AV gearheads, and me, getting set for InfoComm

May 28, 2010 by Dave Haynes

I’m starting to do my planning and scheduling for InfoComm, which is just a week and a half out now. It’s about the biggest show of the year for the panel, projector and AV integrator guys in this digital signage sector – an event aimed more at the propellerhead and arms and legs guys than it is for media, biz dev and creative people.

I go because I can keep up with what’s emerging on the technology side, which is kinda important if you want to consult with much credibility.

Circumstances mean I am actually in Las Vegas a week ahead of the June 9-11 exhibit. I have meetings there next week and it made more sense to stick around than go back and forth and throw my body for a loop. Plus it allows me to go to the Strategy Institute’s pre-InfoComm conference, which appears to involve a pile of AV integrator-oriented case studies.

So nine days of the dingdingdingdingdingding of slot machines means nine months before the embedded sounds exit my brain.

InfoComm does not attract anywhere near the number of software companies and content provider companies as DSE or the newly-renamed CET World. I kinda get that, but not entirely – as there are a lot of buyers (or more accurately, resellers) coming through the entryways.

If your customer tribe is big retail, banks or pure ad-based networks, not so much. If you sell through reseller channels or to things like churches, schools, museums and the SMB market, this is your event.

So who is there:

On the software side, C-Nario, CoolSign, Chyron, DigIt, Flypaper, GestureTek, Harris, DT Research, Omnivex, Scala, ScreenScape, SpinetiX, Starmount Systems, Tightrope Media, UCView, Visix and X2O. By the way, X20, this is the LAST attempt I make to get a demo/meeting/email response/anything from you guys to get a demo. Have tried many times now, but no love. And I am a fellow Canuck!

On the hardware side, piles of gadget/gear shops selling cables, mounts, enclosures, transmitters, splitters and touchscreen overlays. It is a big show for the display guys like NEC, LG and Samsung.

Christie Digital has always been big at this show because of its projection systems, but this year the MicroTiles that were only shown at a “whisper suite” are out on the floor. Same goes for the laser phosphor screens by Prysm, which were behind closed doors last year under the name Spudnik. Curious to see what that technology looks like.

InfoComm treats its press people well, though the media room in Orlando last year was one long, twisting and turning haul away from the exhibits. This year, InfoComm has taken a cue from DailyDOOH and is doing a blogger lounge, with NEC/VUKUNET as the sponsor. That means comfy seating and wifi steps from the show halls. Me likey.

I have the little Flip cam that my Cisco friends gave me so I will hopefully shoot some vids and post. And I’ll write sightings up as well.

If you are going and want to grab some time, and perhaps a cold adult beverage because it is very hot in June, shoot me a note. Though Vegas is probably a blast furnace by this time of year, it will still be nicer than the heat and 110 per cent humidity of Orlando last year (and 2011).