And the AV News AV Support Professional of the year goes to…..

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On the 9th February I was lucky enough to be named the ‘AV Support Professional of the Year’ by the annual AV News Awards at ISE in Amsterdam. Truthfully, the news is still sinking in. For a start I didn’t think I would make the awards ceremony having spent the previous twenty-four hours travelling across three time zones, continuing on from my support of the World Government Summit in Dubai.

I have been in the AV industry for the best part of 14 years now, 19 if you include the early years in telecommunication working for a now defunct Marconi Plc. In this time I’ve developed a strong ability to lead and motivate a team through partnership rather than delegation, ensuring we secure the results the client needs time and time again.  The success of the team boils down to the commitment of always adding more value than anyone else, this coupled with the objective to deliver a world-class level of service and keeping communication with our customers paramount has led to establishing satisfied clients around the World.

On an independent level the role of an AV tech requires working unsupervised for many hours, often working under pressure to meet strict deadlines whilst still maintaining the ability to think fast on your feet from task to task. A key attribute lies in having a thorough understanding of the client’s hardware and software offerings and being able to adapt fast when faced with unforeseeable and adverse situations.

So to be awarded AV Support Professional of the Year provides testament to the many other AV professionals in the industry that if willing to put in the work, week in week out, it really doesn’t go unnoticed and in an industry full to the brim of professionals going that extra mile can make the biggest difference.

My award focused in particular on the work I have been doing with Promethean as its lead AV support partner for well over a decade. I have worked closely with Promethean since 2003 and for the past year alone I have been working alongside the UK Channel team, providing both UK and on occasions International AV support. An area in particular that has seen a huge spike in demanded for AV support over the past twelve months has been the UK corporate sector.  During this time I have been working with Paul Dean, Head of Corporate and Government Business who has very kindly put some words together in tribute to the service he personally receives on an ongoing basis.

 “There’s a big difference between an interactive panel just being installed and the support service which Lee Wilson provides. His attention to detail and customer care mean we trust him implicitly to act on our behalf on-site with any customer – and he has had to hold his own with some pretty prestigious names.”

Awards

AV News Av Support Professional of the Year 2016

I’d like to thank Paul and everyone else I have had the pleasure of supporting over the years, not to mention their own continued support in helping AV2events becoming a recognised partner in the AV support industry, with confidence I wish you all the success for 2016 and beyond.

A new signing for Watford Football Club

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WatfordFor over a year now AV2events have delivered the interactive technologies that have graced the grounds at Watford FC, an instrumental and highly valuable addition to the team’s development has been the Promethean ActivPanel, an unprecedented training aid, proving unparalleled when coaching the team.

Since the beginning of season 2014/15 Watford FC have won a total of 32 games, 27 of which gaining them a well earned promotion to the English Premier League.  It is perhaps no coincidence that during this period the Hornets have invested in several Promethean ActivPanels both at their training ground and home ground, a small addition you may say, yet these small addition as any Sports Scientist will tell you are imperative towards the marginal gains and the all important 1% improvement which can often be the difference between winning and loosing.

Fortunately for Watford, this ‘small addition’  proves a huge advantage when it comes to team training and development,  a far cry from of a large chunk of the competition, often still found coaching using technologies more synonymous to the days of Graham Taylor.

Using the ActivPanel the team coaches can now annotate, manipulate and retrieve historical data from past games that once had a place only on the front of the now inutile, paper flip charts and drywipe board.

These days a smooth transition now takes place from the training ground to the changing room. Play can be discussed in realtime, fuelling the team to react more effectively to the valuable half time talks where the weaknesses of the oppositon can be replayed and exposed right before the team on the ActivPanel, this invaluable feedback can then be applied immediately towards changing the course of the second half. Set pieces can be instantly discussed and drawn up during match time, interactively displaying a true representation of the mechanics and positioning of players as a virtual depiction in advance of the real thing. And it doesn’t end there, this captured data can then be reintroduced post-match, analysed and fed back to the team, players can now collaborate with the coaching staff in a technically advanced environment and the results speak for themselves.

Giving credence to the value these displays are now having on the club, Watford’s intention was to utilise the same quality training and coaching aide they have come to love away from the comforts of their home ground at Vicarage Lane.

While this initially appeared straightforward, it came with a major challenge – the flightcase needed to be completed within two weeks ready for their away game against Aston Villa.  A rapid response and deployment was therefore essential, and while being cost effective, the solution had to look extremely professional and contemporary, befitting the Club’s image. For peace of mind, the Club also demanded an advanced 5 year warranty option. With these requirements in mind, AV2events called on the support of their manufacturing partners and stepped up to challenge, delivering a custom flight case solution delivered ready for battle at their next away game.

The signing…

The result was a purpose built portable flightcase to house and protect a 55″ Promethean ActivPanel  incorporating height adjustable RF controlled Rams, integrated laptop shelf, laptop storage and integrated PDU powering the case, laptop and any additional peripheral devices all housed within a small footprint suitable for transport to and from away games.

So as their honorary life President Sir Elton John would say no “Sad Songs”, just a winning signing for Watford FC!

Interested in how we achieved this? – click ‘here‘ to get in touch

or

Send us a direct email to enquiries@av2events.com

 

This month we featured in the European edition of the Commercial integrator

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This month the good people over at CI invited us to open our doors and share an insight into the life of AV2events and what makes us tick. Were fully aware that everyday your eyes are sure to bleed trawling through the many interviews with AV integrator CEO’s beating their chest and declaring war and peace on the industry along with the ubiquitos admissions of their ‘fantastic’ year so far and almost sub rosa USP’s, so we opted for the less sardonic lighthearted approach which hopefully may inject a flash of humanity into your day! Click here and enjoy!

 

 

Now accredited by Control4 an industry leader in Home Automation Technologies

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We recently, successfully, undertook the week long Control4 Installer training programme. Not for the absent minded the course involved complex programming modules in conjunction with the Control4 controller MH800, the controllor which provides the brains behind many automation circuits both applicable to Home Automation and Building Control,  the controller works the magic and allows all the devices and components you are accustomed to, many of which you already own, works seamlessly together via the touch of a button, on demand. Control4 creates environments that enhance your life and work with added comfort, savings, convenience and peace of mind. Such automated circuits can range from but are not limited to-

Distributed HDTV – Lighting Control – Distributed Audio…….to any room/space in your home. Control4 Dimmers and Switches easily replace existing light switches, or plug into outlets to offer complete control of your lights and electronic equipment without construction hassle.

HVAC control – Curb your monthly bills and ease your eco-conscience. Advanced temperature control is a simple and affordable addition to any home with Control4.

Security Control – Know when your kids get home or if you have a water leak, even when you’re at work, with Control4’s locks, doors, and advanced home security solutions.

Once installed  you can control virtually anything, and you get to decide how you want to control them: a remote, a keypad, a touch screen, third party devices via Control4 App control (iPad, iPhone,Android)… And yes, some come with cameras, too!

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AV2events to support the Wall of Silence debate @The Chamber, City Hall, London

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AV2events were honoured to have been asked to support a fantastic movement ‘The Wall of Silence’. This event will give young people the opportunity to discuss youth violence with some of London’s most influential decision makers and campaigners. It’s a chance for people to share their views on key issues as to how trust can be built and relationships improved between young people and the police, something many people feel passionate yet uncomfortable discussing.

The event will be facilitated using Prometheans ActivPanel and ActivExpression devices. The ActivPanel will be used to display and then articulate results returned via ActivExpression handsets during the live voting session.

Wall of Silence Flyer

 

AV2events – your best BETT for event support

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As BETT, the world’s largest educational technology exhibition, prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary – AV2events is preparing to support no less than 10 exhibitors as their official AV installation partner.

Responsible for the full AV set up and post-show breakdown of kit, during the four day event AV2events will also be on hand to provide technical support on the stands.

Lee Wilson, AV2events Director, explains: “BETT is one of the busiest events in the education sector calendar. The biggest challenge is making sure all the kit is installed and working ahead of the show opening – and then keeping it running. Our clients will be showcasing new technologies for the first time, and it’s our job to ensure it all runs smoothly.”

AV2events will be providing specialist event support to the following:

  • Promethean Ltd
  • Oxford University Press
  • Hodder Education
  • BrainPop
  • AssistiveITSolution Partner to Strategic Transitions Inc USA
  • DramaForum Finland
  • Scandec Norway offsite event @ Covent garden
  • Boardworks UK
  • Doga College Turkey
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica UK

>> Learn more here