Making Waves (AV Magazine)

Much progress has been made in opening new pathways into AV through apprenticeships – for eg, studying for the AV Technician Level 5 Apprenticeship (launched in Autumn 2022) at Middlesbrough College.

To find out how everything’s going, we thought we’d talk to Max Tait who is currently our AV Apprentice of The Year. He’s been with AVI-SPL, UK + Ireland for nearly four years.

Also with Clive Couldwell and Max in the studio – which this week comes from The Rose Shure Experience Centre in London – is Neil Spackman, Regional Service Director – International for AVI-SPL.

Neil set up the work experience programme at AVI-SPL, and then expanded it out to become an apprenticeship programme. He’s also a mentor for work placements and apprentices.

Max was in the first batch of work placements and the company’s first apprentice.

Much progress has been made in opening new pathways into AV through apprenticeships – for eg, studying for the AV Technician Level 5 Apprenticeship (launched in Autumn 2022) at Middlesbrough College.

To find out how everything’s going, we thought we’d talk to Max Tait who is currently our AV Apprentice of The Year. He’s been with AVI-SPL, UK + Ireland for nearly four years.

Also with Clive Couldwell and Max in the studio – which this week comes from The Rose Shure Experience Centre in London – is Neil Spackman, Regional Service Director – International for AVI-SPL.

Neil set up the work experience programme at AVI-SPL, and then expanded it out to become an apprenticeship programme. He’s also a mentor for work placements and apprentices.

Max was in the first batch of work placements and the company’s first apprentice.

Recorded at the recent Midwich Tech Xpo show, a special panel of AV and digital signage experts debate with Clive Couldwell about how artificial intelligence is transforming the AV industry.

Guests include: Jon Sidwick, Co-Founder/Owner, Blue Touch Paper (BTP); Jason Cremins, Chief Product Officer, Navori Labs (formerly Founder + CEO, Signagelive); Dan Root, Global Vice-President of Sales + Partnerships, NetSpeek; and Nick Fagan, Head of Innovation at DRPG.

They explore AI’s role in making room control more flexible, powering audience-aware digital signage, and driving creative content that adapts in realtime. They also discuss the channel’s shift from selling hardware-led CapEx solutions to data-driven, service-based OpEx models, and the emergence of AI agents for everything from scheduling to on-site support.

All Things TechIE podcast’s Justin Dawson takes some time out to talk about the other Clive Couldwell – his colourful life before AV Magazine, as well as the audio visual media itself.

You’ll be surprised what this lively session exposes, including the origin of ‘Clive the bear’.

Well, that’s what Clive said anyway…

After a number of years, our celebrated Head of Multimedia – Mr David Berman – is leaving us for pastures new.

David has built the multimedia team up here from scratch, providing services to virtually every brand in Emap - across video, podcast, animation, and photography.

As a video journalist, he’s interviewed many of our top brands, and even stepped in to host conference sessions when we’ve needed chairs.

Here he's talking to Clive Couldwell about his time at Emap, the evolution of multimedia, plus the projects and moments that have defined his career.