Last month, Las Vegas played host to InfoComm 2024, an exhilarating convergence of innovation in audiovisual communication technology. Spanning several expansive convention halls, this year’s InfoComm welcomed 30,271 attendees and exhibitors from 125 countries around the globe, each contributing to a tapestry of cutting-edge advancements and transformative ideas.

Keynote Address Delivers Powerful Insights: “Everything Has Changed”:

One of the pivotal moments at InfoComm 2024 was the keynote address focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and its transformative impact on communication technology. Q-SYS CEO Joe Pham took the stage to discuss groundbreaking applications such as AI-driven analytics for optimizing video conferencing, intelligent automation in content creation, and predictive algorithms enhancing real-time decision-making. In his follow-up seminar, Pham also delved into ethical considerations surrounding AI deployment, sparking insightful dialogues on privacy, bias mitigation, and the evolving role of AI in reshaping collaborative environments.

Immersive Technology Showcase: Exploring the Future at the Convention Hall

Navigating the expansive convention halls at InfoComm 2024 was a sensory overload of technological marvels. Booths glittered with state-of-the-art displays, immersive audio demo rooms, and interactive products that showcased the limitless potential of modern communication technology. With 833 exhibitors across 407,000 net square feet of space in the West & Central Halls of the LVCC, attendees were treated to a showcase of the latest innovations from established industry giants, emerging startups, and international innovators.

Key Trends and Innovations Explored:

The convention featured 200+ educational sessions, workshops, and panels exploring key trends and advancements in audiovisual and communication technology applications. Beyond AI, renowned speakers and experts delved into several key themes that define the future of communication technology:

• Hybrid Events: With the global shift towards remote work and digital connectivity, InfoComm 2024 highlighted innovations in hybrid event technology. The DTEN Vue Pro Smart Camera System was a standout product, winning the Best of Show award . This system, designed for seamless integration with DTEN D7X series, enhances hybrid meeting experiences with advanced AI features, providing superior video quality and intelligent framing to ensure all participants are clearly seen and heard​​​.
• Sustainability: Addressing the urgent need for eco-conscious technology solutions, InfoComm 2024  debuted its program focused on advancing sustainability in the Pro AV industry . Featuring the new AVIXA Sustainability Advisory Group, SAVe Certification Workshop, and show floor tours of manufacturers and exhibitors dedicated to sustainability. Sharp NEC Display Solutions highlighted their sustainable display products, including ePaper displays with significantly lower power consumption and recyclable materials. Additionally, the SDVoE Alliance showcased AV-over-IP solutions that promote sustainability through reduced power consumption and smaller form-factor products​​​​​.
• Immersive Experiences: The convention hall buzzed with immersive technologies that transported attendees into virtual realms and augmented realities. Fujifilm presented a fully immersive 360° booth experience with walls, floor, and ceiling projections using their FP-Z8000 projectors, creating a truly all-encompassing environment. Christie also showcased their award-winning MicroTiles LED technology by wrapping a piano in MicroTiles, while also demonstrating the latest in high-performance video walls and projection mapping.
• Collaboration Tools: Enhancements in collaboration tools were a focal point, with advancements in AI-powered conferencing solutions and interactive whiteboards that fostered seamless communication and collaboration across distances. KUDO showcased their AI-driven simultaneous interpretation services , which allowed attendees to experience real-time language translation on their smartphones, breaking down language barriers and enhancing global collaboration. Additionally, Microsoft introduced new Teams Rooms and device updates, enhancing meeting intelligence and workplace solutions to support hybrid work environments.

Looking to the Future:

As InfoComm 2024 drew to a close, the buzz of excitement lingered, carrying with it the promise of a future where AI continues to revolutionize audiovisual technology. The integration of AI promises to enhance user experiences with intelligent automation, personalized content delivery, and seamless integration across platforms. Looking ahead, the industry is poised to embrace AI-driven solutions that not only elevate functionality but also redefine how we connect and collaborate in an increasingly digital world.

More than just a convention, InfoComm 2024 was a testament to the relentless pursuit of innovation and the boundless possibilities of technology. As we reflect on the advancements and insights shared, one thing remains clear: the future of communication technology is bright, driven by AI’s transformative potential and the collective ingenuity of industry pioneers. We can’t wait to see what’s new next year in Orlando, at InfoComm 2025!

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Another year at a showcase of the best in broadcast. At least that’s what I like to call it.  

NAB 2024 was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, this year with a show attendance of approximately 61,000 professionals registered. This is a dip from last year’s attendance numbers but an increase for first-time attendees who represented 54% of attendees.  

The event itself is always intimidating for first-time attendees as the convention halls by themselves are absolutely enormous, let alone 3 that are filled with vendors and manufacturers and that is not inclusive of all the additional meeting and learning spaces located on other floors and in nearby hotels. The renovations taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center did make the convention halls feel even more spread out than they typically are but the way the exhibition halls are organized and categorized by production division always makes it more manageable.  

There seemed to be more of a focus on booths than on stages like the last few years as larger vendors, like VizRT , had their own stage and presentation schedules to highlight updates, workflows, and collaborations. This move to vendor stages make the free exhibit hall passes worthwhile, but I could also understand how this could further confuse newbies to NAB since the schedules for these specific sessions are not found on the NAB mobile app or on the website since it is not technically put on by NAB. 

The National Association of Broadcasters conference is truly an indication of the heartbeat of our industry and a look into what is not only possible but actually implementable.  

So what were the latest trends out of NAB? 

Trend 1: Pro AV & Broadcast Tools 

Pro AV is using broadcast tools. For people in the Pro AV world, you might be thinking: “Duh. This isn’t news.” Well, I would like to inform you that the broadcast world didn’t really want to fully acknowledge it until this year when someone spelled it out on the main stage and someone in the audience chuckled. Many more vendors were accustomed to hearing about conference room workflows and integrated their gear for those use cases. If you work in Pro AV, I would also instruct you to consider making a pilgrimage to NAB to scope out the gear since many vendors admitted to significantly scaling back their displays for Infocomm. Maybe this narrative shift will change their minds, maybe not. But you could be missing out on a solution.  

Zoom had a presence at the OfficeHours booth in Central Hall as Andy Carluccio, the man behind ZoomISO and all the wonderful new API additions, made several announcements that piqued the interest of our team including continued advancements on multilingual workflows, the new Liminal app “Tiles” and Zoom Rooms Pro AV feature expansions to include Dante, NDI and hardware expansion cards. 

Microsoft Teams had their usual spot out near Epiphan where they integrate into their cloud system. But no major updates from Teams or Cisco Webex were present on the NAB Show floor. 

In addition, one-man-band kits for the AV world were prevalent all over the show floor, many trying their shot at Blackmagic’s ATEM Mini, with a bit more function and a few more features. Traditional TDs would appreciate the addition to the tiniest little T-bars I have seen in my life and a mix of both SDI and HDMI inputs, sparing a possible need for converters for that pesky mix of SDI cameras and presentation PCs.  

Trend 2: SPMTE 2110 & IP Video 

I have been to the last two NAB shows and I wish the Vegas Strip had prop bets on industry trends because I would be up. IP and SMPTE 2110 infrastructures have become more common in large broadcast operations. After a rapid surge of technological advances, we seem to have hit a stabilization point, a safe enough time to get gear that should have a shelf life that won’t become irrelevant too quickly. Blackmagic Design continues to pivot hard into the space to force the larger manufacturers to take an inward look at their pricing models. 

In terms of IP and streaming some manufacturers, like Sony and Teradek, have created their own protocols that are faster than open-source protocols, like SRT. However, it requires you to exist within their proprietary ecosystem.   

RIST and JPEGXS are the other protocols that have begun to pick up steam after the pandemic stumbling block and navigating around the SRT surge. More and more manufacturers and developers are now beginning to prioritize work with these protocols.  

I brought up AV1 a few times to try and peek at roadmaps and was shut down so many times I stopped asking.  

Trend 3: NDI 6 

Newtek’s newest update to NDI deserved its own trend space rather than to be bundled up into IP workflows. NDI 6 was the bell of the ball this year. NewTek announced their open Beta right before NAB and the first feedback has been brow-raising.

Announced new features include:  

• Native HDR and 10+ bit color support.  
• Meets broadcast industry demands for professional-grade video streaming over IP.  
• Broad compatibility with support for PQ and HLG formats, extending streaming to most HDR and non-HDR devices.  
• WAN connectivity embedded into cameras through NDI Bridge utility for hardware.  
• Enable sending encrypted NDI streams over a WAN for secure, remote real-time collaboration.

More features and updates are to be announced from the roadmap, but the creator of NDI did tease the roadmap for NDI audio during a presentation at the VizRT booth on Sunday.  

NDI’s software is free and was prevalent throughout the entirety of all 3 expo halls. Every workflow has at least one compatibility or another. It is a low-cost, high-reward solution for video production.  

BUT  

You need to work with your IT team to integrate NDI. For high performance, it should be set up on its own VLAN or even its own independent network. NDI uses multicast traffic and when using full bandwidth NDI it can affect the entire network.  

You may have heard of NDI|HX3. Full NDI provides the highest quality of video transmission, while NDI|HX3 offers a balance between image quality and network bandwidth making it an ideal option for use cases where network bandwidth is limited. But it is not always available for certain hardware or software workflows so make sure you do your research about what version of NDI the software or hardware you are looking into implementing. 

Trend 4: Cloud Tools 

Everyone has developed a cloud tool or acquired and bundled cloud tools. Every major broadcast manufacturer now has a cloud production model in one form or another. From Grass Valley to Ross Video, it was no longer a flex but an expectation that the biggest booths were not highlighting just a video wall or a large jib but a variation of screens displaying active low latency cloud environments that are not theoretical but battle-tested. Cloud-native SaaS is now the norm for most large-scale broadcast vendors in one way or another.  

I spoke about cloud production briefly the last time I was at NAB. The smaller HTML5 graphics products, some with simple NDI integration, have all landed themselves with integrations within the big players and continue to expand their reach. If you are looking for a way to streamline graphics for productions and have not looked at the different HTML5 tools available, the VizRt Flowics product is very robust but there are plenty of smaller players with fewer bells and whistles.  

The saturation of smaller cloud tool companies has been snatched up and integrated into larger systems/companies allowing for more flexible and bundled services. For example, Backlight, a postproduction cloud service, now comprises of iconik, Celtx, cineSyne, Gem, Wildmoka, and Zype. Standing alone, Wildmoka is just a browser-based clipping tool but when tied into iconik it includes a post-production review process. Alone they are not much to talk about but together a powerful combination for a post-production team experiencing the burn of the content churn. 

Trend 5: LED, XR/AR & Virtual Production (VP) 

Demonstrations of virtual sets and tight-pitch LED walls took up significant square footage at NAB 24, showing the interest and strides made in the virtual production (VP) space over the past few years. Our team got a chance to view two different systems up close and personal: one from Unilumin and Vū and another from Planar and OptiTrack. Unilumin showed off its sophisticated LED technology in collaboration with Mark Roberts Motion Control (acquired recently by Nikon) with “The Unreal Ride.” Our own Jeff Eggleston got to experience this epic demo with motion cameras flying around on a virtual set while sitting in a car to enact a high-speed and dynamic scene. Back at the Unilumin booth, their team demonstrated a workflow that allowed them to use virtual production sets without placing marker points around a set to generate extended reality content. This new tech will save time and resources on a fast-moving production schedule.  

On the other hand, Planar showed off to us their latest LED technologies and a more “traditional” VP workflow using their OptiTrack system. Nevertheless, it was impressive to see their system in full force and get an up close and personal view of its capabilities.  

The Planar booth also showed off a curved, touchscreen LED wall that was responsive and quite impressive. While this tech seemed more suitable for news or sports outlets in the broadcast field, it is still stunning to see where these technologies are headed, especially as they become more affordable for companies in the studio production space. 

Trend 6: AI 

You thought I wasn’t going to talk about AI, didn’t you? The keynote was done side by side with an AI robot after all! AI was on the minds of quite a few booths and a hot topic of conversation, as it has been since the public release of ChatGPT3. The Adobe Firefly additions to Adobe Premiere were very exciting to see.  

The whole idea of speeding up work for an increase in shorter turnaround times is critical. “Content is king” has been the coined phrase and has increased the churn for many post teams. More content, less time to do it.  

For the post world present at NAB this was front of mind. Speed, reliability, and resilience were key. How long does this transfer take? Does this integrate into my cloud environment, or do I have to use yours? Can we do this in browser? How easy is it to share or encrypt? If you couldn’t answer these questions, you weren’t on the expo floor (or we missed you. It’s a big show.) Post is always well represented at NAB due to its affiliation with the film industry of course but they continue and will always be front of mind.  

There were quite a few Language AI companies helping expand content reach regarding live translation. A lot of these products involved “side car” like features with a large library of languages at your disposal. The limitation to many of them is how many discrete outputs you can get. Accuracy and the amount of language output is something I always keep an eye out for as Multilingual streaming and events become increasingly prevalent. You also need to be sure that the LLM being used for translation is trained. For example, in one demo I was given was of a Spanish speaker for an event. I asked to try out the product with my elementary-level of Czech. I was impressed with the Spanish bidirectional output; I was not impressed by the Czech-to-English output. My accent is not that bad.  

My warning is not that these tools don’t work, it is just to make sure you have a good litmus test for new tools and when moving away from live interpretation and stenographer solutions that the client is informed that they are not working with a foolproof solution. The question we ask ourselves as engineers and SMEs should always remain to be not “Could we?” it is “Should we?” 

AI is a tool in the tool belt not a full replacement part for a workflow. Can you drive a car with a donut tire? Yes. That’s what AI is: reliable to a point. 

Trend 7: Post-Production Collaboration 

Frame.io is no longer the only game in town. There was a multitude of offers from companies such as Backlight, EditShare, BirdDog, and even Blackmagic. But if you need to fix a post-production workflow, LucidLink is the clear favorite. It is a standout in the post-production workflow space. Options for bring-your-own storage workflows (i.e., Google Cloud Storage, AWS S3, and Azure) to allow for a more seamless post workflow for editing teams. There are even a few former Frame.io people that work for LucidLink now. What we witnessed with LucidLink on the floor of NAB proved to be an excellent solution for the persisting snags we have when working on large-scale productions. 

In addition to this Cloud as a local drive offering, LucidLink and BirdDog Cloud offer a real-time collaboration tool set for post-production teams. These companies’ offerings feature tools where a direct NLE plugin (to be used in Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve) allows editors to collaborate with their stakeholders in real-time, like a virtual meeting platform, to review footage and timelines to give feedback from anywhere in the world. For BirdDog, this product was developed during the Covid-19 pandemic with the likes of Netflix battle-testing this software set to continue in their content delivery pipeline. From what we saw, the quality of the streams is fantastic from both products to deliver high-quality AV for an in-person-like experience. These kinds of tools still have an excellent place in a highly globalized company like TeamPeople to bring the edit suite closer to home. 

Final Thoughts 

There is always a lot to cover with NAB and my step count is always pretty reflexive of that. What you should take away is this:  

• The pre-production process continues to expand as each year rolls around. Allocate the time to get the details right because as the audience grows, the people that can execute will get the right engagement from their consumer base.  
• Make sure your teams can communicate and collaborate with the cloud tools in their arsenal.  
• AI is a tool for teams to use. Not a tool to replace teams.  

From the rise of cloud-powered solutions to the integration of AI, the event highlighted the industry’s trajectory towards innovation. Pro AV and broadcast tools converged, while IP video infrastructures reached a stabilization point. NDI 6 stole the spotlight with its groundbreaking features, promising professional-grade video streaming over IP. Additionally, AI emerged as a tool to be considered nurturing the “churn burn” of post-production workflows, by streamlining processes and enhancing collaboration. Did I miss something? Probably. And only time and customer success stories will determine what flops and what flourishes.  

This blog is a collaborative effort between Sarah Doyle , TeamPeople’s Technical Director for Virtual Services, and our teammate at Dreamtek, Alessandro Altman . Connect with them on LinkedIn to keep the conversation going and tap into their wealth of knowledge and expertise.

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Vegas never seems to disappoint me when it comes to NAB . It may not be as flashy as some displays from South-by-Southwest but NAB is the pulse of where the AV, broadcast, and the film industry sits but also where it is going. I overheard a conversation behind me on the plane of a passenger asking their seatmate what NAB actually was

“Is it a technical conference or is it about the creative aspects of film and broadcasting?”

“Both, kind of.”

What is NAB?

To a broadcast muggle that may not be hip to our industry, I would say NAB is very technical in nature but it is the creativity that we have with this gear that makes the masterpieces people binge-watch in their free time or watch casually over a cup of coffee. I was there representing clients who mostly use this technology in corporate and NGO settings but I was standing next to the NBC broadcast team for the Olympics at one booth and the NFL Films team at another.

Discussions on the main stage varied from the post-production team presentation of HBO’s “The Last of Us” to an XR/VR panel on how the technology is used to enhance educational settings and experiences. Our goal as an industry always remains the same: how do we tell better stories? And that doesn’t sound technical to us. Stories of course are as old as language itself. What we use to tell our stories? Very technical. Another feature of NAB is all the side stages and pavilions to offer further breakdowns in our industry’s tech, business practices, and culture, including frank discussions on the progress of Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. A panel discussion hosted by Gals and Gear highlighted the triumphs of how far we’ve come but still how far we need to go to get away from industry practices known as cronyism or shadow hiring. The old “I know a guy” (And it’s usually is a guy) mantra is still alive and it’s up to all of us to continue to work towards these DEI goals.

Let’s Talk Tech: Highlights from NAB

There’s lots of tech to get through so we’ll start here.

Last year the bells of the ball were the large remote production video wall sets powered by Unreal Engine or Unity servers. This technological advancement allowed immersive experiences for actors and allowed for any environment to be easily customizable to the whims of a creative team. No need to travel to 6 different locations for a shoot, you could load the digital volumes into the graphics engine, and manipulate lighting and backgrounds in ways that Location managers only could pray for good weather or for that tree in the shot to be merely 3 feet more to the left.

But that was last year. Those sets were still on display of course but no large changes to the tech were show-stopping for this broadcast tech junkie.

From a ten thousand-foot view, I can summarize this year’s NAB display as a representation of two different bodies of vendors: those who transmit signal to a destination and those who have developed products that receive or build upon an IP/cloud workflow.

If you have been involved in the tech talk of the industry in the last 6 or so years you’ve heard of SMPTE2110, IP workflows, and the cloud. NAB 2023 has confirmed what has been on the horizon for years: the time of analog first gear is over. It’s time to turn that serial port into an ethernet one.

It’s Time to Unite your AV and IT Teams

If your AV or broadcast teams are separate from your IT teams it is time to start the conversation and get them talking. IP transport of audio and video signals over ethernet is a reality that all vendors are in on. If your IT teams are nervous, they do not need to turn far for assistance, the presence of IT gear manufacturers and cloud platforms have been a mainstay at the show: Cisco, Avixa, Netgear, AWS, Microsoft Azure, etc.

Why is this so important? SPMTE2110, that’s why.

To most people, that just looks like a cat walked across my keyboard. In simplest terms, SMTE2110 allows teams to move video feeds from one place to another using only an ethernet (internet) or fiber cable. Why do I say this is important now? Blackmagic Design , an industry underdog or disruptor (Depending on who you are talking to) released its first converter for IP and 2110. The price point? Only $595.

SMPTE was only seen as affordable and thus doable, for larger organizations and industry juggernauts much like how remote production stages are seen as engines of large studios that produce major motion pictures (ie. Disney, HBO, etc.). This announcement spells a foreshadowing of what to be on the lookout for in the coming years. This technology is no longer inaccessible to your budget. Even network switch manufacturers like Netgear are due to release their next hardware models that will be compatible with SPMTE.

Now, fostering conversations between IT and AV is a whole other discussion article that can get complicated depending on your business, but having these teams start talking is essential. Most IT professionals have little knowledge of how audio and video packets transport around a network and most AV professionals have a limited knowledge of IT security and infrastructure. It’s an uneven playing field for both parties but a team that can acknowledge their individual shortcomings and rise above them will be able to make some incredible productions.

I think I might know what you’re thinking: I’m not doing a SMPTE system upgrade, but I still need a scalable solution that is a bit more affordable and does not include more hardware. Well, my friend, that is what the cloud is for.

Scalable Solutions in the Cloud

There were many vendors offering compatibility with their hardware to be run in the Cloud, typically skewed to AWS but many say they are cloud agnostic to a degree: Ross Video, Evertz, Vizrt, Panasonic to name a few. But also browser-native applications that are hosted in the cloud like Ross Video’s cloud production suite or the Switch’s Mimic product.

The cloud, whether you are using AWS, Azure, or GCP, has been around for a while but the “lift and shift” away from hardware purchases is what makes these workflows and products very attractive. Only use what you need when you need it.

Within this cloud production work graphics have been a pain point for many but this year’s NAB demonstrated what is front of mind to solve this: HTML5 graphic integration into products.

Another cat on my keyboard? No. In a nutshell, HTML5 graphics enable the production of graphics from any browser with no coding or broadcast graphics knowledge. With HTML5 graphics, everything happens seamlessly in the cloud and can be controlled by one person. When you are working in the cloud, it is easier to create multiple versions of the same broadcast. For example, a broadcaster with a global base can send multiple broadcast signals, re-versioned for local consumption in other countries complete with graphics in the local language. What once would take multiple teams or workflows can now be streamlined cleanly.

What’s next in AV Broadcast Technology?

Wow, with all this human efficiency what could possibly next? AI of course! Web3 was replaced as the reigning hot topic in most spheres now and that is certainly true here. At a stop at the ATSC 3.0 booth, they had an avatar of an ASL interpreter translating an emergency broadcast signal. A combination of the two spheres of the aforementioned tech. It was exciting to see how much AI has pushed accessibility more front of mind for people. This little ASL avatar is only the beginning of building upon closed caption technology before it. Captions are getting faster, smarter, and being translated into more languages for the global audiences remote and virtual audiences have drawn. For our Virtual Services team at TeamPeople this is exciting news as we can continue to integrate greater accessibility options into our livestreaming products

All of these innovations don’t photograph as well as a fancy LED wall or camera but they are transforming the industry. With how much has advanced this year from last year I only have this to say: I can’t wait to see what stories we can tell next.

If you need help starting the conversation between your AV, broadcast, and IT teams, we can help. Sarah Doyle and our team of technical experts are well-versed in providing custom solutions for complex workflows. We’d love to hear about the challenges your team is facing and the pain points we can solve with these technical advances in audiovisual technology. Get in touch with us!

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I knew South-by-Southwest (SXSW) was going to be different. The schedule revealed the normal offerings you’d expect: keynotes by such people as the humanitarian chef Jose Andres, Ryan Gellert of Patagonia, and the actor Tilda Swinton, panel discussions about technology and filmmaking, and networking happy hours sponsored by companies such as Edelman, Vimeo, and L’oreal (among hundreds of others). But a deeper exploration revealed that this is not your standard conference. Signs on the convention center floor heralded panel discussions on “tracks” such as Workplace Revolution, Psychedelics, Energy, and the Media Industry. There were fascinating talks on topics ranging from corporate diversity and culture (at the German House) to virtual production on LED-wall sound stages (at the Australia House.)

At the Creative Industries Expo on the main convention center floor, a twenty-five foot holographic dancer lorded over us all, standing next to a booth touting a development service for screenwriters, which was next to a booth designed to showcase new technologies and recruit for the CIA.

A five-minute walk from the Expo led you to a huge 3D Dorito which infused your nostrils with Cool Ranch (really), and another ten-minute walk from that led to a warehouse with a full-on immersive experience based on Showtime’s hit show Yellowjackets, complete with hors d’oeuvres that were definitely not made from people.

The Convergence of Tech with All Things Creative

Officially, South-by (as the cool kids call it) is a festival that celebrates the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture – and I can tell you firsthand that it delivers on that celebration. I’ve been to film festivals and film markets and business events and trade shows and tech conferences, but I’ve never experienced all of them in one city with one pass within 5 days.

It was, quite literally, overwhelming. Seeing and hearing and experiencing everything proved to be an impossible task, and my only suggestion for next year is that they incorporate a cloning booth so one can attend everything simultaneously. (Although I hear that might be on the slate…)

What I was able to see, however, was informative and inspiring. The Expo, especially, proved to be much more engaging than a standard industry floor, due to the sheer breadth of products and services and technologies on display from every industry. The panels were – as you would expect from presenters of this level – well worth the time.

This is how we roll

One panel in particular sticks out, because I actually ended up being one of the camera operators at the last minute. This panel was being presented by a potential client with whom I was chatting, and – after describing our services – they mentioned that one of their camera operators had backed out at the last minute for a panel that day, so they could have used us. Given that I have spent years working for TeamPeople as a camera operator filming panels and conferences, I volunteered to fill in and run his 2^nd camera (at no charge…) – and their relief was palpable. They were also pleasantly surprised to see that even the people we have on the ground at a festival and conference are able to operate cameras on a moment’s notice…which is just how we roll over here.

It All Comes Down to Storytelling

I found myself engaged in some fascinating conversations – about technology, media, finance, or just life in general – with some of the smartest people I’ve ever met. I met brilliant filmmakers, ingenious designers, savvy financiers, and entrepreneurs who are re-inventing drone taxis or redefining the travel industry or creating new products for immersive virtual meetings.

One of those entrepreneurs with a fascinating story is Alexandra Schrecengost, friend of TeamPeople and Founder and CEO of Culture With Us , a relatively young company which offers virtual and hybrid team experiences for business. Alex was named as a 40 under 40 Tastemaker by Wine Spectator in 2021, and she was invited to be a private mentor for people who were interested in learning more about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as it applies to Entrepreneurship. As a diverse business owner and accomplished entrepreneur, there are few people more suitable to mentor on that topic. The opportunity to meet with people like Alex was yet another interesting offer from the festival, and also stands as a testament to the wonderful diversity on hand at SXSW.

Given TeamPeople’s focus as a service for companies needing creative roles and production, it was interesting to be exposed to so many other types of companies and ventures, and I found myself pleasantly surprised by just how much there is to celebrate in the convergence of all of these industries. By the end of my time at SXSW, I came to understand why this is the case, and why SXSW works:

It’s because – at the end of the day – the entire conference is about storytelling. Everyone in attendance has a story to tell, whether it’s about a new trend or a revolutionary product or (in the case of filmmakers) a literal story. A festival like this just drives home the point that the singular thing that makes us human is our need to tell and hear these stories. I was thrilled to be at an event that celebrates this in such a fun and delightful way, and I got the sense that many of my fellow storytellers and story-lovers shared that same sense of joy.

A Celebration of Humanity

I also found myself incredibly grateful to be part of an industry, and a company in TeamPeople, whose purpose is to celebrate this part of our humanity. It’s easy to fall into cynicism, and to only see the business and capital and competition at a festival like this, but a bit of digging and some late-night conversations will reveal a diverse, thoughtful community of people who all just want to tell and share each other’s stories.

It was enlightening, empowering, and fun, and I’m very much looking forward to returning next year.

Are you looking to share your story? Whether you are sharing entertainment, news, documentaries, educational or corporate video content, we know the people and the processes to get the job done right. We have talented teams deeply ingrained in the storytelling community who can help convey your message, and rosters of production vendors to bring your story to life. Contact us – we’d love to hear about your story!

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Gaming is a booming, $149 billion global industry that’s grown rapidly since the onset of COVID-19. According to an article in the WSJ , some reasons include, “bringing back lapsed players, attracting newcomers and driving already heavy gamers to play more often.” Because of this rapid growth, gaming’s spend is projected to exceed 1.59 billion in 2020 – a 9.3% increase from the year before! As the world turns toward gaming as a means of entertainment and socialization, it’s no surprise that skilled talent in the industry is in high demand.

With the increased need for top-notch talent, we looked for ways to benefit the gaming industry and aspiring job-seekers. This year, TeamPeople partnered with the International Game Developers Association Foundation (IGDA-F) to diversify, support, and grow the gaming workforce. 

One Common Goal

As the gaming industry grows and evolves, organizations across the globe are taking matters into their own hands to foster change. The IGDA-F is a US-based public charity organization whose mission is to diversify and promote inclusion in the game development community. They believe that diversity of all kinds will lead to better and more successful products and companies, as well as happier and more successful game developers. Their annual programs support developers from around the world and reflect a broad international focus.

In response to COVID-19, the IGDA-F switched their annual, in-person GDC Scholarship programming to a virtual 2020 Grantee Online Program. Since May, we’ve been sponsoring the program alongside some of the world’s largest gaming brands, such as Xbox, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, Iron Galaxy Studios, Zynga, and Audiokinetic. Our common goal is to provide people across backgrounds with the resources needed to position themselves within the industry and, ultimately, land video game-related jobs.

Building A Skilled & Diverse Gaming Workforce

It’s no secret that improvements surrounding diversity and inclusion are long overdue within media and entertainment. As it turns out, hiring a diverse team can benefit both companies and talent alike. For companies, hiring a  diverse group of employees can increase retention, boost productivity, and create an environment of mutual respect. For employees, diversity can increase workplace satisfaction, economic empowerment, and opportunity. Despite these benefits, 28% of developers say that studios don’t invest anything in staff inclusion and diversity issues. That’s why we stand with the IGDA-F in recognizing that it’s time for change and action.

One of the best ways to support this change is to provide underrepresented communities with the resources and skills needed to land gaming-related jobs. The IGDA-F’s 2020 Grantee Online Program helps individuals from around the world build gaming skills and learn from industry veterans/mentors. Since our mission at TeamPeople is to help talent pursue their passions and do what they love, we saw the IGDA-F’s program as the perfect opportunity to instate ourselves as a resource to the grantees.

As sponsors, we provide a support structure for diverse, early to mid-career game developers once they choose from three tailored skill trees: Leadership Skill Tree, Video Game Skill Tree, and Entrepreneurship Skill Tree. From there, we help them navigate in-person and virtual networking, the job search, interviewing, career development opportunities, and much more. Despite the nuances of each grantee’s background, areas for improvement, and the skill tree they pursue, these individuals are the next generation of gaming industry leaders. We’re thrilled to be a part of their career progression and see how they make a difference in the industry throughout their careers!

Creative Pursuits Podcast Meets Gaming

The ball doesn’t stop rolling with the 2020 Grantee Online Program. TeamPeople is also a sponsor of Creative Pursuits , the podcast that explores the intersection of art, communications, and technology. In August, the podcast set out to discuss gaming in a two-part series that we’re excited for the world to hear.

In the first episode titled Level Up: Diversity And Equity With Gaming Advocate Nika Nour , host Alex Crow interviews Executive Director of the IGDA-F, Nika Nour (@Nika ). She’s a diversity leader within the video game industry and oversees the IGDA-F’s 2020 Grantee Online Program. Nika’s mission is to advance inclusion efforts and open doors for minorities aspiring to get their foot in the gaming workforce. Throughout the episode, Nika shares her most profound experiences and insights as a female gamer and diversity advocate. She also discusses what it was like navigating grade school bullying as a young female gamer in the 90s, the 2008 economy, Capitol Hill, Gamergate , #MeToo, and recent reckonings with racism and sexism in the video game industry.

Listen in on the first episode of the two-part series featuring Nika Nour below, and stay tuned for part two of the series! For more insights and inspiring stories, be sure to follow Creative Pursuits on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram .

Raising the Bar in Gaming

Nika’s story and the IGDA-F’s mission inspires us to continue raising the bar for diversity within the gaming workforce. Through programs like the 2020 Grantee Online Program and platforms such as Creative Pursuits, we can promote the next generation of aspiring game developers and amplify leaders like Nika.

Ready to develop your diverse and inclusive team of game developers and industry experts?  Let’s raise the bar together! TeamPeople is working at the intersection of creative and digital to be your strategic partner. We’ll work with you to design a solution that best fits your team and operation. We hire talent across backgrounds to provide our clients with fresh talent and unique perspectives. Check out our gaming capabilities and strike up the conversation .

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