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We’re not in Kansas Anymore

Remember the moment when Dorothy first saw the Land of Oz? If you've ever seen the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, it's a moment that's probably etched in your mind forever - the moment when Judy Garland looks around wide-eyed and says, "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!"

That sense of amazement and surprise is something everyone can relate to - especially those who have experienced the changes taking place in today's world of conference room technology and audio visual equipment. What kind of changes are we talking about? Well there's the...

When you design a video conferencing room, your main focus is probably the functionality of the room. But that doesn’t mean the room can’t be as comfortable and welcoming as every other room in the office. Integrating the video conferencing equipment into the room design will take attention away from the equipment unless you’re using it, elevating the room to more than “just” a video conferencing room, but one that offers a multi-function space that incorporates the overall design concept of the office and even your company’s branding.

Who Needs a Professional to Install AV Equipment?

Sometimes customers ask us if we can simply drop off their parts so they can install the items themselves.  Sometimes a customer might order equipment online to save a few dollars and attempt to add it to the installation themselves. I'm sure the thought process is something like this: why should we pay “x” amount of dollars for the installation when we already have an IT or maintenance department on staff?

How do your gym members get pumped up for their workouts? Pep talks and warm ups will get them started, but music is the answer for keeping the momentum up throughout the time spent at the gym. It should come as no surprise that music and exercise go hand in hand. Many of us grab our iPods and headphones when going out for a jog. However, the effects of music on a workout might be greater than you realize. There are very real connections to be made between the two.

Keep Production Rolling in Your Home Office

When you work from home, your home office setup needs to be as efficient as any office building. From phone calls to clients or coworkers to sending contracts and projects, your home office setup needs to make work easier, not harder. By using the proper wiring of your key components, such as phone, TV and network, your home office can meet your business requirements and help you stay productive.

When you are looking to upgrade your house of worship's sound system, you have a few things to consider. Microphone systems have been continually improving, speaker selection and installation can impact sound dramatically, and additional products can be added to the room to make sure that even those in the back of the room hear crystal clear.

There is nothing worse than welcoming a new or current client into the boardroom only to find out that something is not quite right with the technology that will be used to make the important presentation.  Quality A/V installations take the needs of the particular room into consideration, which means everyone can hear and everyone can see.

Many years ago, an 18th-century playwright once remarked that, “Music has charms to soothe the savage beast.” On a more practical level, modern business owners have observed that in store music can be used as a tool to encourage shoppers to spend both more time and more money in a store.

How to Boost Business with Commercial AV in Tampa, FL

More and more, restaurants in the Tampa, FL, area are upgrading their buildings with commercial AV systems. And with good reason: high-quality AV can help pull in new customers and keep those customers coming back.

If you’re just getting started with a restaurant audio installation and video displays, here are some helpful considerations worth reading.

We were approached by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce with the idea of installing some IP cameras or web cameras to showcase the beauty of the area surrounding downtown Dunedin. The idea was to mount the cameras on top of the roof on the chamber building which is located right downtown. 

The unauthorized use of popular music has been put under the microscope from a legal standpoint, more now than ever before. If you own a company that plays music within your establishment, you may be subject to significant fines contingent on the size of your business. There are helpful websites that will allow you to determine if you are in violation. Recently, a Tampa Bay area bar was subjected to tens of thousands of dollars in fines because of consistent violations. There is another well know Tampa business that was fined over $90,000 for playing unauthorized music. Unfortunately, for unaware business owners, these are just a couple of many examples of the financial hardships that can occur from not acquiring the proper licenses or subscriptions for the music they play.

Over the last year (2012) we have seen a shift back toward AV installations that are based more on quality and much less on price. Since around the fall of 2008, there have been a few rough years for most everyone in the AV business. Actually that's probably everyone in business in genaral. However, beginning in the fall of last year (2011) our installation jobs definitely took a turn for the better.

Boardroom Automation is the Key to Successful Meetings

Boardroom technology has come a long way in the last decade. If you were to compare a boardroom designed in 2007 with one designed this year, the two would have drastically different levels of technology. The latest innovations in boardroom automation tech are making it easier to collaborate and communicate with teams all over the world, but there’s still a big problem that most companies in the St. Petersburg, FL area have to deal with: the technology won’t cooperate.

SET YOUR MEMBERS UP FOR SUCCESS

When designing (or redesigning) a fitness center, there are obvious areas that deserve attention such as equipment and layout. However, it is also important that you create an environment that motivates your Tampa, FL members to be active and stay active, and the best way to do this is through music.

Your gym sound system can make or break your members' experiences, and can assist in making their workouts more enjoyable, their classes easy to follow, and their post-workout rituals more relaxing.

How can a sound system make or break a fitness center?

One of the most important, but most overlooked, aspects of designing a commercial space is improving the way that the space sounds. It’s funny because at the core, we are a technology company, but one of the most effective things we can do to improve sound doesn’t involve wires, microchips or speakers. Well at least not directly. What it does involve is controlling the way that sound behaves in a fixed space with the use of acoustic sound panels.

The boardroom is usually the last room that is considered when the office is being updated, yet is most often the 'war room' or 'creative birthplace' and influences the office culture. Does your staff have a central location that is used for meetings other than the boardroom- or is it missing altogether? Companies have come to realize that boardrooms are vitally important to the productivity and profits of the organization, so much so that even airlines now offer use of boardrooms in the airport terminal!

WHY A TOP-QUALITY AV CONTROL SYSTEM IS ESSENTIAL

RELIABLE AND AFFORDABLE AV CONTROL OPTIONS

Years ago, a quality control system for your AV setup would cost as much as the system you wanted to control. With the advent of new smart devices, customers will now have far more options than ever before.

But why do you need a control system? There is nothing more frustrating than hosting a gathering with your friends, and not being able to put on a movie or show that you had planned because your equipment doesn’t work. Settling on a lower quality control system can leave you open to this type of situation, which is entirely avoidable!

Keep reading below to learn more about bringing a high-end home AV control system to your living spaces today.

AV Specialists has been offering AV solutions to commercial, corporate, and residential clients in the Tampa Bay area since 1995. When we moved into our current facility in 2008, we never dreamed that we would outgrow our space. But we have, and we are excited to announce that on Saturday April 26th, 2014 we started our move to a new, larger facility at 1163 N. Hercules Ave, Clearwater, Florida 33765.

One of the great joys of the holiday season every year is all the sights and sounds associated with it. To the casual observer, this situation is just part of the festive atmosphere but to the business owner, the state of his digital signs, speakers and other AV equipment is of utmost importance as it helps to bring customers into the store and, once inside, to drive sales. In fact, it is a prudent idea for business owners to consider upgrading their location's signs and speakers every year or two to fully capitalize on the holiday rush. 

With 2014 upon us and a whole host of new conference toom technology continuously being released, we thought it would be a good idea to look at some of things you should be thinking about for your business conference rooms.