Ep 08 - The future of collaboration w/ Jon Sidwick

For 18 years David was the technical director, systems integrator, special effects supervisor and projects manager for the stunning Cirque du Soleil. 

His most recent experience is with my favourite multimedia entertainment studios, Moment Factory. Moment Factory specializes in video, lighting, architecture, sound and special effects for immersive environments. With its headquarters based in Montreal, the studio also has offices in Paris, Tokyo, and New York City.

Discover more about Moment Factory: www.momentfactory.com

The world is changing and AV is a main supporting act in the shift away from transactional and towards experiential in the home, workplace and retail.

Listen to this week’s episode of The AV Experience as Jon Sidwick, President of Collabtech Group, discusses how he got into AV, what his key to success has been, and what is in store for the future of collaboration.

Timestamps: 0:55 - Jon's journey into AV, 5:06 - Key to success, 5:58 - How to deal with pushback in business, 7:19 - Jon's proudest moments, 10:40 - Hot topics in AV and collaboration, 12:38 - How Jon has seen the industry evolve and where he sees it going, 15:04 - How can AV companies stay relevant, 17:00 - Life @ Collabtech Group, 19:00 - The future of Collabtech Group, 21:50 - Event plans 2021-2022, 24:20 - Exciting news and pipeline, 25:20 - How to get in touch, 25:40 - AVIXA

Jon Devo works alongside leading technology brands helping them translate complex technical product information into stunning digital content that speaks to target audiences.

Jon also helped to launch and currently works with the wildly successful Gadgetsboy. 

He tells us what it takes to be a tech and lifestyle content creator. We also learn more about that infamous Tech Radar article Jon wrote “Why Instagram is broken for photographers – and how to fix it”. And what his greatest hopes and fears are for the technology industry in 2021. 
 

Timeline: 

1:05 - Intro 1:27 - How Jon started 2:58 - After university 3:48 - Gadgetsboy origin story 5:19 - Favourite Gadgetsboy project 6:10 - Vision for Gadgetsboy 6:43 - Jon's thoughts on freelancing 8:10 - How to get started in content creation 10:00 - How working with Carol Vorderman convinced his nan that it is a real job 10:29 - Jon explains Instagram and TikTok algorithms 12:15 - How the way tech is covered has changed 13:08 - What does the future hold for social media and content creators 14:44 - Jon's greatest fear and hope for the technology industry 16:45 - Jon's future plans 17:06 - How to get in touch with Jon

Listen in to find out what exactly 'Quiet Ensemble' means, how the duo started working together, how they decide which technology to use, their inspiration and their advice to other AV and technology artists. 

@quiet_ensemble

For both brand and customer, expert reviews have been and always will be a crucial aspect of the AV and technology industry. Writer for What Hi-F? Dan Sung, lets us in on how the team at What Hi-Fi? make this a fair process, how they put the products through their paces, and how the team ultimately decide the winner. He also offers his invaluable advice to anyone looking to join the world of tech journalism. You can find out more about What Hi-Fi? and Dan at whathifi.com.

Today on the show we have Liz Berry, CEO of Hologramica and inventor of the Holopops Ultra, the technology behind the now-infamous hologram Kanye West gifted his wife, Kim Kardashian-West for her birthday.  You can find out more about Hologramica at hologramica.com

In the first episode of The AV Experience Podcast, Carina speaks to self-taught Projection Mapping Artist, Aiminath Sulthana, better known by her moniker - Dhona Lumiere. Inspired by Dutch mathematician and painter MC Escher, Dhona has grown a following on Instagram for her ability to levitate stunning optical illusions with the power of projection. Dhona explains her journey into AV, her creative process, top tips and tricks for any budding projection mapping artists and what she wishes she knew at the start of using AV in her artwork.  

You can find out more about Dhona Lumiere at www.dhona.co.uk