What is M2I? And How to Use This Website

My first entry into the realm of Pro AV was InfoComm 2017 – where I may have met some of you reading this. I had only been an editor at Commercial Integrator for two weeks, but my then-boss Tom LeBlanc thought a “trial by fire” would help me better understand and make contacts in the industry.  

I was there to write stories aimed at integrators, but I spent most of my time actually talking to pro AV product managers, marketing managers, product designers, and others in the audiovisual product supply chain.  

My impressions of the industry after those conversations were very positive: practically everyone I spoke with was eager to offer their advice when I told them I was a newbie.  

Another common thread in those conversations was that the pro AV and tech integration industry is a strange but beautiful place. I got the sense that those tasked with actually marketing products to integrators were still learning a lot about them like I was. They were curious what such a newbie to the industry thought about it, having fresh eyes and an open mind. 

While my perspective on the industry has changed as I’ve learned more about it over these last few years, my appreciation for the marketing pros, the product managers, and everyone else I’ve met at trade shows hasn’t changed from that first big show where I felt so welcomed. 

Now, as of April 2021, I’ve taken a new job at Commercial Integrator’s parent company as senior web editor of this brand-new website, M2I: Marketing to Integrators, as well as M2T: Marketing to Tech Pros.

Instead of writing to integrators, I’m going to be writing to you, the people whose job it is to connect with and ultimately market products to them. 

Who am I? 

I’m a firm believer that a trade website like this ought to have a little personality – after all, we’re not the Wall Street Journal. While I want you to view us as a reliable, trustworthy source of information, I also want you to feel as though you can approach me and anyone else who contributes to this website.  

So, here’s my ice breaker: I’m almost 29 years old (as of May 2021); I live in Eastern Massachusetts and grew up on Cape Cod; when I’m not working, I’m probably cooking spicy food, playing pickleball, working on a podcast, exploring with my partner Shannon, creating a fragrance, or observing the chaos wrought by our three cats and our cat-like dog (Finnegan, Magnolia, Gideon, and Betsy, respectively).  

A random fact about me: a very, very distant relative of mine was mentioned in Dante’s Inferno (Sig. Alighieri apparently deemed the relative a “religious heretic,” and brutally placed him in the 9th circle of hell – how arrogant!). 

What we hope to accomplish with this website 

M2I is designed to be a forum for marketing and technology product professionals to better understand – and market to – the integration community. 

We’ve operated integrator-facing trade publications like CE Pro, Commercial Integrator, and Security Sales & Integration for years now, and in the process, we’ve learned how to earn their attention. 

As our “About Us” page says:  

“Over the years, we’ve also made deep connections in the integration industry  with associations, manufacturers, distributors, and industry influencers. We have  seen that there is a persistent need for targeted insights for the technology  marketers who sell to integrators.”

What we plan to cover 

M2I will share what we’ve learned about the integration industry through market research, industry trends analysis, executive Q&A’s, and more. 

While we also plan to provide generalized tips for modern marketing departments, our focus is on offering exclusive, AV industry-specific insights and research you can’t find anywhere else.  

We’ll do this through special reports, quick blogs, long-form articles, video interviews, thematic newsletters, and even our own podcast.

If you’d like to keep in touch with what we’re doing to clarify what makes the integration industry unique and how AV/IT manufacturers, distributors, and software companies can better meet their needs, reach out to me for our editorial calendar. 

If you’re interested in contributing an article to our website (which we gratefully encourage), reach out to me at the email below. 

I hope to hear from you soon! 

Adam Forziati, Senior Web Editor 

adam.forziati@emeraldx.com