FAIRFAX, VA--- The International Communications Industries Association, Inc. (ICIA) has accepted a permanent seat on the Entertainment Services and Technology Association's (ESTA) new Certification Council. ICIA serves as the pre-eminent provider of education, exhibitions, and information services to its worldwide membership and the AV communications industry thus enhancing their ability to conduct business successfully, profitably and competently. The association is widely known for the prestigious InfoComm exhibition and conference. The ESTA Certification Council is the governing body which is managing the development and implementation of the Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP), a new industry-wide certification program for entertainment technology technicians.
ICIA has appointed Don Guzauckas, Jr., CTS, ICIA Rental and Staging Council Chair, ICIA Board member and General Manager of HB Group, and Lou Nanni, ICIA Director of Certification and Workforce Development as its representatives to the Council. Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., ICIA Executive Director stated, "ICIA is pleased to support ETCP as it will be a benefit to our members and their customers. ICIA members provide staging services for many kinds of events and are always concerned about safety. ETCP will move us all forward." Information about ICIA is available at www.infocomm.org.
ESTA President Mike Wood commented, "We are delighted to welcome ICIA to the Certification Council. Their members have become an integral part of the entertainment industry and their support is important to the success of the certification program."
The ESTA Certification Council members represent the diversity of the entertainment industry. The members are key leaders in entertainment business, labor, facilities, associations, and academia. The members include AMPTP, CITT, IATSE, IAAM, TEA, and USITT. With the help of these members, the key areas of electrical skills and rigging skills have been identified for initial development in the Entertainment Technician Certification Program.
ICIA Certification is a comprehensive individual and company certification program for the audiovisual industry. ICIA has sponsored certification for more than 20 years at both general and specialized levels. The individual certification designation, Certified Technology Specialist, is offered for general certification (CTS) and specializations in Design, Installation, Sales and Rentals. The company-based certification, Certified AudioVisual Solutions Provider (CAVSP), builds upon the individual levels of certification and was established as a component of the AVolution Industry Awareness Campaign created by ICIA's foundation, ICIF. More information on ICIA's certification programs is available at www.infocomm.org.