Business NOT as Usual: COVID-19 Resources for the Technology Industry
When you asked yourself what 2020 would bring when the clock struck midnight this past New Year’s Eve, my guess is you didn’t say, “a global pandemic forcing me to close the doors of my business, work remotely (if you’re one of the lucky ones), and stock up on toilet paper, cleaning supplies, rubber gloves, and face masks while isolating with my family.”
But alas, here we are, approximately 45 days in to some form of isolation across North America. The pandemic has taught us many things, including: patience, kindness, a willingness to surrender to what is out of our control, and an increased ability to multi-task—I see you, superhuman working parents! It has also taught us just how quickly ‘business as usual’ can change.
The majority of Caster’s clients are rooted in the tech industry. From smart home to AI and AV to VR, our clients – and, as a result, we, Caster – live and breathe technology. For some of our clients, the pandemic has had a less negative impact, because they either manufacture products used by those who are considered an essential business or, in some cases, they have even converted their manufacturing facilities to temporarily produce high-demand medical supplies (major kudos to Powervar and Hunter Douglas!). However, one thing all of our clients have in common, is that it is NOT business as ‘usual.’
On a positive note, it has been wonderful to see the tech industry come together to provide support and resources for businesses and their customers (whether that be B2B or B2C). Most companies have pivoted to remote work and have adjusted their customer resources accordingly, for example upping online trainings and education or offering virtual technical support and customer service. There has also been an uptick of virtual networking and education events. If you’ve been paying attention to the Caster blog and our social channels, you know that we have been involved in providing whatever training and resources we have to offer, as well.
The list of valuable resources is endless, but we wanted to share some of the technology industry related ones to help all of our fellow businesses, integrators, and industry friends out there:
CEDIASTRONG
CEDIA’s initiative of new services and tools to empower, educate, and inspire you in these turbulent times.
AVIXA
The latest on COVID-19 and its effect on the pro AV industry.
InfoComm Connected
In place of InfoComm in Las Vegas, InfoComm Connected will take place June 16 – 18, 2020, exclusively online.
CTA
Coronavirus Resources for the Consumer Technology Industry
AVNation
Covid-19 and AV resources
Residential AV LFH Virtual Summit
AVNation, CEDIA, and a host of companies came together to bring to the residential audiovisual community two days of keynotes and education on April 7 and 8, 2020.
Commercial AV LFH Virtual Summit
AVNation, AVIXA, and a host of companies came together to bring to the commercial audiovisual community three days of keynotes and education on April 14 – 16, 2020.
rAVe LAVNCH Week
Five days of speakers and content where dealers can receive AVIXA CTS RUs, April 27 – May 1, 2020.
Have you found any resources online that have been particularly helpful? I’d love to hear about them. Send me the link on Twitter @erinmktgpr.
