Dear AV industry,

We’re talking about our Best of InfoComm Awards a little bit early this year.

These awards have always been tied to our show coverage. The editorial team reviews hundreds — sometimes a couple thousand — product videos captured during the event and makes selections a couple weeks after the show. That approach surfaced great products, but it didn’t always allow for the depth, consistency or lasting value we’ve always wanted the program to have.

So we asked a simple question: How do we make these awards more meaningful for the industry? This year, we’re introducing a more structured and rigorous approach to the Best of InfoComm Awards. The application is now live here on rAVe [PUBS].

Submissions will now be evaluated by a broader judging panel that includes integrators, consultants and end users — people who work with these technologies every day. Alongside that, we’re implementing defined criteria focused on real-world application, usability and innovation.

To support this expanded process and ensure each entry receives the level of consideration it deserves, the program will move to a paid entry model.

This shift allows us to dedicate more time, expertise and consistency to every submission — resulting in a stronger, more credible evaluation overall.

Here’s what all these changes mean in practice:

• A defined judging process with clear criteria focused on real-world application, usability and innovation
• A broader judging panel that reflects multiple perspectives across the AV ecosystem
• On-site recognition at InfoComm, including booth-ready plaques for winners to showcase during the show
• A physical award shipped to winners post-show
• A more consistent, repeatable framework that companies can plan around year to year

At the same time, we know not every type of recognition should come with a price tag. Our Readers’ Choice Awards will remain a free, audience-driven program — giving the industry a separate space to recognize the products and brands that resonate most in the field. Together, these two programs will serve different purposes. One is structured and judged. The other is driven by community voice.

These new changes aim to create a more meaningful, credible and useful awards ecosystem. I hope they do just that.

— Steph Beckett
Executive Editor, rAVe [PUBS]