Control Concepts Celebrates Our Young AV Professionals

• September 1, 2021
• Control Concepts

For years, the AV industry has been focused on planning for growth and expansion by recruiting and developing new, young talent.  NSCA’s Ignite program, AVIXA’s Young AV Professionals Council, and numerous mentorship and internship programs have been established to bring awareness of the AV industry to students and provide opportunities for young members of the industry to connect, grow, and find careers.  These programs not only benefit job seekers, but also address the growing need to for recruiting and retention of team members facing organizations within the AV industry.

Based on a 2019 survey by Commercial Integrator, 85% of the the AV industry is over the age of 35 and 38% is older than 55.  These eye-opening stats not only emphasize the void of younger talent, they also bring to light an aging industry that needs to be rejuvenated.  One thing that’s for sure is that companies looking to grow and be sustainable into the future need to invest in presenting opportunities for Millennials and members of Generation Z to establish themselves, have their voices heard, and see a career path in AV.  These are high-ranking criteria for job seekers of these generations.

Millennials, who are 40 and under, represent one-third of the general workforce.  As digital natives, their influence on a technology industry such as AV is critical.  Additionally, with the growing number of millennials in leadership and decision-making roles of client organizations, it is important to understand how to effectively communicate, connect, and relate to them.  Thus, by making recruiting, hiring, and integrating members of the Millennial and Gen Z generations a priority, not only can staff needs be met, organizations can grow and evolve internally while becoming more relatable to their clients and prospects.

For years, Control Concepts has made a conscious effort to identify with younger AV professionals providing opportunities for roles in various capacities.  Currently, 40% of the Control Concepts team is under 35.  We take pride in celebrating this fact to the extent that several current and former employees have been selected to the Commercial Integrator 40 Under 40 and SCN The Nine.  In past years, we proudly acknowledged David Glassman and Jonathan Brenner for being chosen for Commercial Integrator’s 40 Under 40 and this year we are delighted to add to list by recognizing Elizabeth Scozzari and Mike Spadafora for making the 2021 class.

“We are proud to invest in young AV professionals as they are not only the future of Control Concepts, but also the next wave of the AV industry,” remarks Steve Greenblatt, Control Concepts’ President and Founder.  “Each and every day, members of our team learn from each other with veterans sharing experiences with younger members, while younger members challenge veterans to expand their mindset and think differently.  Whether it pertains to the latest trends, technology advancements, software languages, marketing strategies, or company culture, the Control Concepts team is continually growing by being challenged to remain open-minded and nimble.”

We take pride in sharing that Control Concepts is comprised of many  accomplished individuals with each possessing unique skills, traits, and abilities.  It is our collective effort that has built our brand, reputation, and client and partner relationships.  Members of our team are encouraged to have their voices heard both internally and externally, as indicated by contributions to our blog, the media, podcasts, and involvement in industry events and councils.

Recently blog posts include: Investing in Your Business Through Your Relationships by Tammy Fuqua, The Essentiality of Support in Business Relationships by Victoria Grupp, Are you ready to become a Full Stack AV Programmer? by Jonathan Brenner, Decrypting AV Device Security for Control Programmers by Adam Hanson, and The Importance of Scope  by Joe Volpe. In the past, David Glassman and Elizabeth Scozzari have also contributed. In March and August of this year Tammy and Victoria were interviewed by AVNation – International Women’s Month: Tammy Fuqua and The Women of AV: Victoria Grupp.

To learn more about the esteemed Control Concepts team and to connect with us, please visit the Our Team section of our website where we profile each member.

We would like to hear from you and learn more about how we can continue to build a team that is poised to serve the future needs of our clients and partners. Send us an email or connect with us on LinkedIn or Twitter!