That Wasn’t SWAG!!! Theft at InfoComm 2014

In working with the AVNation crew at InfoComm 2014, part of the experience was interviewing manufacturers at their booths to discuss their technological developments.  On the second day of the show I wearily made my way down to the InFocus booth to check out the latest and greatest from this staple of the projector and display manufacturers.

As we made our way around the booth discussing the various products, we made sure to stop off at the LightPro 1140 series LED projector series.  These lamp less projectors are targeted at the road warrior business traveler that needs to have some kind of larger display at arm’s length at all times.  Not terribly bright at only 1000 lumens, but serves the purpose for when you’re trying to make sure people don’t have gather around your laptop for a presentation.

Coming from a manufacturer’s perspective it takes a lot of time and energy to prepare for a show of this size.  A lot of man hours and money are invested to ensure that each product is shown off in a way that demonstrates capabilities and entice the attendees into partnerships.  So when I found out that one of the 2 LightPro projectors InFocus had brought to the show was stolen during set up I had three initial thoughts.  First, that’s just horrible for InFocus and I hope that whoever took the projector is found and prosecuted.  Second, this is the perfect demonstration of just how portable and easy it is to transport this projector.  And third, it can only be imagined that this is something that happens every year.

In a show with 37,000 attendees and hundreds of local staff to support the facility, where millions of products are exhibited it has to be accepted that somewhere there will be at least a minor amount of theft.  I know that booths have lockable closets or kiosks to store their product in the off hours, but when the floor is open the devices can’t be watched every second and something small and light weight can easily disappear.

In the grand scheme of things, the cost of one stolen projector won’t be a deterrent for a manufacturer to continue to exhibit at InfoComm, but it does make you wonder if, as we move towards smaller and smaller devices, there will be less physical product displayed at the show for fear that it might grow legs and walk away.  InfoComm is the place manufacturers come to show their wares and many people come to see the products that they don’t have the opportunity to see elsewhere.  That part won’t stop, but if the products can’t be secured, there may be that second thought about what product they show in the future.