Trade Fairs, Courses, Tests & Measurements
The best thing about doing trainings is the fact that the market is growing and
manufacturers are looking at you seriously, this also means good things for the
guys who wish to get some formal education or certification. Few have travelled
across globally to derive such knowledge and many have happened locally.
But my observation, which actually is true, is that if you read the fine text,
which in many cases is in ‘BOLD’, is that it was a certificate of participation
or completion but not a certificate of competency. Now this according to me is
the most important aspect of audio training, workshops & certification courses.
It is not an exam of technical competency & attending them doesn’t make you an
expert because someone embossed a name on a course certificate.
I have personally attended a few (honestly very few) because unless I do not see
value in the exercise or what it can do for me or vet the course in itself, my
bum isn’t going to be on that chair. And sometimes I have been humbled going
for one with a, ‘know it all’ attitude to show up at the course discovering how
much I don’t know. Which leads me to my best teachings at workshops that provide
certification.
#1 please come with an open mind. You do not know everything.
#2 you are the student not the sir
#3 you will never learn about everything you needed to know by just
attendance
#4 you learn how things get done, not how to do it (think about this)
#5 you do not qualify on competency by just by having the certificate.
I just attended the course offered by a leading manufacturer and my experience
was nothing short of amazing. Firstly the course was conducted in a venue that
was already simulated for the course. The entire venue was mapped in order for
the readings & simulations to represent what we were being taught.
We had four instructors instead of one, two blokes taught theory & two blokes gave
the practical’s the nice thing is that the theory guys attended the practical’s
& the practical instructors attended the theory. To be in sync with whatever each
one was teaching.
Our questions & problems were put on the dartboard even before the course kicked off,
so they probably knew what topics to highlight upon based on our questions. Not
taking much out of the learning experience or maybe for the sake of secrecy I will
not further elaborate on the same as that would be too much of a give away. But my
learning’s were good and after all these years setting up PA systems, I was glad I
did it as it gave me immense knowledge about a few key points I absorbed from the
course.
Now this leads me to thinking why would you attend the same even if you would barely
learn a thing or two. I think THAT separates the men from the boys, it’s sometimes
barely the one crucial thing you take home and do good with would make the course
really worth it.
Now talking about trade fairs, they are the reason why so much of training & workshops
do happen because instructors and students are always around this neck of the woods.
A lot of people ask me at the exhibitions the one stupid question I cant get to answer.
‘So what are you buying” and this leads me to the thought that is so close to my heart
and that goes without saying is that it is never, never ever about the product. It never
was and it will never be. (With the odd exception of accidentally stumbling across a
brand/product you never knew about).
But its always about the people, I look forward to meeting people discussing things that
no books, internet or hearsay can teach you. This journey has been long and I can say
I have met the most amazing audio designers, business mavericks, audio gurus, sales
wizzes and the one thing is that the best are the most humble and the learning’s they
impart to you will last you a lifetime.
Some of them I make it a point to meet them every year and some are reserved but after
two drinks at the bar there are no borders and the information superhighways get
translated into friendships.
That’s what I love about trade fairs; we meet either knowlegable or interesting people
or both. Off course we do meet the ones we should also keep away from but that its an
exhibit of also whose side we take in our life’s journey.
I am looking forward to PALM 2017 this year too; our show is better than no other. It’s
vibrant, its not snooty, and its no quiet either. Its fun and serious in nice synergy
and if there are any manufacturers reading this who are not participating a small advise
from someone who has been around. “Be There Or Be Left Out” and hey we have our own
industry awards too!!!