Is ProAV a community? It’s often referred to that way, and it’s certainly comforting to think that those of us employed in the business are linked by something stronger than pure commercial interests. In the industry’s early days it was undoubtedly true. Everyone knew everyone, everyone’s employment backgrounds were similar, and there was an undeniable feeling that we were outsiders engaged in a project the rest of the world didn’t yet understand.

But there are more of us now. A lot more. And ProAV is increasingly a public art played out in public spaces then retold across the world on broadcast and social media. The international closing ceremonies, light festivals, and projection mapping spectaculars have taken ProAV mainstream. So, has our sense of belonging remained even though we’re no longer niche?

Feeling the vibes

Tammy Fuqua is one of the people who sees the bigger picture and experiences the vibes firsthand. Co-chair to AVIXA Women’s Council, and with 25 years’ experience working in ProAV, Tammy genuinely knows the business inside and out. Like most close-knit communities, she says the hardest part is still getting that first foot on the career ladder.

“For me, the AV Community is like family,” she says. “I’ve made friends from all over the world and have this wonderful feeling that I can reach out to any of them anytime if I need to. Now, that’s my perspective because I’ve been in the industry for 25 years, but there are moments when that does feel like exclusiveness, especially to outsiders. One of the main questions I get asked as chair to the Women’s Council is how to hire more women, and often find these positions are being advertised in places only industry insiders visit.”

A pathway into ProAV

This kind of inadvertent — and wholly innocent — exclusivity doesn’t only apply to women, of course. But their experience does show what must be done if things are to change.

“We need to show younger women — maybe even before high school — that there’s a pathway into ProAV by telling them that it’s okay to be interested in engineering,” Tammy explains. “I have a colleague whose daughter is very into Girl Scouts. So, she took a dollhouse, and equipped it with AV controls and took it to a Girl Scout meeting. And she said the way their eyes lit up at seeing this really cool thing they could do as a career someday. That’s where I feel we have to get our community. We’re currently at 11% women in the industry in North America, and only 6% out of North America, that’s not enough.”

Feeling you belong to something special has always been a part of ProAV’s charm. But it’s a double-edged sword that can often appear as a barrier from the outside. We’ve got something special here, and we’re being paid to do cool stuff that isn’t normal elsewhere. Maybe our community, built on shared experiences, should share that experience more.