Audiovisual Industry Association's Membership Growth Reflects Increasing Use of AV in Business, Government and Higher Education; AOL, Disney, MIT, Hewlett-Packard and Lehman Brothers Among New Members

Business Wire, July 20, 2005

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Membership numbers for the International Communications Industries Association, Inc.(R) (ICIA(R)) have risen significantly in the first half of 2005, mirroring the growth of audiovisual applications in business, government and higher education. Since the beginning of the year, the number of organizational members who are end users of AV technology in these and other vertical markets has grown 50 percent.

"Our membership growth is a reflection of what we're seeing in the professional audiovisual industry - companies, colleges and government at all levels are placing a greater reliance on AV technologies to communicate and teach," says Randall A. Lemke, Ph.D., ICIA's Executive Director. "There is clearly a rush to keep current on AV technologies as IT and AV converge."

On the corporate side, the roster of new members includes technology managers at AOL, Disney, Harley-Davidson, Hewlett-Packard, Lehman Brothers and State Farm. New higher education members include Brown, MIT, George Washington University, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Tulane and dozens of state universities across the United States.

New ICIA members involved in government include the State of Wyoming, City of Frisco, TX and Virginia's Arlington and Fairfax counties, reflecting the bright forecast for state and local government spending on AV technology. According to ICIA, state and local government spending on AV systems is projected to grow as much as 12 percent each year over the next three years on purchases of flat panel displays, projectors, videoconferencing products and AV recording devices for education, public safety, emergency services, homeland security and IT initiatives.

ICIA also attracts a significant number of military companies and private contractors involved in homeland security and defense, including Northrop Grumman and Boeing. "I plan to benefit from membership in ICIA by networking with other AV professionals and taking educational courses," said Jacqueline Crowder, Information Services/Video Operations, Boeing. "AV and IT are converging, and I would like to improve my technical skills and eventually earn ICIA's Certified Technology Specialist credential."

Further validation for growth in AV comes from the industry tradeshow, InfoComm. At a time when many industries are suffering from reduced attendance at tradeshows, ICIA's InfoComm 05 broke all previous records for attendance at its June conference and exhibition in Las Vegas with attendance surpassing 26,000 for the first time in the tradeshow's history.

Membership growth and InfoComm attendance reflect a growing need for today's technology managers to integrate IT systems with AV systems for a wide range of communications that shape how everyday business is conducted. These technologies include videoconferencing, collaborative conferencing, digital signage, presentations and command and control centers for security, among others.

In February, ICIA's Market Forecast found that growth in the industry is derived primarily from the business and government markets, followed by the higher education market. These three markets account for more than half of AV business generated, and the importance of these markets is predicted to remain high over the next three years.

About ICIA

ICIA is the international trade association of the professional audiovisual and information communications industries. Established in 1939, ICIA's 3,300 members include manufacturers, systems integrators, dealers and distributors, independent consultants, programmers, rental and staging companies, end-users and multimedia professionals from more than 69 countries. ICIA's training and education programs, along with its Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) and Certified Audiovisual Solutions Provider (CAVSP) credentials, set a standard of excellence for AV professionals. Additional information is available at www.infocomm.org.