Testing registration at IC23 is now open. The direct link to show testing registration is: https://home.pearsonvue.com/avixa/InfoCommshow

This is the first post in a weekly series where someone from our member services team will post a little known AVIXA fact, something important that not many people are aware of, and more. Make sure to check in every week to see what new and interesting information you can learn (and maybe share with someone else). We will start off with a big one: Did you know...that the InfoComm 23 registration site had a soft launch this week? Registration for the show officially opens on February 14th but why not get a jump start and register early? If you have questions about your registration, feel free to email your account manager directly or create a case with us by emailing membership@avixa.org.

Audiovisual systems administration is complicated and challenging. Deployments rely on several different technology providers to assemble the complete solution, each with its own requirements, software tools and management approach. With the proliferation of AV systems over the last several years, a new challenge is being presented to the AV community: how do we monitor and manage these systems through their lifecycle at scale? While updating firmware on one device by hand is fine, what happens when you need to update 100's or 1000's of devices remotely all over the world. How will you know if there’s an issue with these rooms and how that issue impacts other parts of the system? And how can you make this simpler through specification and standards? Explore these topics and more. This course is designed for anyone who is responsible for the technical management and support of AV systems post-installation, but will also benefit design engineers, programmers, and manufacturers. Register for this course as we explore the future of the AV industry! You will learn to:  Identify the core challenges with AV systems management Explore standard technologies that can enable powerful management capabilities Examine how prioritizing management capabilities during specification can save time, produce better results, and avoid costly mistakes Demonstrate how we can utilize open-source software to monitor and automate AV systems Class ScheduleMarch 29-31 from 1-4 pm EST   Register Now: USD GBP EUR AUD CTS: 9|CTS-D: 9|CTS-I: 9|Max: 9 Frederick LoucksChief Technology Officer Level 3 Audio Visual LLC Frederick is a passionate technology leader with over 10 years of AV industry experience spanning solution architecture, engineering, enterprise technology management, and technology leadership. With roots in live theatre, Frederick is passionate about creating incredible experiences for his customers and colleagues. Often innovating on the bleeding edge of our industry, Frederick has a unique perspective on AV technology and its role in the future of work. A nerd at heart, he has a love for automation, IoT, edge computing, Python, and all things sci-fi /fantasy. He is passionate, cheerful, tenacious, and proud to be on team L3AV.

Seats are still available for the virtual course Mastering AV Service Management (MASM) – the Aspiring Manager Certificate  Get registered before its too late! They're several seats still available in the second group.  Group 2 Introduction (1 hour): Friday, August 26 – 11:00 ESTTutorial 1 (2 to 2 ½ hours): Friday, September 2 – 11:00 ESTTutorial 2 and examination (2 to 2 ½ hours): Friday, September 16 – 11:00 EST Cost List Price/Basic: USD $800  Premium/Elite: USD $720  Instructor  Noel Bruton is a UK-based independent consultant and trainer, specializing in the management of technology support workgroups. He is a bestselling author of books in this field. His experience is sought by commercial and public service organizations, conferences, press and broadcast media around the world. He has been in IT since 1979 and advising corporations on improving IT

Last month, all CTS, CTS-D and CTS-I holders received an email containing a link to a very important survey. AVIXA® is committed to ensuring the CTS exam remains relevant and valuable to you, your clients, and our industry. As part of that commitment, we go through a process called revalidation every five years. During this process, we gather info on how your jobs have changed and work with test development experts and subject matter experts like you to determine if changes are needed to the exams. Earlier this year, we brought together a global focus group of your peers working in the industry to help us better understand the ways your work has changed. As part of that process, they created a new draft of the CTS exam outline. We would now like your input on this draft. Please take a few minutes to review the proposed changes and make suggestions of your own. We estimate that the survey should take less than 15 minutes. After reviewing your feedback, AVIXA, the Certification Committee, and members of the focus groups will work together with our test development experts to determine what changes will be made to the CTS exam. Changes will not take effect immediately and will be communicated in advance as part of the exam update roll‑out plan next year. If you haven't yet, please help shape your industry and take the survey by Aug. 5, 11:59 pm ET Your responses will be kept confidential. The more responses we get, the more reflective of the industry the exam outlines will be. Have questions about this survey? Contact the Certification Office at certification@avixa.org for more information.

If you were interested in taking our August Project Management for AV - Fundamentals course but haven't enrolled yet, I have bad news: it is now sold out! Our next Fundamentals course will be taught on October 24, 26, 31, and November 2. If you are interested, please email mbercot@avixa.org with the subject line: "October Fundamentals".

If you were interested in taking our final CTS-D Prep course of the year and haven't enrolled yet, I have bad news: it is now sold out! We are planning on scheduling our next CTS-D Prep course in Q1 of 2023. If you would like to be contacted when more details become available, please email mbercot@avixa.org with the subject line: "CTS-D Prep 2023".

Have you been thinking lately that you would like get more involved in the industry and lend your expertise in some way? If so, I have just the thing for you: AVIXA councils and committees! Our councils and committees are always looking to welcome new members. Whether you're an expert on a topic or you just want to learn more and chime in when you can, volunteering your time is one of the best and most rewarding ways to get involved. For more information on volunteering, click here. If you have any questions, please reach out to Tyler Lawrence (tlawrence@avixa.org).

Hello, you wonderful AV professionals! We have five virtual classrooms on the calendar beginning in the next two months. In case you are not in the know, they are as follows (courses that are not hyperlinked are not open for registration yet): Project Management for AV - Fundamentals (Aug 15-24) Digital Signage Certified Expert (Aug 16-18) Mastering AV Systems - The Aspiring Manager (Aug 26 & Sept 16) CTS-D Prep (Sept 6-8 & 13-15) Mastering AV Systems - The Operational Manager (Sept 23, Sept 30, Oct 14 & Oct 28) If you have any questions about any of these classes or need help registering, please send an email to mbercot@avixa.org with the class name in the subject line.

Hello, AV folks! This is a reminder that AVIXA will be closed on Monday, July 4th to celebrate the holiday. Your friendly member services team will be back and ready to assist you on Tuesday, July 5th. Have a safe and fun holiday!

The sun is shining. The flowers are blooming. The air is warm. Today is the first day of summer and what better way to kick off the season than by signing up for an AVIXA membership? Individuals can sign up for a Basic, Premium, or Elite membership to get access to our great on-demand training and discounts on virtual classrooms and exams. Your company can even jump on board as a Bronze, Silver, or Gold member to get your whole team involved. You can find more information here. If you have questions, feel free to post them on the Xchange or reach out to member services at membership@avixa.org.