I got the opportunity to spend a few hours in the exhibit hall at Government Video Expo in Washington, DC this week. For those of you not familiar, it’s an industry event for all things video related to the US government.

This is the first time I’ve been able to attend since 2006, and it was great to see how it’s grown. Just like the first time I attended, I was surprised to see all of the exhibitors related to video that I wouldn’t normally put in the category. Sure Panasonic, JVC and several of the folks you’d expect to see there were in attendance. But there were also companies there with surveillance and security equipment, as well as systems to support that kind of data collection. It was interesting to see how my definition of video is just a small part of the picture.

I also overheard some people talking about my alma mater. It turned out that one of my former college professors (and continued friends) brought a group of production students down to the show! It was great to meet the students who are now filling the roster of the class I took. It was even better to see one of the people who helped to teach me what a lot of what I know about production and shaped my future.

It may not be the largest video event, but Government Video Expo is definitely a great stop for people interested in any aspect of video. Hope to see you there next year.