Brad Couse, Attain’s Vice-President of Audio-Visual Systems, shares his insights on how audio-visual systems have the power to transport people and foster collaboration.
Q: You seem like you live and breathe technology. What drives you when you’re not in the office?
A: I do love technology, but beyond that, I am passionate about learning how things work. It is a passion that I am trying to pass on to my son as we work together on DIY projects around our house. We also spend a fair amount of time playing videogames.
Before the pandemic hit, we travelled regularly. I enjoy investigative travel, discovering new places is one of my favourite things. It’s a blank canvas for learning about different cultures and immersing oneself in a distinct reality. Other times we travelled for relaxation only. To me, it’s important to have a balance between active travelling when you spend all of your time exploring and complete stillness when you reach your destination and lounge by a pool or a beach and let the days go by just resting.
Q: How do you see AV in the post-pandemic world changing commercial spaces?
A: Building owners used to think of audio-visual systems as an amenity, but we know now that corporations that invested time and money into figuring out how to make audio/video conferencing systems work for employees in the office and employees working from home are functioning much better in this new normal. Technology is the bridge that links today’s hybrid workforce. Businesses will have to spend considerable budget into acquiring and implementing tools and providing technical training to foster participation and collaboration, from anywhere. And this is not a temporary shift. It is a fundamental change in the way people work together. I also see it as an opportunity to understand what drives productivity and how to better adapt working schedules to people and not the other way around.
Q: You once described to me audio-visual as an ‘environment enhancement tool’. How does it work exactly?
A: Audio-visual systems have the power to transform ordinary spaces into in-depth experiences. I believe more and more architects and interior designers will make use of technology to play with people’s senses, to transport them into new settings. You look at airports in Asia, for example, they have pioneered the use of AV technology as an immersive tool. The Changi airport in Singapore is luxury part mall and part rainforest, with 900 trees, rainforest sounds, tiered gardens and the world’s tallest indoor waterfall. The waterfall serves as a canvas for a light show. This enhanced environment has the power to change people’s moods. They completely forget that they are rushing through a busy airport, waiting for their connection, even if just for a short while.
Q: What publications and/or authors do you read on a regular basis?
A: I follow Neil De Grasse Tyson for his unique perspective on science, the world & the universe and AVIXA for their market intelligence reports on AV.
