Last month, the largest annual exhibition and conference for the commercial audiovisual (AV) and information communications industries brought AV professionals from across the globe together again to connect, learn and celebrate a resilient industry on the cutting edge of technological innovation. 

Held June 10-16 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., InfoComm 2023 hosted a vibrant week of showcasing innovative products and solutions, a wide-ranging education program and numerous networking events while enjoying a strong surge in attendee and exhibitor participation. 

According to officials from the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA), which produces InfoComm trade shows around the world, total registrants for InfoComm 2023 reached 36,639, with the show welcoming 29,325 verified attendees from 115 countries, as well as 700 exhibitors spanning 358,700 square feet. International attendance made up 20% of the show’s participation, while 37% were first-time attendees.  

In 2022, InfoComm welcomed 19,681 verified attendees from more than 110 countries and 522 exhibitors covering 294,500 sq. ft. at the Las Vegas Convention Center. 

“It’s been an incredible week at InfoComm 2023 – seeing the power of such creative minds come together to show off pro AV solutions that enhance our world,” said David Labuskes, CEO of AVIXA. “To witness an industry evolving in real-time is so inspirational. I know attendees will head home with countless new ideas and business connections – supercharged for months to come.”

This year’s show shined a spotlight on emerging technologies, including augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual production. Leading industry experts dove into these topics in the event’s vast education program, while solution providers showcased the technology in action on a bustling showfloor displaying a massive array of pro AV products and solutions. 

In addition, AV professionals with their goals set on earning the leading pro AV credential took the Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) exams at InfoComm. A total of 156 professionals earned their CTS at the show. 

Show highlights included: 

Virtual Production in Action: InfoComm attendees were able to get a first-hand look at how virtual production works at The Unreal Ride, A Virtual Production Experience Presented by Vū, Unilumin and MRMC. Featuring a Jeep where two participants could ride through newly created virtual worlds specifically designed for InfoComm 2023, the ride allowed attendees to experience a blend of the physical and virtual worlds through a combination of the latest innovations in virtual production technology, including advanced LED panels, a motion-controlled camera, camera tracking and virtual environments created with Unreal Engine, and lighting optimized for virtual production. 

A Deep Dive Into Emerging Trends: Led by Pete Coman of PTS Consulting, “Emerging Trends” was an annual review of the industry’s latest technology advancements. The half-day program took attendees on an exciting journey to discover how technologies such as AR, VR, NDI, Dante AV, wireless collaboration solutions and other emerging technology set to revolutionize the way people connect and collaborate. 

The day began with the session “Beyond Reality: Exploring the Future of Work with Virtual and Augmented Reality,” led by Linda Gedemer of AlphaTech, followed by Oliver Van Camp from Barco and Christopher Jaynes of Q-SYS presenting “Unleashing the Power of Connectivity and Collaboration: A Glimpse into the Future.” Paul Harris from Aurora Multimedia then discussed “Revolutionizing the Workplace: The Future of Audio Visual & Control Technology,” and the program concluded with “NDI and Dante AV: Which one is the real AV superhero?” with Paul Richards of PTZ Optics and Will Waters from Audinate. 

“The education program at InfoComm 2023 [demonstrated] the endless possibilities of pro AV technology,” said Annette Sandler, AVIXA director, live content, U.S./Canada. “Attendees [could] take classes on specific technologies they need to learn more about and different applications and case studies for projects that they’re working on. Our Emerging Trends program is a must-attend for anyone wanting to know ‘what’s next’ in the ever-evolving world of pro AV.”

Emerging Tech Takes Center Stage

InfoComm 2023 hosted more than 100 hours of education on critical pro AV topics, including emerging technologies such as AI. 

At the show’s Technology Innovation Stage, Diversified Communication’s Stephen Jenkins and Blaine Brown presented “The Impact of AI: How AI Will Enhance and Transform the Industry,” which explored AI-powered collaboration solutions and revolutionary cloud services such as OpenAI and Microsoft Copilot. They also discussed the imminent shift from “preventative” to “predictive” maintenance through AI-enabled analytics leading to self-healing capabilities. 

During “Integrating Tools to Make the Workplace More Useful: AI and Smart Technologies,” Brad Sousa of AVI Systems discussed how AI and smart technologies can enhance meeting and workspaces, concierge services for individual employees and security tools – all using sensors, IoT, occupancy and access control to correlate data. 

“There were so many highlights from the show,” said Rochelle Richardson, AVIXA senior vice president of expositions and events. “If you ask 10 different attendees, you’ll surely get 10 different fantastic answers: innovative products and solutions, experiential components, education, integrated experience tours and so much more.”

She added, “There are numerous people that work together to make a big show like InfoComm a success – exhibitors, sponsors, attendees, speakers, media, the Orange County Convention Center, Freeman and the AVIXA staff. We thank you for all your hard work and dedication to the show.”

InfoComm 2024 will return to the Las Vegas Convention Center June 8-14. 

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