USAV Blog

USAV Weekly Highlights: September 10th, 2021

Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:

  • September 2021 Newsletter Released

  • 9 New IPP Members


September 2021 Partner Newsletter

The September Partner Newsletter was published featuring a space utilization overview piece from Legrand AV and educational content from Almo, Sharp/NEC Displays, Herman Pro AV, Liberty AV, NETGEAR, Sharp Electronics Corporation, Shure, SurgeX, Jabra, Kramer Electronics and SpinetiX.


USAV Continues to Grow Global Presence with

International Integrators

On September 07, 2021 USAV announced the addition of nine international integrators to its International Partner Program (IPP). The new integrators cover 11 countries to bring USAV’s country count to over 40. The new members include:


MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

10:00 AM 10:30 AM

During this webinar NETGEAR will:

  • Highlight the different models & the differentiated features

  • Give a demonstration of the AV oriented UI

  • Show how to easily configure switches

  • Set up multiple VLANs to support multiple types of network traffic (video, audio, control, etc) across a large, multi-switch network

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Thursday, September 16, 2021

11:00 AM 12:00 PM

Transformative Workplace Solutions for the Hybrid Workforce

Join USAV Vice President Chris Salazar-Mangrum and Mersive CTO and Founder Christopher Jaynes, PhD to find out how Mersive’s intelligent, flexible meeting room solutions support user choice and health in the return-to-work era.


USAV Weekly Highlights: September 3rd, 2021

Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:

  • Commercial Integrator 40 under 40 Class of 2021

  • Mersive Sponsorship Press Release

  • PSA Launched a New Website

  • Labor Day Weekend


Commercial Integrator 40 Under 40 Class of 2021!

Congratulations to our very own Vice President of Marketing & Events Candice Aragon for joining the Commercial Integrator’s 40 under 40 Class of 2021!


USAV Adds Mersive to Sponsorship Program

On August 31st, 2021, USAV announced Mersive Technologies has been added to its sponsorship program. Mersive provides a technology platform for meeting collaboration for local and remote teams. The Solstice lineup supports various aspects of video conferencing, content sharing, active routing, and workplace analytics, expanding USAV's offerings for hybrid workplace solutions.

Mersive will hold a webinar on September 16, 2021, at 11:00 AM MT for USAV members to review Mersive's meeting room solutions.


PSA Launched a New Website

NOW LIVE! PSA is excited to announce the launch of the new and improved website! The PSA team has been hard at work to bring the power of the network to your screen. Explore what's new today!


Labor Day - September 6th, 2021

USAV Offices will be closed Monday, September 6th, 2021.


USAV Weekly Highlights: August 27th, 2021

Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:

  • Monthly Showcase Released

  • Fall Integrators Meeting Registration Opened

  • Last Week for TEC Call for Presentations 2022

  • Jabra Webinar

  • USAV Blog: 5 Ways AV Business Leaders Can Help Employees Overcome COVID-19 Challenges

The August 2021 USAV Partner Showcase was published.

Catch Almo & Jabra’s workplace features, along with Legrand | AV, Sharp NEC, Herman Pro AV, Liberty AV, SurgeX, & Kramer showcase submissions. We have included exclusive member benefits you will want to take advantage of.


Mark your calendars for Oct. 13-15 in San Diego, California, to attend the USAV Fall Integrators Meeting held during the PSA Annual Convention.

General Schedule

Wednesday 10/13

  • Morning Arrive Hotel del Coronado

  • 1:00-5:00PM USAV Welcome New Members And Reconnect With Old Friends

  • 6:00-8:00PM PSA/USAV Welcome Reception

Thursday 10/14

  • 7:00-8:00AM PSA/USAV Breakfast

  • 8:00-10:00AM PSA/USAV DEI Keynote And Q&A

  • 10:15AM-12:00PM USAV Meeting- Key Takeaways From DEI Keynote

  • 1:00-5:00PM USAV Offsite Networking Event And Lunch

Sponsored by ALMO, Jabra, Shure

  • 7:00-9:30PM PSA/USAV Awards Dinner

Friday 10/15

  • 7:00-8:00AM PSA/USAV Breakfast

  • 8:15-9:00AM USAV Panel Discussion On New Business Tactics

  • 9:15-11:00AM USAV Panel Discussion On Key Project Wins and Losses

  • 11:00AM-12:00PM USAV Wrap Up And Final Discussions


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Deadline to Submit Your TEC Presentation: Monday, Aug. 30

 Less Than One Week Remaining to Submit

Live Conference:

May 16 - 19, 2022

Virtual Conference:

May 24 - 26, 2022


Welcome to Jabra!

As we welcomed Jabra to the USAV family, we learned about the products and solutions they offer as well as meeting the sales team that we will work with for all our Jabra project needs.

Presented by: Erich Hitzeman | Director, Channel Sales | Jabra, Michelle Ritz | Jabra, Tim Hernquist | Jabra


5 Ways AV Business Leaders Can Help Employees Overcome COVID-19 Challenges

Many business leaders understand the importance of employee happiness, but focusing on a few key areas may lead to better results and a more energized workforce.

Navigating the past year was a challenge for everyone – and small businesses faced considerable challenges. At Trinity Dynamics, our team is core to what we do, and our goal is to always deliver an exceptional customer experience.

5 Ways AV Business Leaders Can Help Employees Overcome COVID-19 Challenges

Originally posted on CE Pro Editors on 7/12/2021

By: Julie Kolb, Director of Administration at Trinity Dynamics, & USAV Member.

Many business leaders understand the importance of employee happiness, but focusing on a few key areas may lead to better results and a more energized workforce.

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Navigating the past year was a challenge for everyone – and small businesses faced considerable challenges. At Trinity Dynamics, our team is core to what we do, and our goal is to always deliver an exceptional customer experience.

We often refer to our mission – Empower to Power On – as we use our expertise to design and install AV technology that allows businesses large and small to effectively communicate with each other and their customers.

Through the pandemic, our team was needed in unexpected ways: AV technology was not only in demand, but customers needed help setting up and using the equipment. We found ourselves installing new systems, updating software and loading in new equipment – all while simultaneously training whole companies on how to use Zoom and AV technology.

It was both challenging and exhilarating and we were proud to empower our customers with AV technology and know-how for them to power on.

Related: Breaking Down Current Workplace Vaccine Requirements For Integrators

In my role as Director of Administration, I knew I needed to step back and take stock of our own employees and to pay attention to their needs as they worked around the clock to help our customers overcome these new challenges – all while dealing with the effects of the pandemic themselves.

Our small business continued to grow, and that meant our team continued to evolve and grow. I, along with our leadership team, wanted to ensure we served our employees well from a leadership standpoint; after all, our team is core to our business.

Navigating the past year was a challenge for everyone – and small businesses faced considerable challenges. At Trinity Dynamics, our team is core to what we do, and our goal is to always deliver an exceptional customer experience.

We often refer to our mission – Empower to Power On – as we use our expertise to design and install AV technology that allows businesses large and small to effectively communicate with each other and their customers.

Through the pandemic, our team was needed in unexpected ways: AV technology was not only in demand, but customers needed help setting up and using the equipment. We found ourselves installing new systems, updating software and loading in new equipment – all while simultaneously training whole companies on how to use Zoom and AV technology.

It was both challenging and exhilarating and we were proud to empower our customers with AV technology and know-how for them to power on.

Related: Breaking Down Current Workplace Vaccine Requirements For Integrators

In my role as Director of Administration, I knew I needed to step back and take stock of our own employees and to pay attention to their needs as they worked around the clock to help our customers overcome these new challenges – all while dealing with the effects of the pandemic themselves.

Our small business continued to grow, and that meant our team continued to evolve and grow. I, along with our leadership team, wanted to ensure we served our employees well from a leadership standpoint; after all, our team is core to our business.

In doing so, I relied on the core beliefs I’ve long held when it comes to supporting our employees. I’m happy to share those here, in the spirit of helping others provide empowerment to their own teams:

5 Ways to Better Support Employees During COVID-19 Crisis

#1: MANAGE TO WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOUR COMPANY, AND YOUR TEAM

The pandemic caused everyone to be more flexible/lenient for work from home and working different hours so people can take care of family. How we work has changed, and this will most likely continue now that people have become accustomed to this, especially in small business. Having policies as a guideline is good but find ways to creatively work with your team members.

#2: LISTEN TO YOUR EMPLOYEES

Hearing input from your employees means everyone has a voice and can help shape the culture, service levels, customer experience and, ultimately, the success of the company. Also, genuinely listening to their needs means providing a better working environment.

#3: TRUST YOUR TEAM

I’ve always believed if you’ve trained your staff well, then you shouldn’t have to look over their shoulder for everything. You’ve provided them the tools, the training, and they have the expertise. Let them shine. Manage different personalities.

From the top down, not everyone has the same drive and/or motivation, so find out what drives and inspires each person on the team, helping the individual excel helps the team find success.

#4: FIND SATISFACTION IN EMPOWERMENT

Working with employees on where they want to take their future can be hard to pin down in a small business. It can be tough to move up within a smaller company, but it’s still an important conversation to let them know they are integral to company growth. Provide the training and knowledge to your staff so they can grow themselves and let them know you’re proud to invest in them.

#5: SHARE YOUR GRATITUDE

Our team is like a family, and we pride ourselves on treating each other as one. A genuine ‘thank you’ goes a long way, but so does finding ways to let people have a little extra time off, having lunch delivered to their location, or simply pulling the team together for a Zoom social gathering to connect everyone ‘outside’ of work. Little things really do go a long way.

USAV Weekly Highlights: August 6th, 2021

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Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:

  • Call for Presentations Opened

  • New Bandwidth Episode Released: Getting Back to the Show Floor

  • Monthly Partner News Released

  • Summer Strategic Meeting

Call for Presentations Now Open!

It's time! PSA TEC 2022 call for presentations is OPEN! Starting Aug. 1st, PSA is accepting submissions through Aug. 30th, 2021 to complete the education program with content that provides industry-leading knowledge for professional systems integrators in the physical security and pro-AV markets or sessions that will help advance their skillsets within their professional disciplines.

Submit your proposal today!


Getting Back to the Show Floor 

In this episode, we chat with guest David Labuskes, Chief Executive Officer at AVIXA, to talk about live events since attending virtual events became a norm during the pandemic.

Join this conversation and listen to David talk about all the aspects he had to think about when preparing AVIXA’s InfoComm event in October.


The August Partner Newsletter was published featuring a workspace piece from Legrand | AV and Jabar. Along with that we have some educational content from Sharp/NEC Displays, Almo, Harman, Liberty AV Solutions, and SurgeX.


Summer Strategic Meeting

The USAV Dealer Advisory Council (DAC), PMP Council and USAV/PSA Staff met in Denver to hold their annual strategy meeting. In true USAV fashion, fun was had with scooter riding through downtown Denver and catching a Denver Rockies baseball game. Watch for a complete recap of the meeting coming soon!

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USAV Weekly Highlights: July 29, 2021

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Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:

  • NexGen Workshop

  • Fall Integrator Meeting for ISG Members Registration Opened

  • Quarter 1 VIR Statements Released

  • PSA Article: Hiring Integrators in a Hybrid World

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USAV NexGen Education Conference: July 27-29, 2021

USAV and Rave hosted three half-days of highly interactive virtual workshop sessions that introduced tools and resources to grow your professional personality. Putting it all together attendees can utilize the knowledge as a bridge to drive sales and maximize profit margins.


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USAV Fall Integrators Meeting Registration Opened

Wednesday, October 13, 2021 8:00 PM - Friday, October 15, 2021 5:00 PM

Attend the USAV Fall Integrators Meeting held during the PSA Annual Convention. This event is exclusively for USAV Integrated Service Group members and PSA owners and members. It will be held in San Diego, CA in October of 2021. This event offers owners the chance to discuss what is happening at PSA and USAV, learn about new trends in the industry, network with other owners and vendors, and gain access to additional tools and resources to help them in their businesses.


2021 Quarter 1 VIR Statements Available!

USAV INTEGRATORS CAN LOG INTO THEIR MEMBER PAGE TO VIEW THEIR STATEMENT.


PSA Article: Hiring Integrators in a Hybrid World

Be sure to really understand what the company is looking for when hiring a new employee, including whether experience or adaptability is more desirable for a given job.


Check back each Friday for a quick look at that week’s highlights.

Hiring Integrators in a Hybrid World

Originally posted on CE Pro Editors on 7/15/2021
By: Brittany Board, senior channel marketing manager for The PSA Network.

Be sure to really understand what the company is looking for when hiring a new employee, including whether experience or adaptability is more desirable for a given job.


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Give yourself a pat on the back! You survived over twelve months of crazy and uncertain circumstances. Some of us have even been lucky enough to make it through and are now experiencing a need for new hires within our companies.

We are now faced with the question, “how do I hire someone when I don’t know what the workplace will look like in two months, let alone one year?” There isn’t a playbook for this, or a resource guide to help you set up the process for success. All we have is what we know, what we feel, and what we are looking for. The rest are just minor details, or are they?

What We Know

The word of 2020 was “adapt.” We were all required to be flexible, understanding, and willing to think outside the box. We know this isn’t going to change for quite some time. The frequency of changes will reduce and the time between changes will extend, but there will always be a need to adapt.

When candidates are looking for a job, trends have shown that one of the top questions asked is, “Is this job remote?” That is something that is completely up to your company. If your workplace is still shut down, with no hint of opening back up, you can be confident in saying “yes.” If employees are being told that there are discussions about coming back to the office in some fashion, your applicants will appreciate you being upfront about the fact that there is a possibility that they will be required or expected to be in the office at some point.

The last thing you want to do is tell an applicant that the position is currently remote and then change the job requirements once your company decides on a return-to-work plan. That being said, it is important to understand that the workforce now caters to remote employees. There are plenty of jobs posted online that allow and encourage remote employment and not offering flexibility may result in losing great candidates. 

What We Feel

Hiring is hard. The pressure to select the right candidate for the job and team can overwhelm a person. You are responsible for growing your team with successful players. The best thing to do is to take your time. You may be getting pressure to fill the position if your team is already running on a lean crew, but it will be more damaging in the long run to hire the wrong candidate for the position.

Download a copy of our 2021 CE Pro Distribution Guide to gain insight into how companies are adjusting in the coronavirus age and life after with Audio Video Export, MetraAV, DOW technologies, Future Ready Solutions and many more! Download Today!

Similarly, our heads often get muted by the resumes we are looking at. Who has the best education? Who has the most applicable experience? Who has the longest employment period? These are valid questions in reviewing the candidates, but how the candidates get along with you and your team is just as important. 

What We Are Looking For 

We know the skills and experience of candidates can vary greatly. Some can be experts at a software program while others may have completed a single session training video for the same program. If you are looking for an employee who you are expecting to hit the ground running, an expert is what you need to find and you must be willing to pay more.

Related: The Good, Bad, and Tradeoffs of Outsourcing for AV Installers

If you are comfortable training a new hire in the systems used by your company, you will want to reconsider what skills you are looking for and aim to find someone who is coachable, wanting to learn, and has a record of owning new projects to full completion. It isn’t always about the degree of a student, but the projects completed. 

The hiring process has been turned upside down over the past year. Resumes are submitted during all hours of the day and interviews are scheduled for video calls in between meetings. In CE Pro sister publication Commercial Integrator’s recent article “Employees Would Rather Quit Than Give Up Remote Work Flexibility,” it was noted that, “… employers like Google, Ford, and Citi Group have promised greater flexibility…” That change in flexibility doesn’t just apply to the workplace; it applies to the process of finding employees for your workforce. There is a new flexibility in how you structure the position, how you find the candidates and how you select the right fit.  

USAV Weekly Highlights: July 8, 2021

Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:


July’s USAV Bandwidth: Reinventing Leadership Through Collaboration

What if corporations reinvented the way they manage and lead their teams? For the longest time, businesses have followed pyramid hierarchy-based schemes without even questioning them; but there are much more effective, impactful and humane ways of collaborating with others.


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Shure explores how Microflex and Stem Ecosystems give systems integrators an even broader menu of options to satisfy the complete spectrum of their clients’ needs with a guest post on the USAV blog.


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The July Partner Newsletter was published featuring a crowd intelligence piece from Armored Things and educational content from Almo, Legrand AV, Sharp/NEC Displays, Herman IS, Liberty AV, Shure and SurgeX.


Check back each Friday for a quick look at that week’s highlights.

USAV Weekly Highlights: July 2, 2021

Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:


New To USAV! Two members and one vendor were added this week!

USIS Audio Visual Inc.
35 West Jefferson Ave
Pearl River, NY 10965
usisav.net

S&L Integrated Systems, LLC
7 Midway Road
Thomasville, GA 31757
slintegrated.com

Jabra
jabra.com
Jabra is a global brand that offers superior audio and video solutions. They offer the right solutions for consumer, professional, and medical audio technology as well as video collaboration solutions ideal for both office and home.


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Herman IS continued the outsourcing conversation from Jim Scheer’s article in Commercial Integrator with a guest post on the USAV blog.


USAV featured Armored Things is a webinar this week. USAV Members can watch “Crowd Intelligence for Smart Campus Management” by logging into USAVgroup.net.


Check back each Friday for a quick look at that week’s highlights.

USAV Weekly Highlights: June 25, 2021

Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:


We celebrated Father’s Day with two articles from Patrick Whipkey and Chris Salazar-Mangrum.

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Proud AV Dad

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Define: Father


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USAV hosted their monthly town hall on June, 23rd and this time it was all about different ways to communicate both internally and externally. We had the team from Studio Pod join us and give us an overview of how companies are utilizing podcasts as a way to communicate messages internally.


The June Partner Newsletter was published featuring Almo, Legrand AV, Harman, Liberty AV, Sharp, SurgeX, D-Tools, Kramer and domotz.

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Check back each Friday for a quick look at that week’s highlights.

USAV Integrator Townhall: June 23, 2021

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Internal Comms for Hybrid Workplaces

USAV hosted their monthly town hall on June, 23rd and this time it was all about different ways to communicate both internally and externally. We had the team from Studio Pod join us and give us an overview of how companies are utilizing podcasts as a way to communicate messages internally. While podcasts have been around for a while, they shed some new light on what seems to be a traditional form of communication. We discussed company newsletters, interviews of the CEO, company messages and even simple highlights and updates can all be in the form of an audio and or video message. While there was some pushback from some people because there are so many podcasts in the market already, the overall thought was that this is a unique way to engage with employees. We even discussed offering “podcast” studios to your customers and then the service to produce and edit as an add-on. After the presentation, the general group discussion was fun and meaningful as different companies spoke about not only the possibilities but how some are already in the process of creating podcasts. In the end, it was informative and great to connect with everybody. We are looking forward to July’s townhall where we will discuss what’s going on industry-wide and within the walls of USAV and PSA.

Define: Father

By: Chris Salazar-Mangrum, Vice President of USAV


Father’s Day was always an interesting celebration for me because my young mother raised me without a father for the first nine years of my life.  After she married my stepfather, he quickly moved to adopt me and raise me as his own blood, hence my hyphenated last name. My stepfather taught me two main themes about fatherhood: what it takes to be a father and how to raise the next generation of fathers. My stepfather was involved in my activities as my karate instructor and coach of my youth baseball team. These moments grew my appreciation for the importance of being involved in my own children’s lives at the ground level to continue to foster the next generation of fathers.

One addition to the list would be “He Teaches How to Overcome Adversity.” Life is tough and life is unfair, often rooted in what can be perceived as failures.

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We can all relate to times where the world seemed to turn against us, we lost someone special, we found ourselves in a mentally dark place, or we felt mistreated. Right, wrong, or indifferent, my father taught me to not feel sorry for myself. Call it tough love or just the realities of the world, but my many eye-opening failures ended up being the most opportunistic and life-changing events. Perhaps it was the constant reminder to not become the victim of the circumstance, but to take the issue in stride, process it and move on. Feeling the emotions is ok and do not be too macho and hold in the frustration or tears. It imperative to teach and learn  how to let go of the past, reset, and focus on the future.

For daughters, being a father is the opportunity to be a role model and setting the standard for how daughters will view other men. A father who shows love, respect, and care for the women in his life and is nurturing and compassionate can help his daughter avoid unhealthy relationships and friendships with men as she ages.

As fathers, we are role models whether we like or not. I understand and value the responsibility of being a father and hold the magnitude of that responsibility close to my heart. I know how my actions influence and impact my own children and I live with the responsibility of fatherhood as a core value of everyday life.

Proud AV DAD: Celebrate Father’s Day 2021

By: Patrick Whipkey, Director of USAV


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I began my AV career not even thinking about starting a family. I, like many, stumbled into this crazy industry from my love of music and all things technology. I’ve noticed an unspoken trend in this industry, and that is family. There are a lot of us that have either unintentionally or intentionally chosen this career for family reasons. Some had to “get off the road,” others wanted to find a more stable income. Whatever the case is, family is at the center of many of those decisions.

I use the term family with a few different meanings. You could be raising a family yourself, or you could call your co-workers and industry friends “family.” There are a lot of us that spend more time with our colleagues than we do with our family. I think that is the unique thread that bonds us all together. I ended up getting married and having three daughters. The funny thing is, I didn’t think I would ever have three girls. I’ll be honest, empathy and patience are not my best skills and I think that is part of why I now have three girls. Every day I’m learning how to manage not only their emotions but my wife’s and also my own. In business, you learn how to work with different personalities and not only managing your own emotions under pressure but the best can manage others under pressure as well. My family has continued to teach me how to manage the emotions of many. I take these small lessons and I work to apply them in my business communications.

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Being a full-time working father is a daily struggle, but one that I would not change. When people ask, “how’s the family?” I usually respond with, “they are great; it’s a daily circus in my house!” I use that term in an endearing but funny description because right now it is crazy. I have an eight-year-old, a six-year-old and a two-and-a-half-year-old. We are dealing with everything from potty training to helping out with fractions. Did I mention my wife has a full-time job as well? We go from soccer to dance lessons to gymnastics, while also working to grow and excel in our own careers. It’s fun, exhausting, rewarding, stressful and sometimes a downright chaotic state of affairs, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I truly believe that sums up our industry. We all experience those same emotions every year, and that’s why the family thread runs so deep in this crazy industry. We celebrate the victories, we mourn the losses and we band together in times of need. This industry will always have its ups and downs and the key to it all is learning from each experience and growing together to become better people and a better industry.  Yes, I’m a proud dad of three girls and happily married but I am also a proud family member of this technology community.  Thank you for welcoming me into this community and cheers to all the proud dads. Enjoy each other’s company, be good to one another and together our family will grow and be strong.

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USAV Weekly Highlights: June 11, 2021

Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:


Left to Right: Patrick Whipkey (USAV), Chris Salazar-Mangrum (USAV), Katie Blough (USAV), Christie Mitchell (SurgeX), Leo Nickel (ALMO) Dan Fry (ALMO), Morgan Alley (ALMO)

Left to Right: Patrick Whipkey (USAV), Chris Salazar-Mangrum (USAV), Katie Blough (USAV), Christie Mitchell (SurgeX), Leo Nickel (ALMO) Dan Fry (ALMO), Morgan Alley (ALMO)

This week, the PSA and USAV executives met in our office for an Executive Summit. It was two days full of brainstorming, strategy and game plans. The week wasn’t all about work, however. USAV used this time to meet up with some of our local partners, ALMO and SurgeX for a party on wheels (“pedal hopper”). It was great getting to be together with coworkers and partners.


Check back each Friday for a quick look at that week’s highlights.

USAV Weekly Highlights: June 4, 2021

Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:


USAV Bandwidth: Supporting the Next Generation was released on Tuesday.


Kramer held their webinar “Hybrid Education Solutions - Education for Everyone, Everywhere”. Members can login in to watch the webinar on demand.


We welcome the newest member, Creation Networks, to the Buying Group!


Check back each Friday for a quick look at that week’s highlights.

USAV Weekly Highlights: May 28, 2021

Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:



USAV hosted the May Integrator Townhall featuring the Dealer Advisory Council Chair, Jay Kowalski of Red Thread. Jay walked us through creating new solutions with evolving workspaces. USAV members can log into USAVGroup.net to watch the recording.


Check back each Friday for a quick look at that week’s highlights.

From CEPro: "The Good, Bad, and Tradeoffs of Outsourcing for AV Installers"

Opting to outsource work is a major decision for many small businesses, so here are a few things to consider before committing to a strategy.

By: Jim Scheer


We are living in uncertain times. We are in our first modern-day global pandemic, we average a recession every 4 years, and we still have the threat of terrorism on our minds. All of these points in history have stopped our economy in its tracks and all have affected our businesses in various ways. 

Let’s face it, we don’t have the largest talent pool in the world and all of us would agree that it’s hard to find (good) people. Our staff is also typically the most expensive lines on our PNL. Do we roll the dice and hire to grow our company’s or do we look at alternative ways to variabilize our expense structure?

Five years ago, I made the tough decision to start an outsourcing model within certain departments of my company. It meant I was going to move permanent jobs out of the company and hire subcontractors on a contract basis (or hourly). It was difficult to say the least and risky. We just had our fifteenth anniversary and all of our team members were full time. I knew we were going to impact people’s lives, but we had a fiduciary responsibility and I wanted to easily scale the business up or down given the current business conditions.      

Outsourcing has truly worked for my company. We have a process in place, all team members have a regular cadence with our partners, and if/when there is another “event” that impacts our economy…we are ready! When we win that 7 figure job…We are ready!

We have incredible partners in our industry to leverage! USAVHerman Pro AV, countless manufacturers offering support, independent programmers, colleges and universities, trade schools, and of course the unions, to name a few.

That being said, outsourcing is not for everyone. Before you move forward, it’s crucial to compare the pros and cons of outsourcing. And it’s also very important to understand the effect outsourcing can have on company culture.

USAV Weekly Highlights: May 21, 2021

Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:


The AV industry lost an amazing man, John Greene. His daughter said it so well, “He loved his work. There are not many whom are fortunate to say that but he truly did.  He made real connections with people; he could go into a room of strangers and come out with 20 friends; genuine friendships that he valued and talked to us about.  He glowed at the thought of being a mentor to someone.  I wish I could say our grief was contained, but truthfully there are so many hurting right now.  He impacted so many in his path through life.  He was so many things to so many people, and it’s because everything he did, he did with passion and enthusiasm.”

A visitation will be held Friday, May 21, 2021 from 12 to 1:30 PM followed by his funeral mass at 1:30 PM both at St. Dorothy’s Church, 4910 Township Line Rd., Drexel Hill, PA. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Sisters of Mercy in Merion, PA (https://www.sistersofmercy.org/mid-atlantic/donate); Renee’s Rescues (https://reneesrescues.org); or Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center (https://www.pennmedicine.org/giving) would be appreciated.


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In honor of Mother’s day this month, we continue to look at working moms in AV. This week we take a look back at an article from Brittany Board, Marketing Manager, “Work/Life Lessons from Motherhood


The May 2021 USAV Partner Showcase was published.

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For your viewing pleasure! Can you spot USAV?


Check back each Friday for a quick look at that week’s highlights.

From SIW: Insider Intelligence: Work/Life Lessons from Motherhood

Originally posted on securityinfowatch.com on 10/9/2020
By: Brittany Board, Marketing Manager, USAV

5 things my newborn taught me about the workplace


Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

In September 2019, I became a first-time mom to a very active baby boy. Becoming a mom, I knew I was about to learn a new level of love and priorities. What I did not expect, was to learn how to be a better person in the workplace.

My son, having only been alive for one year, has completely transformed my thoughts on what it takes to be successful in my professional career. He has opened my eyes to how I can be a better teammate, advisor and leader. Here are five things I learned:

1. Never give up. I first learned this when I was a young girl, learning how to ride horses. My first horse was a pony and lived up to the pony reputation of being spunky. I ended up with dirt in my face more than just a few times, but each time I landed in the arena, I climbed back up in the saddle and kept going.

As I watch my son learn how to do the smallest tasks, like roll over, take a step or wave, he does not get it right the first time; yet he keeps trying. As a professional, you cannot just try once and then throw your hands up and walk away. You must try again – maybe adjust something that could change the outcome. After a meeting that went over the scheduled time or had more side conversations than actual meeting related conversations, take a moment to reevaluate and set the next meeting up for success. If you do not like how something performed, adjust and try again.

2. Let things be. There are times I must let the dirty dishes sit in the sink, the toys lay on the floor and the books come out of the bookcase. Sure, it messes up my tidy home and gives me more work to do once our little bundle of joy goes to bed, but those things do not matter. What matters is focusing on what is important. When faced with resistance at work, keep the end-goal in mind. Determine if the focus to correct the resistance is worth the change of focus off something else.

3. Think one day at a time. Being a parent is hard work, and it does not get easier as they get older. I thought I knew what tired was, but I have experienced a new level of exhaustion. When things seem out of your control, when you struggle or get stressed, it helps to think that today is just another day. Try giving yourself daily checklists instead of one long list. This will help you prioritize the most important tasks and still get things done.

4. Do not forget the big picture. The milk is going to spill. The baby is going to play in the dog’s water bowl. The toys are going to find a new home under the couch. All the random things that you think will not happen, may happen, but they all mean that there is something bigger going on. The milk is spilt because he is learning about gravity. The dog will need new water because water play is important for development. The toys are missing because I am more concerned about playtime then cleaning up. Take the time to consider the big picture. The small hiccup today does not compare to big victory in progress.

5. You will have to let go. Before I knew it, my son turned one. Just a quick as he entered the world, he transitioned from infant to toddler. I remember saying I never wanted him to grow up, but the more I let go, the more I am seeing him become a caring and passionate person. There will come a time when you might have to let go of projects and take on a new direction, and that is okay. Letting things go does not mean you are giving up or delegating for avoidance. It means you understand that new is good.

USAV Weekly Highlights: May 14, 2021

Here is your recap of what USAV did this week:


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TEC 2021 wrapped up with excellent participation in the NexGen Education! We had members and vendors attend in person as well as virtually. A big thank you to our speakers and sponsors for making this a great event. Check out the on-site coverage from Gary Kayye and the team at rAVe.

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In honor of Mother’s day this past weekend, our very own Katie Blough wrote about her experience as a working mom over the past year.


The April USAV Integrator Townhall: The Challenges Before Us, presented by Almo Pro AV has been uploaded to the member are on USAVgroup.net. If you are an integrator and need access, please contact info@usavgroup.net.


SpinetiX held their integrator webinar on Wednesday. You can watch it here:


Check back each Friday for a quick look at that week’s highlights.