This year I have been paying much closer attention to the industry publications than ever before. Perhaps that’s because I’ve been looking at more articles to write a response to, or maybe because I’ve become more associated with those that are creating content. What I’ve noticed, though, is that we in the AV world seem to love throwing out awards and recognition. Looking at the first 7 months of 2014 we have seen awards for companies overall, companies in specific verticals, individual leaders, individual innovators, and we will soon be seeing a list of younger industry influencers. And I would be remiss if I left out the countless winners/losers pieces that came during and after the InfoComm show.
What I find most interesting about this is the terminology that we seem to jump to each time we hand out the next round of recognition. The products are ‘ground breaking,’ ‘game changers,’ ‘disruptive,’ and most of the other cliché words that we’ve all come to breeze past. The people are ‘innovators,’ ‘influencers,’ ‘game changers,’ and more. Where is the recognition for the reliable, consistent, and standard of AV? The industry leaders that we are promoting in publications are there because they speak out, voice issues, and try to help look to the future of where the industry might be heading. But those same people are supported by literally thousands of professionals that go without mention.
In researching a recent piece that discussed the monetary value of the AV industry, I came to find that the estimated number of AV professionals in the United States, as of 2015, comes in somewhere close to half a million. That number includes those that work for manufacturers, manufacturer’s rep firms, consultants, and dealers. So to be chosen by the publishers as someone of note is an amazing honor, but it also begs the question what about the other 499,900? While they might not be seen as extraordinary, without them there is no industry.
By no means am I trying to take away the honor being bestowed on both deserving individuals and companies. There is an indisputable fact that we, as an industry, have some of the most remarkable people and minds in the world today. Our industry runs such a wide spectrum from technological wizards and artists to genius engineers and beyond dedicated sales and support staffers, with many occasions where a single person embodies multiple qualities mentioned, and they all contribute to the continued success of our more than $1 trillion industry. But I am saying that perhaps the annual efforts to single out the few are getting more attention than the whole.
Awards and accolades are a part of every industry. The standout individuals who establish themselves as thought leaders and push boundaries at every opportunity will always get more notice and recognition because they are doing something different than the collective group. But this is not an industry where people stand alone. This is not an industry where one person does everything themselves. This is not an industry where most people have achieved their success all on their own. We are a tight knit industry where the longest running joke pokes fun at that fact that none of us ever leave AV, but instead just change business cards every five years. This is an industry of independent thinkers and opinionated professionals that are all looking for the best end result possible. This industry, more than most, has a family aspect to it where the most successful companies take care of the employees they have. This industry, when successful, works like a Swiss watch where each member of the project team from the product developers, manufacturer’s support team, manufacturer’s rep, sales team, to the engineers, installers, project managers, and programmers each play a role in pulling off a successful project. Those that have been doing this since the analog age know this old adage becomes increasingly accurate as more people incorporate our solutions into their daily lives: “the only time people mention the AV is when something goes wrong.”
So, while this month’s awards are recognizing some individuals that might stand out from the crowd, isn’t it time that we all take the time to thank our co-workers, reps, manufacturing partners, and compatriots for all the added support that they provide? We are more than just a network of standalone people that come together to accomplish a common goal. We are the ones that pick each other up when the system falls apart. We are the ones that carry each other through the last struggle to the next triumph. That team atmosphere and inclusion should be promoted and lauded just as much as the extraordinary achievements of those helping guide the way.
So for the folks that might not draw the awards, this industry exists because of the work that you put in each day, because of the knowledge you have shared from your experiences in the field, and because you have helped spark the drive for those few selected to keep pushing it forward.
