InfoComm aims to advance training in the audiovisual industry, unveiling 20 courses it will run at ISE 2009.
The Amsterdam tradeshow, from February 3 to 5 will host instructive sessions covering issues from project management to WiFi networking.
The programme kicks off on February 2 with a one-day course titled PME311: Selling and Managing AV Projects. The training session, led by Bradley Malone of Twin Star Consulting company, proved hugely successful at last year’s ISE and covers the entire lifecycle of a typical AV project. Malone will take participants through a project, from the initial sales call, through system commission, to ongoing maintenance and service. Godwin Demicoli, regional director, Europe at InfoComm, pinpointed the course as a highlight of the training programme and urged companies to invest in the session while it was on offer.
Following the success of last year’s programme, where each session attracted an average of 20 participants, InfoComm has ramped up the series creating the largest training programme ISE has ever hosted.
This year, there are also two dedicated German courses to address the needs of the large German speaking community in Europe.
Demicoli expects another year of strong attendance but admits some companies, looking to cut expenditure may send fewer staff to the event and spend less money on travel. However, he strongly warns against cutting training budgets in difficult times. “There is never any reason for people not taking up training,†he said.
“Training, especially in the AV world is crucial because there is a lot of development in the technology. Also, people need to understand trends – why people want a particular product over another - so there is always a scope for training. All companies say that their main problem is they can’t find trained people. Companies who have invested in training are always doing better than companies that have not.â€
There is also a concerted push to open up the training to a wider range of professionals. “Architects, electrical engineers, facility managers – we are trying to get people who are not just systems integrators, not just working for a distributor or manufacturer. We’re trying to attract other trades and professions who influence and have been working together with AV but are not traditionally considered as being a part of this industry,†concluded Demicoli.
To give you a taster, the InAVate team has selected what we think is the most useful session of each day.
February 2, 2009: PME311 Selling and Managing AV Projects
0900-1700
Seminar Room A, at RAI
This course looks at the entire life cycle of a typical AV project — from the sales call, through the proposal process, into execution and installation, and ultimately to system commission with ongoing maintenance and service. The objectives of the course are best achieved through attendance of an entire team (or multiple roles) from a company so the organisation may experience the lessons together and make real-time decisions regarding how team members sell and manage projects.
Instructor: Bradley A. Malone, PMP, president, Twin Star Consulting Company
February 3, 2009: Large Audio Project Management
1530-1700
Seminar Room X, at RAI
Participants will gain understanding as to how to get contracts right, minimise risk, manage a project programme and prioritise. The information and insights will be valuable for anyone involved with an audiovisual project.
Instructor: Ronald Hemming, consultant
February 4, 2009: The Transport of High Resolution Images Over Networks
1330-1500
Seminar Room Y, at RAI
The course shows how standard Ethernet computer networks can be used for carrying electronic images. The nature of networks and network protocols is reviewed, and this identifies both practical network problems and the need for compression. An insight is given as to how compression works, using the DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) and DWT (Discrete Wavelet Transform) as examples.
Instructor: Robert Simpson, founder director, Electrosonic
February 5, 2009: Rack Evaluation for Supervisors
1330-1500
Seminar Room Y, at RAI
Installation supervisors and project managers will learn how to correctly evaluate their field technicians’ equipment racks using best practice criteria. Topics include proper cable management, signal interconnections, power issues and aesthetics.
Instructor: Scott Wills, CTS-D, CTS-I, director of International Education, InfoComm International