Seminar series to feature technical AV training

The International Communications Industries Association, Inc.® (ICIA®), a trade association for the professional audiovisual communications industry, and Church Production Magazine, an educational publication for churches, are sponsoring the T3 Technical Training Tour to InfoComm 04, in Atlanta, June 9 to 11.
 
T3 includes 12 seminar series of one- to two-hour classes covering various aspects of audio, video and lighting for churches.  These sessions will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center, coinciding with the exhibition segment of InfoComm 04.
 
Launched in 2003 by Church Production Magazine, the T3 Technical Training Tour is designed for church personnel and volunteers with little knowledge of the intricate workings of today’s audiovisual systems, along with those individuals who are familiar with the technology.
 
 “For several years now, InfoComm has been attended by those in the worship sector,” said Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D, Executive Director of ICIA/InfoComm. “AV communications systems are now coming into their own in the church market.

The T3 series features seminars delivered by audio, video and lighting experts who have worked or, in some cases, are still working as church technical directors. At InfoComm, presenters include:

    * Anthony Coppedge, a church media consultant and former church technical director based in Dallas, Texas;
    * Armando Fullwood, Technical Director at University Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C.; and Principal at Design 20/20, an audiovisual systems design firm, and;
    * Greg Persinger of Vivid Illumination, a Nashville, Tenn.-based lighting design firm. Persinger has worked with a number of established contemporary Christian touring acts, including FFH, Carman, Nicole Nordemann and Clay Cross, in addition to working for the Trinity Broadcasting Network and First United Methodist Video Productions.
    * Special Guest: Bill Thrasher, President of Thrasher Design Group, an acoustical and systems design consulting firm based in Kennesaw, Ga. He has been involved with the Billy Graham Evangelist Association and Graham’s Crusades and Missions since 1979 as a Live Sound Designer and Mixer. Thrasher has been on staff at Walt Disney World in Florida, First Baptist Church of Orlando, Fla., and has been employed in recording studio mixing, live performance mixing and audio systems design for over 30 years.

Within the audio, video and lighting categories, these instructors aim to provide church personnel with the tools they require to effectively carry out their work at home. Classes will cover everything from the nitty-gritty details of what every church should know about selecting audio, video and lighting gear, to how to budget for a new system and win over the approval committee, to practical hands-on instruction on systems operation.
 
“As churches adopt high-tech audio, video and lighting systems, they are faced with a confusing array of technical questions, and they rarely have much experience to draw on,” said Blackmore, Publisher, Church Production Magazine. “These questions range from: What equipment is best for our situation? How do we find the right dealer, installer or consultant? Who is going to operate these systems on a daily or weekly basis? How do we get the best results out of our system? It really can be quite overwhelming for the average neighborhood church.”
 
The T3 Technical Training Tour makes four to six stops annually across North America. While specific events coincide with conventions and tradeshows, others are held independently within churches.

For more information on Church Production Magazine’s T3 Technical Training Tour, visit www.churchproduction.com.