Phone  61 3 9481 7706    ACETA,  PO Box 352, Northcote, VIC 3070
  Australian Commercial & Entertainment Technologies Association
  • ACETA, Board & Members
    • About ACETA
    • The ACETA Statement
    • ACETA Board
    • ACETA Members
  • Become an Aceta Member
    • Qualification for Membership
    • Terms & Conditions of Membership
    • Member Benefits
    • Membership Application
  • What's New(s)
    • News Letters & Announcements >
      • MAY MANAGEMENT UPDATE
      • MARCH NEWS
      • FEBRUARY 2025 NEWSLETTER
      • January 2025 Newsletter
      • The ACETA 2024 End of Year Wrap
      • The Tangible Benefits of Belonging
      • November 2024 Newsletter
      • APRIL 2024 NEWSLETTER
      • December 2023 Newsletter
      • NOVEMBER 2023 NEWSLETTER
      • July 2023 Newsletter
      • MAY 2023 NEWSLETTER
      • APRIL 2023 NEWSLETTER
      • MARCH NEWSLETTER
      • JAN 2023 NEWSLETTER
      • Decembers 2022 Newsletter
      • November 2022 Newsletter
      • October 2022 Newsletter
      • Sept 2022 - Membership Fee Review
      • August 2022 - Industry Convention Announcement
      • Report on the 2022 Convention
      • Delegates Comments
      • 2022 Convention Review by CX Magazine
      • 8th June Non-members
      • Convention Launch
      • January 2022 Newsletter
      • November 2021 Newsletter
      • Nov 2021 ACETA News Briefs
      • May 2021 - A Special Announcement
      • May 2021 - The next interview for the Archive of Excellence
      • April 2021 - Strategic Planning
      • March 2021 Newsletter
      • February 2021
    • Projects >
      • Strategic Planning April 2021
      • Strategic Planning July 2019
    • AGM Minutes >
      • 2022 AGM Minutes
      • 2021 AGM Minutes for the period of 2019/20
      • 2019 AGM Minutes
      • 2018 AGM Minutes
      • 2017 AGM Minutes
      • 2016 AGM Minutes
    • Presidents Reports >
      • 2024 Presidents Report
      • 2023 Presidents Report
      • 2022 Presidents Report
      • 2021 Presidents Report
      • 2019 Presidents Report
      • 2018 Presidents Report
      • 2017 Presidents Report
      • 2016 Presidents Report
  • Archive of Excellence©
    • An Interview with & presentation by >
      • Colin Stevenson
      • David Bell
      • Roger Savage.
      • Murray Tregonning
      • John Fowler
      • Peter Evans presents Sunbury 72
      • Michael Barabasz
      • Jon Lemon
    • Archive of Artistic Excellence >
      • Mark Kennedy
      • Roger McLachlan
      • Phil Manning
    • In recognition of .... >
      • Neville Thiele
      • Graeme Cohen
      • Bill Armstrong
  • Elevating Mental Health
    • What is Mental Health?
    • Talking to & supporting others
    • Resources & Support
  • Hot Topics
    • Responsible Recycling >
      • Did You Know?
      • So what can I recycle & where?
  • Members Login
    • Media reform green paper
    • Best Wines Great Western
    • Convention Presentations >
      • Strategic Planning
      • Five year Spectrum outlook 2021-2026
      • Hiring Staff
      • Facilitating Corporate Change
      • Doing Business in a World that has Changed
      • Finding & Developing New & Sustainable Markets.
    • MANUFACTURERS >
      • Manufacturers Manifesto
      • Manufacturers Forum
      • Manufacturers guide to EMC
    • ACETA Product Compliance Guidelines >
      • ACETA Guidelines for Product Compliance
      • ACETA Guide For Rigging & Temporary Structures
    • ACETA Surveys >
      • Tradeshow Survey - DELEGATES
      • Tradeshow Survey - EXHIBITORS

Entertainment Technology Today
An Industry in Transition

​Many entertainment technology participants lament the changing nature of the industry. The impact of technology, contemporary societal priorities and commercial reality is redefining opportunity and bringing a cultural change to the sector, that is alienating some industry stalwarts. The continuing evolution of software and interface has meant, once unique industries now share common technologies and platforms. Therefore, many industries look similar in terms of equipment and workflow, and will continue to do so. We will wrap up the narrative with a brief example, but first, a reminder of where we have come from, whilst also endeavouring to rationalize the current landscape.
 
A high proportion of entertainment technology manufacturers, distributors, and service providers, are from the baby boomer generation (people born from 1946 to the mid 1960’s). They grew up in an analogue environment where aside from print media and personal interaction, the primary source of entertainment, communication and information, came from audio mediums, including radio, record players, audio tape, and landline telephone systems, with each sector possessing a unique personality. However, as television and digital technology evolved, ensuing generations had increasing access to visual entertainment, communication and information options. From a sensory perspective, visual mediums are easier to access and engage with than the aural. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that visual mediums would ultimately drive a number of technological streams.
 
The feeling that the entertainment technology industry has lost its personality and become more homogenous may well be the case, but so too has the world we live in. However, there will always be a place for highly skilled organizations and individuals with demonstrable product and service understandings and a clientele seeking high standards over convenience and robotic support. As for declining commercial activity, whilst it may appear to be the case, we suggest it is more to do with increasing technology streams and industries morphing together, resulting in a changing landscape and blurred boundaries. In our space today, you will notice organizations using many and varied phrases to describe their activities such as Digital Media Technology (DMT) and Information & Communication Technology (ICT), to name but a few.
 
As an example, and by virtue of its data distribution role, Audio/Visual and Infrastructure Integration is increasingly being subsumed by the Information and, (to a lesser degree) Communication Technology sectors, delivering a noticeable industry cultural change. Whilst it is difficult to make a market size assessment, we would suggest commercial activity is stable and even increasing, but the sector will confront challenges moving forward given a number of realities including software assuming the role once performed by hardware.
 
In an ever changing and increasingly homogenous world, resistance is not futile, be happy, be yourself.
 
All the best
Frank Hinton
President
ACETA 
Copyright 2023 ACETA.org.au