AVIXA CEO Labuskes: InfoComm Going Ahead In October Unless Local Restrictions Block It

September 9, 2021 by Dave Haynes

AVIXA CEO David Labuskes said barring government intervention – like local or county shutdowns – the InfoComm trade show his organization puts on is going ahead in late October, in Orlando, FL.

“We believe that holding this event is the right thing to do,” he said, talking today on a YouTube livestream with AVNation’s Tim Albright.

He said he recognizes that there will be any number of people who will decide this is not the year for them to travel to the show, and he respects that decision.

Asked about big exhibitors dropping out (like Sony and Digital Projection), and others scaling back, he said the show is not defined by individual exhibitors. He noted there are 417 exhibitors registered for the show next month. That is less than half of the 2019 exhibitor count, but probably more than many would have expected. He also said “almost assuredly” some other exhibitors were going to drop out.

Labuskes said that the expectation is 24,500 people at the event, down massively from 44,000 in 2019, but logically so given the circumstances. The forecast was at 70% of 2019, but then dropped to 60%.

How many of those registrants show up is a big who knows, he stressed, but it will nonetheless be a “vibrant” event.

Asked about speculation that AVIXA is in financial trouble because of COVID-cancelled or constrained shows, Labuskes said  the organization has long been careful in spending and has rainy day savings being used now that it’s been pouring for 18 months. He conceded it has been rough, given 90% of AVIXA revenues come from live events, and it forced layoffs of people they didn’t want to lose.

“We are fine as far as the viability of AVIXA as a business,” he told Albright.

 

 

 

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