Azione Unlimited announced today that it has partnered with Nationwide Marketing Group, a group representing more than 14,000 storefronts made up largely of appliance, furniture, and electronics retailers. While Nationwide may not be an immediately obvious choice as a partner for Azione, the custom integration specialist group maintains that it makes perfect sense as they say integrators must be able “to address all of their clients’ needs, no matter the room in the home.”
Integrators
CEDIA Names Daryl Friedman as New CEO; Has Extensive Association Experience
New CEDIA CEO Tells Strata-gee, ‘I Promise You Transparency’
The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) announced today that it has named Daryl Friedman as its new Global President & CEO. Friedman’s appointment is effective as of November 27, 2021. Don’t know that name? I’m not surprised as Friedman, an experienced Association executive, comes from the Recording Academy…the folks who bring you the Grammy awards. In an interview this week, Friedman told me that he’s close to the engineers and producers – the highly technical folks in his current association – so he brings a clear technology appreciation to his new role.
Learn more about CEDIA selecting Daryl Friedman as CEO
[Read more…] about CEDIA Names Daryl Friedman as New CEO; Has Extensive Association ExperienceCrestron Brings the Trade Show to You via the Crestron NEXT Road Trip
BREAKING NEWS Event Kicks Off in November, Starting in Boston & Chicago; More to Follow
I have just learned that Crestron is planning to launch a monster series of regional dealer shows, called the Crestron NEXT Road Trip, that sounds as though they’re going to be spectacular – with new product launches, full product displays & demos, and in-depth educational courses offered. The multi-day event will include huge displays from both the company’s commercial and residential business units in what promises to be quite a show.
See what we know so far about the Crestron NEXT Road Trip
[Read more…] about Crestron Brings the Trade Show to You via the Crestron NEXT Road TripWell-Known Industry Vet Lawrence Davis Joins Vital
CI coaching business Vital announced this week that well-known industry veteran Lawrence Davis has joined the company as its new VP of Business Development. The company says that this move is “the first step in their growth plan.”
See more on Vital hiring Lawrence Davis
[Read more…] about Well-Known Industry Vet Lawrence Davis Joins VitalMoody’s Upgrades Credit Rating of Once Bankrupt Guitar Center, Parent of AVDG
Moody’s Investors Service, one of the nation’s largest credit rating agencies, announced last week that it has raised the credit rating of Guitar Center, the owner of custom integration company Audio Visual Design Group. Guitar Center has struggled for years, finally falling into bankruptcy – from which it emerged about ten months ago in December 2020.
Read more about Guitar Center & AVDG’s elevated rating
[Read more…] about Moody’s Upgrades Credit Rating of Once Bankrupt Guitar Center, Parent of AVDGSavant’s Virtual Expo Delivers a Powerful 1-2 Punch That Just Knocks Me Out
As the first and one of the most prominent brands that decided to pull out of the recent CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis last month, Savant based their difficult decision on placing the safety of their employees and customers as their key concern in a time of surging Delta-variant COVID infections. But that decision did not mean that they didn’t want to communicate with their dealers about the many exciting developments at the company. So Savant developed a powerful two-pronged approach (the 1-2 punch I mentioned) to deliver their dealers a better – virtual – trade show.
See more on the Savant virtual tradeshow…
[Read more…] about Savant’s Virtual Expo Delivers a Powerful 1-2 Punch That Just Knocks Me OutElvis Has Left the Building: Co-Founders of Kaleidescape Leave the Company
BREAKING NEWS
A New Era Begins: New CEO, New Exec Team, and New Funding Equals New Opportunities
Earlier this week, sources told Strata-gee that Kaleidescape co-founders Michael Malcolm and Cheena Srinivasan have left the company. Malcolm is said to have left a couple of months ago and Srinivasan reportedly left the organization just last week.
See what I know about the situation at Kaleidescape…
[Read more…] about Elvis Has Left the Building: Co-Founders of Kaleidescape Leave the CompanyWhyReboot Sets Up National Sales Rep Network
Premium networking systems and services specialist WhyReboot announced this week that they have set up a national network of independent specialty manufacturers sales representatives. The company has appointed nine top rep firms across the country, expanding their local presence for both sales and support.
See the all-new WhyReboot rep network
[Read more…] about WhyReboot Sets Up National Sales Rep NetworkCEDIA Expo Attendee Videos Show Wide Open Aisles, Draped Empty Halls, and Sparse Attendance
In a post yesterday, I suggested that the evidence seemed pretty clear – this year, attendees would find a very different CEDIA Expo. Today, the opening day of the event has seen a few videos and photos uploaded on Facebook, YouTube and other social media sites which seem to suggest that this is indeed a very different Expo.
See more on attendee’s CEDIA Expo videos…
[Read more…] about CEDIA Expo Attendee Videos Show Wide Open Aisles, Draped Empty Halls, and Sparse AttendanceCEDIA Expo Opens with Few Exhibitors; Not 500, Not 242, Only 76 Booths Remain
CEDIA Expo opens this week, with education sessions starting today and the show floor opening tomorrow. As Strata-gee has been reporting, over the last three weeks literally hundreds of exhibitors have pulled out of the event over concerns surrounding the surge of infections due to the Delta variant of COVID-19. With Emerald expositions vowing to forge ahead with the event no matter what, attendees to the event – whether many or few – will find themselves at a very different CEDIA Expo.