THE INTERNATIONAL trade association for the audiovisual industry has elected Bedford businessman Greg Jeffreys as chair of its standards steering committee.
The committee advises the main board of the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association on issues relating to industry standards and provides recommendations for standards development within AVIXA’s strategic plan.
It also approves completed standards before they are sent for American National Standards Institute ratification and subsequent publication.
Mr Jeffreys, managing director of audiovisual company Visual Displays, is a founder member of the committee. He has co-written several standards papers including a best practice paper on AV projection and became president of InfoComm – AVIXA’s trade shows which take place around the world – in 2012.
Mr Jeffreys said: “When our first standards were published, we innocently assumed a grateful AV world would beat a path to our door and adopt them enthusiastically. The reality sadly did not match the expectation.
“At this point the InfoComm/AVIXA leadership stepped in. After producing articles, seminars and creating CTS courses I am pleased to say the tide has turned and we are now in a mature phase whereby impactful developments will affect the entire AV ecosystem.”
He is chairing a series of Zoom-based working sessions of the standards steering committee due to the coronavirus pandemic instead of flying to AVIXA’s headquarters in Virginia, USA, for committee meetings.
The pandemic has also prompted Mr Jeffreys to write and develop webinars based on AVIXA and related building and environmental standards.
As a result of social distancing requirements introduced due to the pandemic, his presentations have undergone a fundamental reassessment of what the built environment will need to offer occupants.
User wellbeing and smart buildings will be prioritised in future projects and existing building, environmental and wellbeing standards have performance metrics that can link to AVIXA’s AV standards.
“I believe this can signal positive outcomes for future users of AV,” said Mr Jeffreys. “I also believe that the AV industry will play a leading role with these changes.
” I am proud to see the AVIXA leadership step up to the plate in these critical times. My ambition is for my work within the standards movement to play a positive role in developing the status of our AV profession.”
by ANDREW GIBBS e: news@businessmk.co.uk
