Professional Sound - February 2018 | Page 16

2018 SIGNALS Industry Outl SPEAKING OUT k Survey Professional Sound surveyed audio professionals across Canada to gauge the trends they anticipate for their markets in 2018 and how their outlooks have changed since this time last year. 33%  expect AV Installations to be the industry segment with the most growth in 2018, while 20% say it’ll be live sound products 80% are optimistic about the near future in their industry Looking back on 2017, was your business: Much more profitable compared to 2016 20% Slightly more profitable compared to 2016 33%    Equally as profitable as 2016 27% Slightly less profitable compared to 2016       7% Much less profitable compared to 2016           13% Looking ahead, do you expect this year to be: Much more profitable compared to last year       Slightly more profitable compared to last year     Equally as profitable as last year               Slightly less profitable compared to last year Much less profitable compared to last year 16 PROFESSIONAL SOUND 20%  47% 27% 7% 0% What are your thoughts on what your industry has in store for 2018 when compared to the last several years? What business, economic, and/ or technological trends do you think will most impact the Canadian pro audio industry in 2018 and beyond? “People are tired of staying at home watching videos alone. A more social atmosphere in which people can share and participate in their entertainment will create unique alternatives to the ‘bar/dating’ model. House concerts, intimate venues, and online streaming of events will allow small groups to enjoy concerts in comfort and a pleasant ambience without the big- ticket prices and crowded arenas.” “VR will continue to put high demands on audio.” “More Dolby Atmos home deliveries” “We are located in Calgary, AB where traditionally post-production generally has lagged behind both AB production services and the post-production service sector in ON and BC. As a result of changes to the government funding/incentive structures, plus the addition of the new sound stages in Calgary, we are poised to see a significant increase in post-production activity in 2018.”