customers and help develop long-term technology strategies based on the way each company works best. I can envision a future in which everyone knows what an integrator is because the integrator is the most important consultant the company hires.
It will only happen, though, if you demonstrate the value you can bring to companies. Show them what I’ve seen – the endless possibilities of technology. Make them understand how valuable the integrator is.
I’ll be keeping an eye out for the day when integrators reach their full potential. Don’t let me down.
