Commercial Integrator + Security Sales July 2024 - 18

PERFECTING YOUR CRAFT
Finding Your Online Community
Whether #avtweeps work out in the field, at home or from an office, all of us need a sense
of camaraderie and support, a place where we can vent and share wins. By Alesia Hendley
THE AV INDUSTRY is unique in
many ways. Some try to compare us
to the IT world, but, although the lines are
becoming more blurred between the two,
AV is different. Integrators are constantly
leveraging different hardware and
software to help create various experiences
across verticals. There are countless
ways to create an experience with AV
applications - from broadcast solutions to
high-end conference rooms in the
corporate realm.
The Latest and
Greatest Technologies
I worked in the house of worship and hotel
spaces for many years before I found the
commercial AV world. At first, I found
it challenging to integrate some of the
latest and greatest technologies that I
had never had the opportunity to get my
hands on in the past. But I would lean on
my coworkers, some of whom had been
in the business for 20-plus years. I'd ask
questions and watch them during setups
and teardowns. To me, it was a part of the
process. If you want to become one of the
best, you have to learn from the best. So, I
was just a sponge, soaking up knowledge.
It led me to grow beyond audio solutions;
the next thing I knew, I was into signage,
lighting, IT infrastructure and much more.
I haven't worked in an office for a little
more than five years. I'm no longer onsite
for 10-plus hours a day with my team.
That means other forms of community
are more important than ever before. That
leads me to the online #avtweeps community,
which is expanding in many facets.
Twitter (now X) and LinkedIn are some
of the most popular social platforms,
especially in the AV world.
But there's something special happening
over on Reddit, a social platform
whose slogan is " dive into anything. " It's
a network of communities where people
can explore their interests, hobbies and
passions. So, naturally, there is a commerJoining
the commercial AV-related subreddit is a fantastic way to remind yourself
that none of us are in this AV space alone.
cial AV-related subreddit. Although many
Reddit users are anonymous, I reached
out to the group moderators to learn
more about the history of the group. I also
wanted to take the opportunity to spotlight
a safe place for others in our world to go to
learn and connect.
The Goal and the Vision
Growing a community is no easy task. And
this group has well over 20,000 members!
So, where did this all begin? How did it
start? " How does anything start? " Moderator
1, one of the original creators of the
group, quips. " I really enjoy audio, video
and control. Talking about new technology,
a different approach or simply enjoying
the small details of a product brings
out a giant grin every time. I'm older now,
and I still get way too excited about the
latest and greatest in our industry. "
Moderator 1 continues, " Look, I don't
know everything there is to know about
audio or video. I'm not some genius
employed by a three-letter company. But I
am a regular dude who enjoys technology,
all these years later. "
The r/CommercialAV subreddit was
created because there wasn't anything on
Reddit that was specifically focused on
18 Commercial Integrator+Security Sales & Integration | July 2024
the AV industry. At the time, there were
manufacturer-specific subreddits, sound
system subreddits, etc., but nothing that
covered traditional AV in its entirety. " My
want or need to pool knowledge is why I
created the subreddit, " Moderator 1 says.
" So that I and others like me could ask
questions, point out cool features and help
each other out. The goal of the subreddit is
to help each other, regardless of company,
brand or otherwise. "
We Love to Debate
In the AV space, we love to debate. Sometimes,
it's all fun and games; other times,
it's just taken way too far. I've seen things
escalate online between #avtweeps. With
very few standards in our industry, it's
easy to argue who's right and who's wrong.
It's common to debate about your preference
versus someone else's preference.
But the r/CommercialAV subreddit was
built on a solid foundation - namely, to be
a friendly and welcoming environment.
" It's been a learning process, but, over
the years, we've tried to be active as moderators, "
Moderator 2 says, " helping set
the tone for discussions, reminding folks
who get a bit too heated that they might
need to cool off and providing different
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Commercial Integrator + Security Sales July 2024

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