InfoComm in Background as AV Month 2015 Kicks Off

Officials say they’re looking to ‘reimagine’ best ways to promote and celebrate industry in 2016, sitting out leadership this year.

Did you know October is Sun-Dried Tomatoes Month? Surely, you’re aware the tenth month of the year is Squirrel Awareness Month. Mark your calendars now and find a comfortable hole to crawl into: Oct. 23 is National Mole Day.

And, oh, by the way, it’s AV Month.

For the first time in recent memory, though, InfoComm International isn’t taking a formal leadership role in AV Month, which has developed from a single week into a full calendar page of celebrations and increased awareness of the industry. InfoComm officials say they’re looking to “reimagine” what AV Month is for 2016 but is advocating its members and others in the industry do their part to promote and advocate for themselves.

InfoComm says it doesn’t matter whether it’s October, April or any month in between, it’s always a good time to promote and celebrate the industry, which makes it even more curious that they’ve decided to sit this year out as far as taking a leading role in AV Month planning and activities.

It’s unclear why InfoComm has moved into the background for AV Month this year and it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with for 2016, but InfoComm’s absence doesn’t seem to have dampened the enthusiasm of their members or others in the industry.

Then again, it doesn’t take much to get someone in the AV industry to celebrate, no matter the occasion. As good as they are at installing technology and getting customers to sign service contracts, they do nothing better than partying.

InfoComm is going through a bit of recent transition in its leadership, with a new CFO, VP of member services and VP of learning, so maybe the idea of leading the way on AV Month slipped through the cracks this year as new people took new roles within the association.

Or maybe it was a conscious decision by InfoComm to take a year off from AV Month leadership just to see what happens. Already, InfoComm’s absence seems to be causing some level of confusion, although they remain committed to supporting and advocating for the effort.

We’d love to compile a collection of some of the best AV Month activities, so send us your stories and include photos if possible. It’s always important to make sure those who are doing good things in this industry get the recognition they deserve.

And, don’t stop when October ends. Keep celebrating, promoting and advocating your industry. If you don’t do it, who will? And if young people or those looking to make a career change aren’t aware of just how cool it is to be in the AV industry, how will it survive?

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