LG Electronics coined the term “techorating” in 2008, when they launched a program with interior designer Doug Wilson sharing ways to incorporate today’s technology seamlessly into venues. Wilson is often credited with coining the word and the concept.

LG–with their tagline Life’s Good — is all about making technology work for us. It’s not about technology for technology’s sake, but using it to improve our quality of life, our entertainment experiences, dining out, etc.

For hospitality venue owners, it’s become almost expected to enhance your customer’s experience with technology. That’s why the commercial audio visual installation market has adopted the term “techorating.” Just as commercial technology is always a few steps above most residential applications, commercial applications have taken techorating to the next level.

Technorating Seminar Sheds Light (and Video) on Design Concepts

This — techorating in hospitality venues — was the topic of a seminar at the recent e4 expo held in New York City by Almo. Presented by father-and-son consulting team Alan and Jonathan Brawn of Vista, Calif.-based Brawn Consulting, the seminar showcased the AV consultants’ work at the Cosmpolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, where HDTV screens become part of the spectacular scenery. This is not a digital signage application and it’s not just for entertainment, either. The screens display artwork that actually becomes an ever-changing part of the hotel ambiance.

The takeaway from the seminar was not so much that techorating exists. Good, creative audiovisual contractors have been employing these principles for years, even though we may call it by a different name. (Audio visual design, anyone?) The key point was that this type of aesthetic blending of technology and architecture is no longer a “bonus” for venues that want to set themselves apart on the coasts, where nightlife competition is steep and locals and tourists alike have plenty of options to choose from.

Commercial Audio Video Systems Are Not An Afterthought

The other point covered in the seminar is that AV design can no longer be an afterthought. Contractors should work with architects as early as possible, not just to design the best places for screens or ensure the room acoustics is right (or, if treatments are needed, that there’s space for them where they will not just take away from, but will actually contribute to, the aesthetics of the room.)

What this means for New York hospitality professionals updating, renovating or opening a new venue, is that audio video systems should come into consideration as design plans are drawn up. We know that’s not always a reality — and we’ll work with you at any stage of your construction or renovation project — but the more time we have, the more we can be creative in executing your vision with fewer compromises when it comes to design and architecture. And that — refusing to compromise design for the sake of technology, but still permitting the technology to achieve its own important objectives — is exactly what techorating is all about.