AVL’s Evolution – Are You Ready for 2022?

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To start the year, I want to share some interesting trends we're seeing in the AVL (Audio, Video, Lighting) industry that will impact how we all do business in 2022. I’d also like to update you on our role in today’s industry, as all of us – equipment manufacturers, dealers, integrators, and end users – are in this together. Are we all ready for the journey?

2022 TRENDS AND WHY THEY MATTER

Live event technology is now enabling better AV for all applications.

Despite the disruption of many live-only events in the past two years (and those will come back stronger), a key trend now is the incorporation of “live” staging, audio, and video technology into many AV applications. Hybrid events are a key part of the future, where an in-person audience shares the event with remote attendees in addition to interacting in real-time. We see this already in worship services and sporting events. In addition, the technology and culture of entertainment events like concerts are increasingly informing the design of corporate and worship events. Higher quality production translates to more engaged audiences.

AV and collaboration are converging.

For years, the “convergence” of AV and IT was a constant source of speculation in the installed AV world. Quietly, it happened, without too much fuss. Now, the convergence of AV and UC (unified communication – the technical part of collaboration) is key. We’ve now moved much of installed AV – sped up by the pandemic disruption – from legacy point-to-point AV switchers to integrated camera-mic-Zoom/MS Teams/Cisco hybrid ecosystems. This now means that audio needs greater care in AV design since collaboration is so audio-centric. It also means that with UC added into the mix it’s a new opportunity for industry growth, in every vertical from enterprise AV to house of worship to higher education to healthcare.

The lines between traditional AV verticals are blurring.

What does that mean? AV/IT/UC convergence now means that similar technology solutions can be a good fit for users in churches, schools, healthcare, businesses, government/civic spaces, as well as live production and entertainment. Each of those markets still has unique buying habits and needs, but increasingly we are seeing products and technology being used similarly for multiple use cases – the market and need for technology are growing overall.

As we reflect on the above trends and prepare for new ones, the SoundPro team is excited to continue to provide the expertise, forward-thinking, and high-quality gear needed to help navigate 2022 and beyond.

Growing Together through Unusual Times

SoundPro accomplished quite a bit in 2021 – and became a stronger company, with the goal of helping our customers, manufacturers, and each other. We’re healthier for it and excited about the new muscles we built in 2021 that we will continue to build on in 2022:

• We’ve expanded our capacity. We added new brands and products in 2021 in addition to focusing on logistics excellence and leveraging technology to increase capacity as SoundPro grows. We also expanded our teams across the board – logistics, sales, purchasing, accounting, marketing, and executive – to meet our customers’ and vendors’ needs.
  
  
• We’ve adjusted quickly – where and when needed. The supply chain offered unprecedented new challenges in 2021 that I’ve not seen before in this industry. With our additional capacity and creative purchasing, we were able to move quickly when needed to go to market differently than in the past – bringing in alternative products and brands when needed and responding quickly (and creatively) to customers’ needs.
  
  
• We’re even more educated. We’ve taken the time and resources to ensure that our team members continue to grow their AVL knowledge and industry certifications. In 2021, 100% of our sales and sales management team became Shure Stem, QSYS Level 1, and Allen & Heath dLive Level 1 certified (just to name a few). Check out our team page to learn more about the impressive backgrounds and certifications of our talented team of industry professionals.

WHAT'S NEXT - THE BOTTOM LINE

As we enter 2022, we all know that many things will continue to evolve around us. At SoundPro, we will continue to invest in our people, our relationships, and the technology necessary to support the evolution of the industry. We will continue to expand our knowledge to help you curate the right solutions to solve your needs. While the past few years have been painful for all of us, I strongly believe that the industry will be stronger for it. Thank you for joining us on this journey and for the opportunity to continue to earn your business.