The First Facility Management Blog

InfoComm International, the trade association representing the professional audiovisual industry, announced the opening of its European headquarters in the United Kingdom. 

“InfoComm International is a global organization for the professional AV industry, with membership activities, tradeshows, and training opportunities worldwide,” said Terry Friesenborg, InfoComm senior vice president, international development. “With more than 17% of InfoComm members located outside of North America and the largest segment of that group working in Europe, establishing an office in the UK that can provide additional services and support to the greater European AV community is essential.”   

InfoComm has hired additional staff to meet the growing needs of the European membership. Christopher Lavelle, CTS, has been named UK Regional Manager. Lavelle studied sound engineering, computer networking, and web development in South Africa. He most recently worked for PSAV, serving as director of event technology for the Maybourne Hotel Group. This provided Lavelle with a broad spectrum of event technology experience, ranging from luxury brand product launches to press events for film releases. He started his career at PSAV Presentation Services London as an event technology specialist at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel and also served as event technology operations manager at Claridge’s Hotel.

Sarah Carless has been named European programme coordinator. She comes from an extensive computer data networking background, working with leading manufacturers such as 3Com & Siemens Network Systems Ltd. Caress spent the past five years working for an interactive telephony company as a production executive, developing and implementing interactive telephony products. She gained a broad knowledge in sound assisting her father, an Emmy award winner and Bafta nominated location sound recordist.

In addition, Godwin Demicoli, CTS has been promoted to regional director, Europe. Demicoli has been a European representative with InfoComm since 2004. He is responsible for overseeing member activity throughout Europe. He will continue to work from an office in Germany.

InfoComm International’s European Headquarters is located at 2 Victoria Square, Victoria Street, St Albans, Herts, AL1 3TF United Kingdom. InfoComm will continue to maintain regional offices serving Asia, Australia, and Latin America. The international headquarters is located in the United States, in Fairfax, VA.

Established in 1939, InfoComm has 5,000 members, including manufacturers, systems integrators, dealers and distributors, independent consultants, programmers, rental and staging companies, end users, and multimedia professionals from more than 70 countries. InfoComm International is a resource for AV market research and news. InfoComm International is the founder of InfoComm, the largest annual conference and exhibition for AV buyers and sellers worldwide. InfoComm also produces trade shows in Europe, Asia, China, and India.

For everyone who has ever had an evaluation or performance review just remember, it could have been worse. These are actual [maybe] quotes taken from United States Federal Government employee performance evaluations:

1. “Since my last report, this employee has reached rock-bottom and has started to dig.”
2. “I would not allow this employee to breed.”
3. “This employee is really not so much of a has-been, but more of definite won’t be.”
4. “Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap.”
5. “When she opens her mouth, it seems that it is only to change feet.”
7. “This young lady has delusions of adequacy.”
8. “He sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them.”
9. “This employee is depriving a village somewhere of its idiot.”
10. “This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts, the better.”
11. “Got a full six-pack, but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it all together.”
12. “A gross ignoramus — 144 times worse than an ordinary ignoramus.”
13. “He doesn’t have ulcers, but he’s a carrier.”
14. “I would like to go hunting with him sometime.”
15. “He’s been working with glue too much.”
16. “He would argue with a signpost.”
17. “He brings a lot of joy whenever he leaves the room.”
18. “When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell.”
19. “If you see two people talking and one looks bored, he’s the other one.”
20. “A photographic memory but with the lens cover glued on.”
21. “A prime candidate for natural de-selection.”
22. “Donated his brain to science before he was done using it.”
23. “Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn’t coming.”
24. “He’s got two brain cells, one is lost and the other is out looking for it.”
25. “If he were any more stupid, he’d have to be watered twice a week.”
26. “If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you’d get change.”
27. “If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean.”
28. “It’s hard to believe he beat out 1,000,000 other sperm.”
29. “Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled.”
30. “Takes him two hours to watch ‘60-minutes’.”
31. “The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.”

Many thanks again to Peter SJF Bance and his Friday Funny mailing list for this submission.

To coincide with the proposed rule on Cranes and Derricks in Construction, published in the 10/9/08 edition of the Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has initiated a National Crane Safety Initiative to address safety hazards during construction crane operation. The Crane Safety Initiative also builds on a number of steps taken by OSHA earlier this year to raise awareness on crane safety and increase enforcement of the current standards, including launching local emphasis programs in a number of regions to inspect high-rise construction, stakeholder outreach, and additional training on crane safety.

“Three important features of this initiative are that it will provide information and outreach to the construction industry and other stakeholders, offer enhanced resources to OSHA inspectors who address crane safety, and implement a National Emphasis Program on Crane Safety,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported the 2007 fatality rate was the lowest in recorded history, including a reported 5% reduction in fatalities for the construction industry. This initiative builds upon this successful record.”

Through its agency partners in the construction industry, OSHA will increase awareness of—and provide information on how to avoid—crane hazards. The agency’s compliance safety and health officers will receive enhanced resources on crane safety. Additionally, the National Emphasis Program will incorporate increased targeted inspections of construction worksites to identify crane hazards and promote compliance with workplace crane safety requirements.