Well, we made it. For all intents and purposes, this is a good thing. Now, that we’ve made it out of last year, we should look at the fact that we have a clean slate to work with in terms of what things can happen this year. The question is, are you ready for what this year is going to bring?

All new technology doesn’t have to be embraced, but you should at least know what’s going on in the world of tech. It’s far more advanced than you think, and your customers, clients, patrons, members, etc. are already onboard. They just don’t know it yet.

Manufacturers are constantly pushing the envelope for the next thing. The latest and greatest. Being cutting-edge is what we all say we want.

From having a complete Smart House to autonomous vehicles, we want the tech that would make our lives better and more convenient. This is even more so when it comes to your company, your church, your school, or some other business. There is a real expectation that organizations are able to keep up with the growing technological demand of the masses.

Audio

Audio standards are light years away from what they were 30 years ago. The quality of sound people are able to get on their phone, in their car, and in the headsets is unbelievable. If you are a church or a live event center, there is no excuse in this modern era to have a poor audio system to reinforce the sound come from the stage.

Companies like EAW, QSC, Electro-Voice, and RCF have made getting into quality sound affordable for everyone. And when you want the crème of the crop you don’t have to look no further than to Meyer, L-Acoustics, D&B, and JBL to supply outstanding performance for both vast and intimate environments.

We’re not just talking about line array technology either. Now, is the time to focus on spatial audio design that allows an audience to hear in surround-sound as well as being fully immersed into the sound that the audience hears.

Video

Video is a large field comprised of video cameras, live streaming devices and services, and viewing technology such as TVs, LED video walls, and projection. You may already be thinking about utilizing some, if not all, of these technologies. What you have to realize is that bars have been raised, and expectations have been set for what audiences deem is good video.

Now, people are used to high def video production. If your camera can’t do, at least, 1920 x 1080p resolution your picture quality will already be dismissed by your viewing audience. And at this point, there is a race to 4k resolution across the board. That means from the video capture of your event to the display of the actual image is all moving towards 4k.

Where the consumer has the advantage is because the market is competitive that you can buy 4k cameras, 4k TVs, and 4k processing equipment for a fraction of what you could 4 years ago. Even better is the fact that displays such as LED video walls can be purchased for much less when you’re looking at 5mm or 3.9mm pitch walls that only do 1080p. Companies such as Absen, PrimeLED, and VanguardLED can outfit you with high quality LED video wall options along with great customer service.

When it comes to video cameras the field is stacked with products that range from low cost to high production value with longevity to boot. Cameras by Canon, Panasonic, Sony, and Blackmagic Design allow you to get into broadcast quality cameras at a cost that is unparalleled from a decade ago.

When it comes to PTZ cameras, the competition is even more fierce. One can choose from the aforementioned companies along with PTZ Optics, BirdDog, Bolin Technology, NewTek, and Marshall, as well as many others. They come in all shapes and sizes, but most importantly, you can get them in 4k resolution with large sensors for broadcast quality imaging.

Networking

It almost goes without saying that if you don’t have high speed internet, which is speeds over 25Mbps, you’re already out of the competitive race. Whether you’re a church or a live event venue, most patrons are looking for you to provide wireless connectivity for them to use.

More importantly, if you’re trying to do any kind of live stream, you need at least, 6Mbps of upload bandwidth to get to platforms such as Facebook and Youtube, and be able to have a quality broadcast. The more really is the better. As it makes more sense not to just rely on those two platforms alone to reach your intended audience.

More production equipment is needing to be accessed from across a network, if not from outside of an internal network. Having a plan to deal with how you distribute access to the internet and protect data should be at the forefront of the technological forecast.

Final Thoughts

The world isn’t changing. The world has changed. You can believe it’s for the better or the worst, but it will depend on you.

What is not up to you is how customers and members respond to what they perceive is either growth or a lack thereof. Positioning your organization on the side of growth, however, will help shape the minds of the intended audience, and that will gives you more of a chance of success in the new year.