Non-Profit Institute Sparks Meaningful Conversations About Sound and Hearing at 2016 AudiologyNOW!
NAERUM, DK June 2 –AudiologyNOW!, the world’s largest gathering of audiologists, generates many conversations about hearing, audiology and the newest research and technologies over four days of educational sessions, workshops and exhibits. This year, few conversations were more meaningful than those captured on video at the Ida Institute exhibit. The non-profit institute invited conference participants to engage in meaningful conversations about why sound and hearing matter through the Big Message Video Competition. A video recording booth onsite at the Ida exhibit allowed people to share a personal story or message about the importance of sound in their lives. The winning video featured Jim Wilson, General Partner of the Wilson Group, who delivered his “I want to be heard” message silently, using oversized Post-It notes. His winning video and other personal Big Message videos created at AudiologyNOW! are available at thebigmessages.com.
“Through the Big Message Video Competition, we aim to get meaningful conversations about hearing started on and offline,” said Ida Institute Managing Director Lise Lotte Bundesen. “Each video carries a personal ‘message worth sharing’ and has the potential help people understand and appreciate sound and hearing in ways that are especially powerful. We hope the videos will motivate people in communities across the globe to carry the Big Message forward to their families, friends, organizations and more.”
Wilson’s Big Message was inspired by his more than 35 years working in audiology, most recently as publisher of the Consumer’s Guide to Hearing Aids. “My inspiration for the video was to take a look at what are the things that turn me on and bring me happiness that I would lose if I lost my hearing acuity,” he explained. Among the things he would miss, Wilson cited the three-toned bugle of his Basset-Beagle mix dog, the roar of his Triumph motorcycle and most important, communication with his wife and three daughters.
The Big Message is part of the Ida Institute’s Vision 2020 project that looks at the future of hearing healthcare around the world. The success of the year-long initiative and all Ida programs depends upon ongoing collaboration and co-creation with hearing care professionals from communities worldwide, representing a wide range of backgrounds and specializations.
For more information about the Ida Institute, Vision 2020 and the Big Message initiative, visit idainstitute.com
