The world of national distributor groups often resembles the ever-shifting sands of the desert – members change, vendors change, and its relative market position often changes. So it is a radically changed world in which the Digital Delivery Group (DDG) finds itself in the wake of last week’s announcement of the formation of a new national distributor group – Catalyst AV – an announcement that prominently featured the names of four DDG distributors who apparently defected to the new competitor.
CES
strata-GEE.com’s 2013 CES Survey – We Want to Hear From YOU!
If this is December, than the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is just around the corner. Once again, we are asking all strata-GEE.com and ALERT readers to take a few short minutes out of their day to take our survey and share their thoughts on this important event.
Whether you’re planning on traveling to Las Vegas, NV to attend the show at the Las Vegas Convention Center January 8-11 or not…we want to hear YOUR opinion of this event.
Please take our 2013 CES Survey below – we want to hear from you… [Read more…] about strata-GEE.com’s 2013 CES Survey – We Want to Hear From YOU!
OK, 3D HDTV Flopped – Industry Turns to Next Trick in Bag: Ultra HDTV
[PHOTO: Junko Kimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Now manufacturers have dug deep into their bag of tricks to offer 4K HDTV, also known as Ultra HDTV… [Read more…] about OK, 3D HDTV Flopped – Industry Turns to Next Trick in Bag: Ultra HDTV
EXPO Attendance Declines Again
Then Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) today released attendance data from last week’s Expo in Indianapolis, IN and it was a mix of good news and bad news. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Total attendance at the event came in at 16,900, down 4 percent from last year’s attendance of 17,600. This figure is also the lowest recorded attendance since 2001, coming in 1.8 percent under that year’s attendance level of 17,200.
But is there a silver lining?… [Read more…] about EXPO Attendance Declines Again
Seeing CEDIA Expo in a Whole New Light
Wednesday, the day before the 2012 CEDIA Expo opens its show floor, is both the day many integrators come to the convention center to take educational classes – and also the press comes for a day full of press conferences.
I approached the event this year with a high level of anticipation, as our strata-GEE.com CEDIA survey suggested that attendance might be better than originally anticipated. As I approached the convention center, I was surprised by the lack of activity around the outside of the hall. Then a CEDIA hotel shuttle bus showed up and – suddenly – we had a fair amount of activity.
Little did I know that when I entered the hall, I had a rather intense surprise waiting… [Read more…] about Seeing CEDIA Expo in a Whole New Light
Soul by Ludacris Shows Party in a Box
<January 25, 2012> First revealed by the ALERT just after the 2010 CEDIA Expo, Soul by Ludacris at CES showed their remarkable product with a funny name, the Party In A Box. [ See original story here…]Sort of a boombox on steroids, PIAB was meant to re-invent boomboxes adding in today’s new technologies and taking the street beat to a whole new level. [Read more…] about Soul by Ludacris Shows Party in a Box
At CES – Monster Turns from Performance to Fashion Model Runway to Sell Headphones
>>See a full slideshow of the Monster Press Conference here<<
<January 25, 2012> In what had to be one of the more unusual press conferences we’ve attended, Monster Cable – who wants us all to drop the “Cable” from their name – launched a whole roster of partnerships including the clothing brand Diesel, and put on a fashion show for both their Diesel-related products and their new Inspiration headphone line. Yes, that’s right, we said a fashion show complete with models walking down a runway of sorts (a cleared center aisle) with music blaring and flashing colored lights, showing off various Monster headphones. [Read more…] about At CES – Monster Turns from Performance to Fashion Model Runway to Sell Headphones
Awash in a Sea of Incrementalism, Pre-Show Press Day was a Desperate Search for Innovation
<January 18, 2012> The day before the International Consumer Electronics Show opens, the show promoter holds something they call “Press Day.” Press Day is a mind-numbing endurance test of the media’s stamina with back-to-back-to-back-to-etc. press conferences. Each press conference is supposed to be 45-minutes long to give the press 15-minutes to move to the next one. [Read more…] about Awash in a Sea of Incrementalism, Pre-Show Press Day was a Desperate Search for Innovation
CES Wrap-Up #1 – The Big News at CES Was That There was No Big News
<January 18, 2012> When my kids were younger, they used to really love those Magic Eye puzzles. You know, the puzzles that look busy with lots of bright designs and graphics, but a hidden image is buried within them if you put your nose on the page, defocus your eyes, and really concentrate? This could be a pretty good analog of this year’s recently completed CES. How so, you ask? [Read more…] about CES Wrap-Up #1 – The Big News at CES Was That There was No Big News
Once Again, It’s Show Time – Our CES Survey Results Reveal Reader’s Real Intentions
<January 4, 2012> Next week, the International Consumer Electronics Show kicks off in Las Vegas, NV starting January 10 and running through the 13th at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Over the last few years, many ALERT and BEACON readers have indicated to me that they no longer attended the event as they feel the show is no longer targeted at the specialty side of the business – and instead were using the CEDIA Expo as their main show. [Read more…] about Once Again, It’s Show Time – Our CES Survey Results Reveal Reader’s Real Intentions
