The countdown to InfoComm is on! We’ve already seen some exciting industry news come out before the show with more on the way soon! This year, from June 4-10, 2016, Las Vegas will be swarmed by AV and IT professionals looking to share their wares or learn about the latest offerings to implement in their organizations.
Each year, it’s so difficult to decide which sessions to attend at InfoComm, as there are so many great ones and not enough time. Although it’s tough to narrow it down, I’ve decided to personally attend the following sessions (below) and wanted to share a few quick thoughts on each. For a complete list of all InfoComm sessions offered, please click here.
Note: Speakers and panel members have not yet been announced for all sessions yet. We’ll update this article as the information becomes available.
InfoComm Keynote
Date/Time:
Tuesday, June 7, 2016 from 4:00 – 5:30pm
Description/Expectations:
This year’s InfoComm keynote presentation is by Stephen J. Dubner, best known as the co-author for the Freakonomics books. The focus will be on the relationship between communications technologies and human behavior. I’m particularly interested in this topic, as I have been a big fan of the recent industry trends of incorporating communications technologies into our workflows and project management techniques. Historically, communications was treated as a separate silo in the workplace. In my opinion, this limited its adoption and implementations. I’m hoping that Stephen Dubner’s insights into how these technologies affect behaviors will shed some light on this dynamic workplace trend. For more information on the keynote and Mr. Dubner’s extensive background, please see the full description here on the InfoComm website.
InfoComm Sessions
The IMCCA Super Tuesday Program
Date/Time:
Tuesday, June 7, 2016 from 8:00am – 3:30pm
Description/Expectations:
The IMCCA, the UC and collaboration industry’s leading nonprofit association, is hosting a number of sessions throughout the week. Additionally, on Tuesday, the IMCCA will be hosting an all-day program that includes the following sessions.
- Overview of Unified Communications & Collaboration
- End User Panel Discussion
- Process For Successful UC&C Adoption
- Expert Commentary
- End User Case Study
- Summary & Conclusion
While details regarding speakers are not yet available, I’m looking forward to what appears to be a day dedicated heavily to end user considerations. We often get excited by the technology itself and neglect to give enough attention to the actual needs and experiences of the users.
Wednesday’s UCC State of the Industry Lunch and Learn
Date/Time:
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 from 12:30 – 2:00pm
Description/Expectations:
The IMCCA lunch and learns are always a treat. Dr. S. Ann Earon (Founding Chairperson, IMCCA) will be moderating this one. While the full speaker list has not yet been revealed, I have heard rumors that Logitech’s Head of Marketing for the Collaboration Business Unit, Joan Vandermate, will be on the panel. Logitech has taken the business video world by storm in recent years, expanding on their historic leadership in the consumer webcam space. Considering how quickly things have been changing in the collaboration space, it’ll be very interesting to hear the panel’s thoughts on the current state of the industry.
Thursday’s State of UCC Lunch and Learn: End Users Speak Their Minds
Date/Time:
Thursday, June 9, 2016 from 12:30 – 2:00pm
Speaker(s):
Mike Bartholomy – Senior Manager Information Security, Western Union
James Basler – Senior VC Engineer and Designer, IAC
Frank Culotta – President, SYMCO and Director, InfoComm
Michael Duda – Program Manager AV Developments, Google
David Maldow – Founder & CEO, Let’s Do Video
Larry Satterfield – AVP Global Enterprise Video Specialist Sales, Cisco
Description/Expectations:
I’m extremely pleased to confirm that I have been invited to participate in this session. Moderator David Danto (IMCCA & Dimension Data) has a way of holding panelists accountable, while moving the conversation along. Currently, there’s massive disagreement regarding the state of UCC. Some view it as a massive success, based on sales and sheer number of implementations. Others view it as a massive failure to deliver on its initial promises of truly unifying our disparate set of communication tools. I look forward to seeing the different perspectives of end users, manufacturers, distributors, and analysts on this panel.
The Huddle Room – How to Find the Right Technology Solutions
Date/Time:
Thursday, June 9, 2016 from 2:15 – 3:15pm
Speaker(s):
Simon Dudley – CEO, Excession Events
Description/Expectations:
The hottest topic in collaboration is huddle rooms. While the thought of turning up 30-50 million huddle rooms with AV equipment has manufacturers salivating, there’s a lot more going on here than simply more collaboration. I believe this area is particularly exciting. Not just because there’s more business video being used in organizations via huddle rooms, but because we’re using it in new and innovative ways. In other words, the fact that we have huddle room video is great, but I want to learn more about how working teams are using huddle room video. I want to hear how it differs from the old meeting room dynamic of the past. Simon always puts on an entertaining and informative session, so I’m really looking forward to this one.
Visual Collaboration and the Internet of Things
Date/Time:
Thursday, June 9, 2016 from 3:30 – 4:30pm
Description/Expectations:
While huddle rooms may be the hottest topic in collaboration, the Internet of Things (IoT) is the hottest topic in all of AV, if not all of technology. As I’m writing this, I saw a new commercial on TV for an IoT doorbell. This device allows homeowners to answer their door via video on their mobile device, whether they’re home or not. The technology is cool, the applications are fun, and the impact on the collaboration industry could be huge.
As always, InfoComm proves to be a can’t-miss event for collaboration technology enthusiasts. This year’s sessions look like they are targeting the key trends and hottest topics in AV for 2016. I’m looking forward to presenting, attending, and bringing you the latest news from InfoComm! Make sure to follow Let’s Do Video on Twitter, as we’ll be live tweeting throughout the event!
