IPS completes MENA’s first AV design hackathon
IPS completes MENA’s first AV design hackathon
Saudi distributor Innovative Platform Solutions (IPS) has completed what it describes as the MENA region’s first AV design hackathon, bringing together more than 100 AV professionals from across Saudi Arabia and the UAE to tackle a series of live system design challenges.
Held over four days, with three days in Riyadh followed by one in Dubai, the event attracted representatives from more than 80 companies, including systems integrators, pre-sales engineers and AV decision-makers. Organised in partnership with AVIXA, participants were tasked with designing complete AV solutions for real-world project scenarios, producing full bills of quantities before presenting their proposals to a judging panel.
Rather than testing product knowledge alone, the competition assessed participants on their ability to specify practical, cost-effective AV systems that met the functional requirements of different environments. Teams comprising engineers with varying levels of experience worked together to develop solutions, encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing.
“Systems integrators in the region need initiatives like this so they can develop their knowledge,” explained Nouf Al-Saab, senior AV marketing associate at IPS. “Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is driving an unprecedented pipeline of giga-projects and infrastructure investment across every sector, from smart cities and hospitality to healthcare and government. Integrators need to know how to design AV ecosystems intelligently for each of these environments, because the right solution for a NOC command centre is not necessarily the right solution for a hospitality lobby or a boardroom. That is exactly the kind of thinking we set out to build through this hackathon.”
Alongside the competition, attendees received technical sessions from six global AV brands – Canon Middle East, Dahua Technology, Mersive, Tricolor, Navori and LC Acoustics, covering technologies including PTZ cameras, LED displays, wireless collaboration, command and control, AI-powered digital signage and immersive audio. AVIXA also delivered a presentation exploring the role of artificial intelligence in professional AV.
According to IPS, the hackathon attracted 101 attendees across the two countries, including more than 40 senior decision-makers in Saudi Arabia. Winners received AVIXA CTS preparation courses, while the organiser said the hackathon also helped introduce AVIXA’s forthcoming AI education initiatives to participants. The distributor intends to make the event an annual fixture as part of its ongoing technical education programme.
