On Wednesday, June 14, 2023, history will be made. Seconds after the InfoComm 2023 ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the Orange County Convention Center main doors, for the first time in InfoComm history, an end-user organization will have a full 20’x20’ booth on the tradeshow floor. HETMA, the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance, will plant a flag in the ground for the fastest growing vertical in the AV industry, capstoning a fundamental change that has been happening over the past half-decade.
When BC Hatchett and I founded HETMA four years ago, we recognized that while there were meetups, events, and booth tours for the higher ed vertical, there was still something missing: Our voice. Fast forward 40 months, as both the official and fastest growing higher ed advocacy organization, the HETMA board of directors recognized a keen opportunity to be that influence to serve our vertical in a tangible way. Beginning with the Higher Ed AV Awards on Monday, an Educational Summit on Tuesday, Wednesday through Friday daily show floor tours, happy hours with a live DJ, and educational booth programming, and ending with the annual banquet on Friday, for the first time, higher ed AV professionals will be able to learn, network, and experience all the benefits of InfoComm, formerly only afforded to others…. And all from one central location, we can call “home.”
