Overall, it felt like an excellent show, because people were ecstatic to be back at a show again. And there's no warmer feeling of a show than a NAMM Show. Unfortunately, the pro audio halls (the new AAC North halls), which were the star of the show in the two previous years, remained almost void of professional visitors. I only attended the first two days (it was a three-day event), and the second day the pro audio exhibitors were basically talking to each other (and I had all the time in the world to talk to people). Predictable, but nothing that should be blamed on the NAMM, which did a very noble effort to keep the show running and top of mind for the industry. Some companies even received orders, particularly the ones that have products ready to ship, which not many do, given the supply chain and logistics challenges that affect everyone.

After two years of absence, the largest entertainment technology industry trade show in the world gathered the support of more than 1,000 exhibiting companies, representing 3,500 brands across the campus of the Anaheim Convention Center. A mix of 46,627 registered attendees represented 111 countries and territories, according to the official toll. One third of the visitors. But it was an important event for vital conversations, and to rebuild confidence. “It's great to be back in person,” said everyone. And of course there were the awards, the parties, the performances, the conferences, as usual. I am glad I didn't stay for the third day.

And talking about next year, the NAMM Show 2023 is not returning at the end of January as usual, since that would mean there would be another trade show in just seven months. Instead, the NAMM association decided to hold NAMM 2023 from April 13-15 at the Anaheim Convention Center, before returning to January in 2024. This means that April will again present a major trade show dilemma for many people, since AXPONA 2023 is scheduled for April 14-16, the NAB Show 2023 in Las Vegas, NV, takes place April 16-19, and Prolight+Sound Frankfurt is scheduled for April 25-28, 2023.

As I said, I did not attend the third day of the NAMM Show because I had to move to Las Vegas, NV, for the two days of ALTI Expo, promoted by the Audio and Loudspeaker Technologies International (ALTI) Association (June 5-6). And this was in fact a very rewarding experience, with the excellent organization by the association's Executive Director, Barry Vogel, who knew this very specific event would be squashed by the partial conflict with the NAMM Show and a very poor synergy with the InfoComm show, which would take place June 8-10. The facilities of the South Point Casino and Hotel were again excellent and affordable.

The support from exhibitors was outstanding, with the companies in attendance showcasing their latest solutions and technologies in the modular booths, and a rich conference program that can only be applauded by any audio industry professional. Unfortunately, participation did not match the expectations of the association, something that Barry Vogel admitted and promised to rethink for future years. The important thing to note nevertheless, is that those who attended had a marvelous time with the top industry experts available there, benefiting from a relaxed time to truly engage and network. That is the hallmark of all ALMA/ALTI events after all, and something that needs to be recognized. Next year, the event will take place in Orlando, FL, just before InfoComm 2023. It truly deserves to be better promoted and recognized.

As Barry Vogel states, "After 2 years of delays and cancellations, ALTI Expo was a surprise in many positive and unexpected ways. In the face of all of the challenges, a relatively small but enthusiastic group of exhibitors, presenters, and attendees showed up with great smiles, attitudes, and positive feedback. In fact, the added time for networking and socializing was well received and used to great advantage."

And from ALTI Expo to InfoComm at the Las Vegas Convention Center, a day later, I will just say that it was again a successful event under the challenging circumstances. Benefiting from the new West Hall of the LVCC, where all the audio activity was, connected to the North Hall where the projectors and screen companies dominated, it was basically a smaller extension for North America of the previous Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2022 show in Barcelona, Spain. Attendance was decent during the first two days (decreasing sharply on the third day), product launches were limited - but then again, there were two years of things to show and hear and discover due to the pandemic.

And after all, even if there were new products unveiled at the show, no one really knows when they will be available to ship. The professional audio and installation industries, undergoing a transition to IT systems and networking, naturally suffered the impact of semiconductor and electronic component shortages. And in the last year, price increases and logistical challenges have made a strong dent on the recovery strategies, meaning that everyone at InfoComm was basically "selling" for the end of the year and early 2023.

In terms of technology trends, I would highlight that InfoComm, much as the NAMM Show this year, was marked by the presentation of immersive audio systems, with all the major PA companies deeply committed to the format. Naturally, to embrace those "immersive experiences" the industry is still developing proper building blocks, including suitable speaker, amplifier, and processor designs. Those who had an early start (e.g., L-Acoustics), are naturally reaping the benefits. On the commercial audio side, I couldn't help noticing that some loudspeaker companies are truly aware of the need to transition to networked systems, but that many are still hesitant to embrace key technologies such as Power-Over-Ethernet and particularly the latest PoE++ specification. Amplifier module companies need to step up.

Meanwhile the debate about what audio-over-IP technology to embrace still continues in unexpected ways. AVB/TSN is still being promoted by large companies that are basically interested in keeping systems closed and as proprietary as possible (and with the much propelled Milan protocol still unfinished or kept in secret). AES67/Ravenna is being undermined by the AV/IPMX efforts - still being influenced by the video side of the industry. And surprisingly, the "de facto" industry standard that is Dante, benefiting from massive (overwhelming) adoption from this side of the industry, was suddenly hindered by unexpected supply chain problems that have placed Audinate in a challenging situation over the past two years. Nothing that cannot be sorted, maybe to the OEM’s advantage, by accelerating the migration to more advanced and powerful platforms, while also promoting software implementations. A topic that Audinate addressed head-on in a special press conference. Contents can be found here.

Apparently undeterred from these supply chain challenges, both at the NAMM Show and InfoComm, all new products were Dante-based. From recording audio interfaces all now available with Dante options (even from companies who previously supported AVB, or already offer USB/Thunderbolt), all the way to new amplifiers and networked processors with Dante. In a few conversations with some manufacturers, I couldn't help noticing that while some of them have fully embraced updated USB specifications, and specifically the USB Type-C connector and Power Delivery, there is very little awareness of USB 4 and Thunderbolt 3/4 - the reason why we still hear people talk about "USB 3" (really?).

Otherwise, InfoComm was mostly a video-focused show, with almost all the more important announcements happening on that side. I don't want to address those in detail. I will just mention that I noticed that the so-called "pro AV" industry is trying to reinvent the wheel unnecessarily, that NDI (Network Device Interface) is becoming a "de facto" standard, and that almost all the InfoComm exhibitors active in the "office" and collaboration spaces do not understand the post-pandemic trends correctly.

I will say just this. First, those who need to get back to the office, will not use the complicated "centralized-managed" meeting rooms that they are envisioning. And second, those creepy robotic cameras that companies are thinking will be covering every angle of the office... Seriously?

Much in the same way as InfoComm 2019 and ISE 2020 were about soundbars, InfoComm 2022 will be remembered as the videobar show. Anyone that attended the show will fully understand the concept and agree that there were videobars everywhere. For everyone else not familiar with InfoComm and the world of commercial installation and integrated systems, it's not so easy to explain. I understood the problem when chatting with someone outside of the InfoComm bubble, who was not even familiar with a soundbar, when I tried to explain that a videobar is not a place you drink and play games, but effectively a compact, wide speaker with a built-in conference camera. For some reason, even spell-checkers don't recognize the term yet.

The whole InfoComm felt a bit like this in terms of technology. Having to report about these things continuously, everything seems like a logical progression of technology, some of it resulting from the natural evolution of the pandemic. Like videobars. Everything else that I continued to see at InfoComm seemed like a desperate effort to sell complex and expensive "AV" systems that basically do the same that we can do with our modern laptops and smartphones. And I will end with a thought. When we were confined at home because of the pandemic, we all found out that we needed... a ring light for those Zoom calls. Remember? At InfoComm 2022, I didn't see any such "must-have" new products. As a matter of fact, there weren't any lighting companies at all, and they are probably more needed at InfoComm than those creepy robotic cameras.

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