Tell 'em about the food

This past week the NYDLA.org was invited to attend the AVIT Summit in New York City. It was very well done. Very well done indeed.

The Stewart Hotel was an amazing venue for such an event, right across the street from Madison Square Garden. I don’t think there is a venue anywhere in the world that competes with “The Big Apple” for meetings or live events.

The AV/IT Leadership Summit is a must-attend for stakeholders making AV and IT technology decisions and those needing to know how these decisions can affect a company or institution. Not knowing can put the health of an institution or facility at risk.

The stakeholder table expanded to include AV/IT technology directors, managers, CIOs, CTOs, VPs, technology engineers, media directors, educational technology directors, and facilities managers tasked with moving an organization forward and shaping the bottom line through technology.

The Summit covered today’s most important AV/IT topics through panel discussions, AV/IT Talks, idea exchanges, and networking opportunities. Once disparate systems now ride on the enterprise network, with some moving to the cloud. We discussed solutions and methods for analyzing data and creating efficiencies. We explored the pitfalls to avoid with networked AV. From control systems to displays to managed services, attendees met with key vendors about the products in the pipeline that could make a real and immediate difference in how we all live, learn, work and play - in the clouds.

Enough “geek speak” for today. Here was my epiphany - the NYDLA.org just attended “A Summit” to discuss how to NOT attend - Summits.

The technology that allows us to NOT travel - technology solutions that allow us to NOT physically attend meetings, or not physically attend a class, or learning of ways to collaborate around the world without the need to travel - required an in-person live summit.

We attended a LIVE Summit - to learn how to NOT attend LIVE Summits.

I love working from home. And I also love going into New York City for the day - and then sleeping in my own bed at night. I LOVE hosting meetings on Zoom with a distributed global workforce. But I also love hosting dinner meetings with staff and clients at Brother Jimmy’s BBQ across the street from Madison Square Garden. Or the Beer Authority, across the street from Microsoft at 11 Times Square. I have a list. Email me for a list of “go to” NYC meeting venues with SUPER fast WiFi and extra wet naps: CEO@NYDLA.org

We need both. We need live, and we need virtual events. Humans need both real and virtual realities.

Technology enables us to live, learn, work and play in the clouds. But we are people. We are humans and we need human interaction. You can do some amazing things with global collaboration technology. But you cannot buy a round of drinks for the table.

When we advertised and launched marketing the AV/IT Summit we stated WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

• AV and IT Managers

• Technology Directors

• CIOs, CTOs, VPs of Technology

• Technology Coordinators

• AV Media Engineers

• Classroom Technology Specialists

• Conferencing and Media Services Directors

• AV and Studio Service Directors

• Multimedia Managers

• Collaborative Infrastructure and Audiovisual Strategy Director

• Facilities Directors

• Other staff involved in AV/IT technology decisions

We should have added Brother Jimmy’s BBQ as “a draw” for the event. It would have sold out twice as fast.

On the 27th of this month, we have another NYDLA.org event, just a few hours south of The Big Apple. It will be an amazing gathering of thought leaders, subject matter experts and amazing vendors from the world of telecom and technology - at The Logan Hotel in Philadelphia. “The Logan” is one of the best venues in the City of Brotherly Love. Oh yes, on the 27th of this month there will be Philly Cheesesteaks at our event.  

We need to remember to tell ‘em about the Philly Cheesesteaks, and the amazing view from the rooftop bar of The Logan. The outdoor heaters will be cranking on the rooftop, of this I am certain.

When hosting live events, always remember to tell ‘em about the food. After all, we are only human.