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Education Opportunities at E4 Experience

by | Apr 20, 2023 | E4 Experience, Uncategorized

Not long ago, I did a little promo video on LinkedIn poking fun at the travel expenses and hassles associated with going to a “big” trade show and extolling the virtues of the Exertis Almo E4 regional trade shows. If you know me, I’ve had some travel hassles over the years.

Tom Kehr Linkedin E4 travel videoHonestly, if you can attend an E4, there’s no better bargain on the planet, especially now that we’re not just Exertis or just Almo, but Exertis Almo, with more lines and services than ever available to support the audio-visual integrator.

There’s a lot that has been written about hybrid meetings and meeting equity and all that, but nothing tops meeting face-to-face, shaking hands (or fist bumps if that’s more comfortable for you), discovering new contacts, and having a conversation around good food. It’s what a friend of mine, Stuart Weiser, calls, “Meet, eat and greet.” Despite all of our 24/7/365 electronic connectivity, you can’t beat the one-on-one that the E4 Experience offers. Sometimes our best connections happen quite by accident and when we don’t expect it. We just “happen” to meet someone, strike up a conversation where interests and goals mesh and it becomes the beginning of a long-term profitable business relationship.

E4 has extended the show floor hours to 4:00PM (in some cities), so you won’t have to feel so rushed to get it all in – breakfast, Keynote, exhibits, sessions, lunch, and education. Did you see food mentioned twice? Even before I joined Exertis Almo, I always remembered that E4 always did a great job with meals. Food and coffee are the fuels of AV.

But, although we are often driven by our stomachs, E4 is so much more. More vendors and exhibits than before, but also the same great education that has become a hallmark of E4. I have the privilege of doing two sessions, but I’m not alone, as Gary Kayye and Tom Stimson will be presenting as well. In addition, Melody Craigmyle will be leading a roundtable on DEI. As always, our education provides RUs for your CTS renewal.

Great people, great manufacturers, great education, and great food. The only thing it will cost you is a day out of the office and the potential for missed opportunities. No expense report necessary.

Want to know more?
 Attend the 2023 E4Experience in a city near you, and take one or both of Tom’s courses on “Conducting a Needs Analysis” and “Conducting a Proper Site Survey” to earn up to 2 AVIXA CTS RUs.

Check out his “Project Questions & Needs Analysis” post.

Did you find this post helpful? Engage with us over on LinkedIn.

Tom Kehr

About the Author

Tom Kehr

CTS-D, CTS-I, Network+, LEED Green Associate, ISF-C, ATD Master Trainer

In-House System Designer and Trainer

Supported Applications: System Design

E4 Experience Blog #2: Expansive Services Offering

by | Apr 5, 2023 | E4 Experience, News, Uncategorized

This blog is reposted with permission from Commercial Integrator.   Author: Dan Ferrisi

Rob Voorhees explores Exertis Almo services and how they benefit integrators, as well as his passion for diversity, equity and inclusion.

During this month’s E4 Experience, Commercial Integrator had a chance to learn more about Exertis Almo’s services offering. We could have no better guide than Rob Voorhees, CTS, CTP, CTNS, DSCE, business development manager with Exertis Almo. After all, apart from overseeing the HARMAN vendor relationship, Voorhees manages the connectivity portion of Exertis Almo’s audiovisual services. During an expansive half-hour discussion with CI, Voorhees touches on Exertis Almo’s recent acquisition of Caddrillion Engineering & Drafting, LLC, as well as how the market-enablement company commits itself to lowering integrators’ barrier to entry for moving into services.

Entry into Exertis Almo Services

Voorhees starts the conversation with reflections on his arrival at Almo more than six years ago. Services were, in fact, his entry point into the organization, and he describes his initial impressions as pleasantly surprising. “At a lot of distributors and integrators, the term ‘one-stop shop’ gets thrown around very, very loosely,” Voorhees acknowledges. “One of the comments I made very early on in my career here,” he recalls, “was this: ‘This worldwide distributor really talks the talk and walks the walk.’”

In particular, Almo’s service mission — Voorhees summarized it as expanding integrators’ reach without increasing their overhead — impressed him. “It’s all about you knowing that you can fulfill a project or customer need without having to hire somebody new…without having to train somebody and dedicate those resources,” he adds.

When industry observers look at today’s Exertis Almo, they see a market-enablement company whose services portfolio is remarkably broad. Indeed, the organization’s offerings range from design and blueprinting all the way to DSP programming.

Voorhees, however, calls back to the foundational three Exertis Almo service offerings: labor, content creation and connectivity. Over time, the company presciently expanded on that foundation, with Exertis Almo responding, in real time, to emerging customer needs and partners’ desire to fulfill them.

Stepping into the Connectivity Arena

Right now, for example, the organization is leaning into its already-available cybersecurity services. As it is, Voorhees observes, some integrators are reluctant even to step into the connectivity arena because they are unfamiliar with the intricacies of bandwidth, streaming, etc. “Cybersecurity takes that to a multiplier of 10,” he notes. “It’s an even more difficult conversation.” But that’s precisely why integrators would want Exertis Almo as a service partner and consultative advisor.

As noted, Voorhees leads the connectivity portion of Exertis Almo services, and he shares some insights into it. “Our connectivity services allow us to partner and provide services from all the major ISPs in the country,” he explains. Indeed, Voorhees cites Comcast and AT&T as just two examples. Laying out an opportunity for recurring commission, he continues, “We allow our partners to provide those services to customers.”

One might think that dealing with ISPs falls outside integration businesses’ scope, but that would be wrong. After all, having sufficient network bandwidth is the single biggest key to a successful AV-over-IP deployment. “That’s why Exertis Almo got involved in something like connectivity services,” Voorhees states. “Because we saw where the industry was going.”

Caddrillion Acquisition Boosts Exertis Almo Services

In response to CI inquiring about Exertis Almo’s acquisition of Caddrillion, Voorhees explains that the organizations, in fact, had partnered for a couple years. Specifically, Caddrillion was a trusted resource for Exertis Almo with respect to systems design and engineering services. With expertise spanning systems design, systems engineering, project blueprinting, systems programming (e.g., AMX, BSS, Crestron, Extron) and remote programming, Caddrillion quickly proved a valuable partner for the market-enablement company.

“Over the time of building the partnership with them, [we determined] it might make sense for both parties to bring this in house,” Voorhees relates. The acquisition went into effect this past January 1.

It was a smart move for Exertis Almo, as it bolstered its services offering in the most impactful way. “AV design services have been a huge need just over the last year alone,” Voorhees declares. “That’s why [we’ve filled] that void in house now.” Moreover, he heaps praise on Caddrillion CEO Justin Gregory and his team, underlining once again their strength in engineering, drafting and programming. “They have just done a phenomenal job for our customers,” Voorhees enthuses.

Filling the Gaps

It’s clear that, in building its services offering, Exertis Almo is committed to filling the gaps in AV projects. Equally, however, the organization seeks to lower integrators’ barrier to entry so they can seize on service-oriented business opportunities. Voorhees remarks that today’s commercial AV industry is all about selling an experience. “And I consider [selling] services a big piece of that,” he declares.

But Voorhees remains mindful that not everyone natively “speaks the language” of services, nor are services everyone’s core competency. “[That’s why] any call or one-on-one meeting that I have with a partner to discuss ISP services — or anything else, for that matter — it’s all about going in to make it not as attractive as possible, but, instead, as simple as possible,” he stresses.

And Exertis Almo’s guidance frequently produces revelatory moments for partners. For example, Voorhees cites integrator conversations pertaining to his role with Exertis Almo’s connectivity services. He recalls integrators attesting that they frequently recommended internet-service suppliers but otherwise were uninvolved. However, when integrators learn about facilitating connectivity services through Exertis Almo and earning a commission, he says, “It’s like you’re reintroducing the wheel to them.”

This education about available opportunities frequently takes place during what Voorhees refers to as “discovery calls.” These conversations with integrator partners — as well as, sometimes, with end users — are incredibly useful for teasing out customer needs and elucidating the reasoning behind recommendations. “[It’s] not just about signing somebody up for something,” he declares, expressing a business integrity that is refreshing.

Embracing DEI

As passionate as Voorhees is about Exertis Almo services and serving partners well, he has equal passion for DEI. Part of it stems from having a teenage daughter on the autism spectrum. He states firmly that he wants to ensure his daughter never faces any barriers to entry as she pursues her dreams.

“Awareness and education are key,” Voorhees opines, crediting Exertis Almo as an organization that’s truly enlightened on diversity issues. “Getting to work for a company that addresses not just neurodiversity but also diversity and inclusion of all kinds is very comforting not only as an employee of that company but also as a parent,” he says. Although too modest to describe himself as a leader, Voorhees is an expositor of the message; he’s an active member of the AVIXA Diversity Council.

“It’s very, very powerful to feel comfortable and be happy as yourself,” Voorhees declares. Thus, it’s incumbent on AV industry organizations to proactively discuss and address these issues — not sweep them under the rug — and recognize that even small accommodations (e.g., noise-canceling headphones) can be transformative in empowering team members to deliver their very best. “More attention to little details is the key,” he advises.

Clearly, Exertis Almo pays attention to all the details of both its services and its inclusive company culture. And with powerful voices like Voorhees’ helping show the way, the market-enablement company’s future looks brighter than ever.

Connect with Commercial Integrator and Exertis Almo on LinkedIn.

E4 Experience Blog #1: Leadership Transition

by | Mar 28, 2023 | E4 Experience, News, Uncategorized

This blog is reposted with permission from Commercial Integrator.   Author: Dan Ferrisi

During the Exertis Almo E4 Experience, CI learned about the meticulously planned leadership transition from Sam Taylor to Dan Smith.

Dan Smith, Dan Ferrisi, and Sam TaylorRecently, CI chatted with Sam Taylor and Dan Smith about market-enablement company Exertis Almo’s meticulously planned leadership transition. Smith is succeeding outgoing executive vice president and COO Taylor, who is retiring following a remarkably successful 14-year tenure. Both leaders attended the Exertis Almo E4 Experience on March 7 in Dallas, an event that drew hundreds. As always, the E4 Experience delivered informative education sessions, invaluable peer networking and an exhibit floor populated with top vendors across product categories. For CI, however, the highlight was chatting with these two leaders about Exertis Almo’s culture, growth and exciting future.

The Decision to Retire

Any conversation with Taylor makes his passion for Exertis Almo abundantly evident. Indeed, during our talk, he reflects, “I started Almo Pro AV in partnership with Warren and Gene Chaiken and 22 dedicated professionals who came over from our former employer. When we started, we had no customers, no inventory and no vendors. Flash forward to today, where we now have 240 people in our division dedicated to pro AV and revenues of approximately $1 billion. After 14 years, I still feel like this is my baby.”

So, then, what motivated Taylor’s decision to retire? He explains that, two years ago, he realized that he’d achieved all his personal, professional and financial goals. That realization inspired Taylor to coordinate a planned departure, with a one-year transition plan to find a suitable successor. The timing changed, however, when DCC Technology, which trades as Exertis, acquired Almo Corp. in North America. “[The Board] asked me to stay on an extra year to help oversee the integration of the sales and marketing teams into Almo,” Taylor explains.

The transition plan included recruiting a top executive search firm, which produced something like 30 candidates. However, Taylor himself suggested adding Smith, then at LG Electronics and not seeking to change jobs, to the mix. He underscores that the entire Exertis Almo decision-making team — from president and CEO Warren Chaiken, to chairman Gene Chaiken, to Taylor — concluded that Smith had separated himself from the candidate field. “I felt really comfortable that Dan was not only going to continue what we’ve done [but also] going to grow it in different ways,” Taylor declares. Handing the reins of Exertis Almo to someone who’s going to carry it forward gives Taylor peace of mind as he nears retirement in June.

The Attraction of Exertis Almo

For Smith, Exertis Almo was particularly appealing because of its transition from distribution to true market enablement. “I think there’s a very fast-growing need for a market-enablement company,” he opines. Indeed, Smith believes that, with so many vendors and technologies, there is an ever-increasing need for training and support. “And therein lies Exertis Almo’s true value proposition: a well-thought-out vendor selection, enviable education offerings and a wide portfolio of services,” he summarizes. Seeing those increasingly pressing industry needs, Smith enthusiastically embraced this opportunity to oversee and lead true market enablement.

Another core characteristic of Exertis Almo that impressed Smith is its customer responsiveness and willingness to change approaches. He remembers thinking, “If they find out they need a new product, they bring the product onboard. If they find out they need additional training, they build the training to satisfy that.” It’s the antithesis of the stagnancy that sometimes can plague larger organizations that have tasted success and wed themselves to a formula. Exertis Almo is almost a billion-dollar business, but it’s still looking to grow, innovate and evolve. “There’s still a tremendous amount of growth potential,” Smith says with a smile. He points, in particular, to emerging opportunities involving collaboration tools, AVoIP, interactive digital boards and DVLED. Moreover, Smith believes the merging of the AV and IT communities will open the door to further market enablement.

Exertis Almo’s Company Culture

Both Taylor and Smith underline Exertis Almo’s company culture, whose roots lie in Almo Corp.’s 77-year history. It’s a family-like environment, Taylor attests, and those bonds inspire employees to refer friends and relatives to the company. Those employees’ enthusiasm radiates outward, thus illuminating another reason that Smith was excited to accept this leadership role. “You know it on the outside,” he says, “but you feel it on the inside.” Smith declares that he immediately felt a personal fit with the company…a cultural congruence of sorts. “One of my goals is to help continue that,” he vows.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are central to Exertis Almo’s company culture today — just as they always have been. In fact, Almo had longstanding diversity training and policies, including active recruitment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). After last year’s acquisition, the merged organization further amplified those initiatives. Taylor emphasizes that some of the fruits of those efforts are apparent; for example, Exertis Almo has a wealth of female team members, including in key leadership roles. Smith adds that, although DEI remains a foundational value, the organization even more broadly emphasizes respect for and trust in individuals. Pointing to a recently completed annual employee survey, he remarks, “I was astounded, as an outsider, how high [the marks] were. But, on the inside, it was easy to believe.”

Leveraging Organizational Resources

Smith praises parent company DCC for empowering Exertis Almo to serve its customers while, simultaneously, respecting leadership’s independence. Smith summarizes the arrangement by saying, “We’re going to be the finance people, and you’re going to run your business.” Thus, Exertis Almo remains free to maintain its culture and pursue its mission, which Smith describes with refreshing clarity. “Throughout our whole route to market, we service that end user,” he declares. “What enhances the business? What enhances the education? And what enhances communication? How do [our customers] do what they’re doing better?” Leadership, at the same time, however, leverages all the benefits of scale of multiple businesses combined. Smith points to 2.7 million square feet of warehouse space in the U.S., with 11 active warehouses, as examples.

A New Challenge

Meanwhile, as Taylor readies himself for retirement in June, he plans to wrap his arms around a new challenge. An avid swimmer all his life — in fact, he swam in high school and college and also served as a coach — Taylor will channel his passion into helping underserved youths. Kentucky State University, an HBCU, had a catastrophic failure at its pool a few years ago. However, the institution doesn’t have the money to fix it. That is where Taylor comes in.

“I’m chairing a fund,” he announces, “and our goal is to raise a million dollars to fix the pool.” What’s more, he’s seeking to raise operating capital to keep the pool well maintained and functional for good. Taylor adds that not only will Kentucky State students use the pool but, in addition, those needing swimming lessons and seniors will have access. It’s a perfect next chapter for someone whose passion for market enablement and building businesses is only equaled by his love for swimming.

It seems clear that, as Taylor eyes retirement, his team and he have chosen well in selecting Smith as successor. The future of Exertis Almo remains bright, and, as a result, so, too, does the future of its customers.

Connect with Commercial Integrator and Exertis Almo on LinkedIn.

Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Supply Show 2023

by | Feb 23, 2023 | Events, Hospitality

HMRSSS 2023 blog-featured-image

From January 22-24th, Exertis Almo attended the Annual Hotel, Motel, and Restaurant Supply Show in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Members of our Exertis Almo Hospitality and Marketing teams, along with support from representatives at Magic Chef, headed down this year to show off some of our most popular products and a few newer products which will be available soon! This show allows vendors to connect with independent hotel owner and operators. Exertis Almo has had a booth since 2020 and this year was our biggest booth, featuring Cape Soleil outdoor furniture, Nonstop clocks, Magic Chef appliances, and Samsung Hospitality displays.

Since the show is open to hotels and restaurant owners and operators, our booth had something for anyone in attendance. With its solid build and impressive warranty, our Cape Soleil commercial furniture is at home on a restaurant patio or a hotel pool area. As in years past, people always enjoy taking a break in our booth to test out the furniture, and we always bring some great Cape Soleil SWAG with us. We had tote bags, plastic cups, glassware, and a few other goodies which were very popular! Since we were one of the first booths in the door, the Cape Soleil tote was one of the first things guests received, and if you took a walk around the show, you’d see many attendees carrying them and loading them up with other vendor giveaways.

Magic Chef at HMRSS booth

Magic Chef was on display on the left side of our booth. We had the newly redesigned .7 microwave, which has a newer, modern look, along with two glass-front merchandisers. All were well received, especially the merchandisers for attendees looking for a compact way to display refrigerated products in their marketplaces. We ran a show special of Buy 10 Get 1 Free on the compact appliances which resulted in a few deals right on the show floor! For the guests in the restaurant industry, we had info on the Norpole commercial line, which helped get the word out on those products as they continue to grow and expand in that space.

NONSTOP at HMRSS booth

Front and center in the booth, we featured the NonStop clocks, which gained lots of attention from many attendees. Their modern, sleek design and charging solutions appealed to hotels and owners of small, local bed and breakfasts. It was apparent that sanitation is still a concern, as the NonStop UV station was getting some of the most attention of all the models. We met some large properties who will be receiving some UV station samples so they can review them in-person. To keep things exciting, we also raffled off a NonStop UV Station every hour for the 3 days of the show. Many attendees were very excited to win these and take them home! We even met a woman who won one last year and said that her employees still use it in the hotel break-room.

The first day gave us a steady number of local visitors to the booth, but it appeared that most people were traveling to arrive Tuesday night so they could get the most out of their visit and spend all of Wednesday at the show. Over the course the show, we met everyone from ownership groups, hotel and restaurant owners, and even some of the staff who handle maintenance or ordering for the property at which they work. In previous years, the last day has been slower, but not this year! Thursday, which is a shorter day, seemed to be our busiest day. Everyone in the booth was busy fielding questions and showing off product right up until we were ready to break down the booth! The 3 days flew by and allowed to us to present our products to many new customers. It was a great show, and we will be sure to be back next year!

Want to know more about Hospitality at Exertis Almo?
Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit Hospitality.ExertisAlmo.com

Steve Dowsett
About the Author

Steve Dowsett

FF&E Coordinator

Exertis Almo – Hospitality

Blending Education & Entertainment: I Present JBL Fest 2022

by | Oct 21, 2022 | Events, Pro Audio, Uncategorized

“This was the best work trip I’ve ever attended.”  That statement carries a lot of weight when your career requires you to travel to different industry events and you regularly get to see what our country has to offer.  However, that was the exact phrase that an Exertis Almo employee said to me when I asked him what JBL Fest 2019 was like.  For the 2nd consecutive year (not counting 2020/2021 due to the pandemic shutdown), our sales team at Exertis Almo was selected to participate in a sales incentive with the grand prize being a trip for 2 to Las Vegas to attend JBL Fest 2022.  This year, we had five lucky winners (and their spouses) descend onto Las Vegas from Sept 27th-Sept 30th.  Christina Smith, Kenny Razor, Kyle Smith, Cassidy Alley and Doug Schulte all did an incredible job to earn this opportunity, and congrats to all of them!  I took on the role of “Unofficial Tour Guide” to make sure they got the most from the trip and did not miss any of the swag opportunities either.  Allow me to do the same for you as I attempt to paint a picture of what this experience was truly like.

JBL Fest 2022 team backdrop

Leading up to the 27th, I made sure to review the itinerary which included the Harman Tech Forum, Installed Audio Masterclass, Content Creation Master Class with world famous DJ Morgan Page, and multiple concerts and club events each night.  Once landing in Las Vegas, you are greeted in the baggage claim area by multiple people holding JBL Fest signs and helping usher you to the waiting bus in the parking lot to take you to the destination.  Admittedly still jetlagged from the 3-hour time difference and 2:30am wakeup, I was happy it was a short ride to the Virgin Hotel where immediately you hear the bass thumping, see a bright JBL-orange truck and a solid-gold dancer just in the parking lot.  It was tough NOT to hang out in the parking lot with everyone else.  Once checked in you immediately feel thrown into the experience of JBL Fest.  Bright colored signage everywhere and an oversized chair that replicates JBL earbuds are sitting in the lobby.  The short walk from the registration area to the room was well worth it when you open the door to your room and find there is a concert stage directly outside your room  (more on that a little later on 😊 ).  Once I was settled and rested, I decided to head down to the JBL Hospitality Lounge where I was checked in and “tagged” with an orange JBL bracelet that acts as your “tracker” for all the events you attend and it’s your VIP pass.  I am all about branding, so I certainly did not mind wearing a JBL bracelet for a few days.  Once finished with check-in, I was told to go into the lounge and pick up my “welcome gift,” while assuming it was a fidget spinner or pop socket; you know, the usual swag that is handed out.  Instead, I’m given a Herschel/JBL branded backpack that was filled with JBL noise cancelling wireless earbuds, a premium wireless battery pack, a premium wireless phone charger, and a JBL fanny pack (which now sits on my Michael Scott standup at home, haha).  I do not want to give off the impression that I can be bought with premium swag, but this sure was a nice way to welcome guests to the event!

After a brief bit of downtime to explore the hotel, it was time to meet up with the rest of the Exertis Almo team and head to Club JBL for the 1st night of concerts, headlined by pop star Bebe Rexha.  Food, drinks, and sitting feet away from future NFL Hall of Famer, Rob Gronkowski, made this a great first night for everyone — ending with Bebe Rexha singing some of her more radio-popular hits from the past few years.  Waking up on Wednesday, it was time to roll as we had our busiest day ahead.  Starting with the Harman Tech Forum, which featured several panel discussions on the future of the metaverse, where the automotive industry is heading, and learning how athletes and celebrities are using technology to become more accessible to their fans.  Capped off with a Shark Tank-like presentation of innovative ideas, we also heard from President and CEO of Harman International, Michael Mauser.  Afterwards we took a brief hiatus to head to the Maui Jim Gifting Experience.  Essentially, you went outside to a group of tables where they were designed to look like a sunglasses retail store.  You were instructed to try on as many pairs as you wanted and select which you liked best.  They literally hand you a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses for FREE! Just chalk that up to another piece of premium swag that Harman treated to their

guests.  With our new sunglasses in hand, we then headed the Pro Audio Installed Masterclass.  Among the presenters was Saben Shawhan who is the Director of Audio Applications at Harman Pro.  Saben is a personal favorite of mine, and he certainly did not disappoint this time around.  Standing on a mock stage with speakers all around him, Saben went through a brief slide presentation on each series including the CBTs, PRX One, Eon One MK2, and the new SRX900s.  However, the fun part was the actual product demo.  Featuring an eclectic mix of music to highlight the strengths of these different speakers, we went one by one to fully immerse yourself in each.  While all were extremely impressive, I think my chest is still feeling the bass knock on the SRX900s from the heavy techno music that was playing.  Holy cow did that speaker really impress me!

JBL Fest 2022 product launch
JBL Fest 2022 presenter

As if I was not already feeling excited and inspired enough, I was then approached by Whitney Bosch and Frank Joseph from the Harman Marketing team with what I can only describe as quite an honor –having a private 1-on-1 meeting with Michael Mauser himself.  To have Michael touch on our sales growth at Exertis Almo and then ask for my thoughts and feedback on the improving supply chain and how to continue improvement was something I will never forget.  There are certain moments in your career when you might experience an emotional “high” or a “flow state” as I’ll describe later…..and this was certainly one of those times.  Thank you to Whitney and Frank for affording me that opportunity.

After heading back to my room feeling as excited and inspired as ever, I started to hear some “disruption” outside my window to find that the sound check was starting for the night’s musical guests, The Kid Laroi and Doja Cat.  I would like to think that I have a wide-spanning taste in music; there is something about live drums and guitars that just perks the ears regardless of the musical artist.  I wound up standing by my window overlooking the stage for a good 35 minutes just watching and listening.  After being a gracious guest for drinks with the Harman Marketing team and toasting the successful event, we headed to the VIP section outside on the lawn for the evening concert.  First stop was the bar where you receive a blinking glow-in-the-dark JBL cup to enjoy the drinks all evening, and then I found my way to the balcony ledge with a clear view of the stage just in time for Kid Laroi to appear.  While I do not know all his music, the best moment of his set was when he played “Stay” which is easily his biggest hit song and clearly recognizable to everyone in attendance.  I overheard a lot of people saying, “oh this is that song from Tik Tok,” truly a sign of the digital world we live in.  Once Doja Cat came on stage and ran through some of her hits, it was time to end the evening with another day of fun ahead on Thursday. 

JBL Fest 2022 concert

While the final day was a lot more relaxed and mellow, I was ready and waiting for the Content Creation Masterclass featuring DJ Morgan Page.  Morgan conducted a presentation on his “Quick Tips,” which essentially are a guide for how to reduce complexity in whatever you do and as he puts it: “grease the wheels of resistance.”  Every attendee received a box of his quick tips cards, which I am guilty of looking at ever since I returned home.  One point that I raised previously was in regard to experiencing “flow state.”  As Morgan described, a “flow state” is when you find yourself in such a groove with your work that time is flying by, and you are in such enjoyment with what you are doing that you remain in a state of constant flow.  That really resonated with me and as I attempted to describe it here, this trip was my “flow state.”  The final event of the trip was offsite at Hakkassan nightclub featuring world famous DJ Martin Garrtix.  Lights, smoke, loud club music, and plenty of drinks and good conversation to go around. It was the ideal way to end the trip.  Having “foolishly” booked a 3:30am Uber ride the next morning to head home, I knew the wise thing was to end the night and go back to the hotel.

JBL Fest 2022 team outing

As I sit here composing my thoughts and memories from the trip, I just received a message from Christina Smith, Exertis Almo Director of Sales and one of the lucky incentive winners for JBL Fest.  Christina says, “this time last week we were all arriving in Vegas” to which I replied, “and now I sit here writing about it.”  This was easily the best trip of my entire career as it was so methodically planned out by everyone at Harman that it truly was the perfect blend of education and entertainment.

If you would like to learn more about the products, I mentioned above or how Harman continues to come up with new innovation, please contact us today.

Robert Voorhees

 

Robb Voorhees | CTS, CTP, DSCE, CTNS, Dante

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: Business Communications Services, and Harman: AKG, AMX, BSS, Crown, DBX, JBL, Soundcraft, Martin Lighting

The Dawn of a New Day: How Exertis Almo Pro A/V Took Over InfoComm 2022

by | Aug 15, 2022 | Events, Pro Audio

After 3 long years, InfoComm finally returned as the Pro AV industry descended upon the Las Vegas Convention Center June 8th through the 10th. Having experienced a cancellation in 2020 and a scaled-back version in 2021, you could instantly feel the excitement surrounding the show and the joy of being around colleagues again in-person. Although the temperatures outside routinely reached 110+ degrees, the buzz inside of the Convention Center was far hotter! To add to this excitement, this event marked the official launch of the new Exertis Almo Pro AV, as the two companies have integrated into one. We have traded our Almo blue shirts in exchange for Exertis Almo red, and dare I say, our booth could be seen from one side of the North Hall to the other. Never been to InfoComm before? Allow me to describe why it remains a must-see industry event for Pro AV.

The week started off very quickly with the Exertis Almo-sponsored Opening Reception on Tuesday evening, which was held at the Hard Rock Café. Complete with cigar rolling, giveaways, and our always-famous Bourbon and Bacon tasting, the evening was definitely the kick-off to the entire show! We had multiple vendor sponsors in attendance, including Samsung, Legrand, LG, Sharp NEC, Absen, BrightSign, Yamaha, Epson, and Jabra, along with a bustling crowd of customers so large that wait times grew just to get in! Later in the week, a vendor informed me that he overheard people in the elevator talking about how excited they were to attend, so it sounds like our marketing team knocked it out of the park, as usual!

Exertis Almo marketing and events team at InfoComm 2022
Avocor at InfoComm 2022

Fast-forward to the opening of the trade show floor. The expo ran from the 8th through the 10th, and all 3 days offered the kind of value that you can only find at InfoComm. When walking in for our morning booth tour, you immediately noticed the registration line wrapping around corners, and attendees were excited to be out amongst their colleagues and partners. Remember how I said our booth could be seen from one end to the next? Well, when your logo is bright red and your booth is multiple stories, it definitely stands out! Featuring multiple private meeting spaces as well as several featured vendors and additional meeting tables on the show floor, the Exertis Almo booth had something for everyone. You cannot attend an AV event without featuring a little “A” and a little “V”. To help achieve this, we had displays from Samsung, Sony, Absen, LG, and Avocor, along with various audio solutions

from Yamaha UC, Nureva, Jabra, and others, all present in our booth demoing the latest and greatest in their product lineups. In fact, several other vendors made sure to come by to visit and offer their feedback on the impressive attendance at our booth. What really differentiated us from others was very clear – our team. Quite frankly, the sight of 25+ red shirts was impressive, but once you realize that our team came from throughout the US, Canada, and even Europe, it showed just how powerful the new Exertis Almo will be moving forward.

The crux of any InfoComm has always been the meetings. Getting to sit face-to-face with customers, vendors, rep firms, end users, or even colleagues of past and present offers the most value for any attendee. You cannot normally find all of these folks under one roof, so it’s always imperative to take advantage of everyone’s presence. My meetings certainly fell into this spectrum, and each one provided me the chance to either learn or educate. One minute I was sitting with a customer from the northeast, describing our service offerings to uncover new opportunities, and the next minute I was walking through the West Hall, meeting with the VP of Audio from Harman Professional Solutions and learning about their strategy for the next few years. The ability to have these varying level of discussions will always be beneficial to all attendees.

Not to be outdone, we have to talk about the products and technology. After all, it is a technology showcase, right? Any chance you have to get up close and personal should always be seized, because that is how the real learning is done! You can attend launch calls, webinars, and multiple PowerPoint Zooms, OR you can stand in a demo room while an audio engineer demonstrates why their product outshines the rest, all while cranking the volume to 10. Talk about an “a-ha moment”! Not only were there two halls filled with vendors, but there were also multiple private demo rooms dedicated to some of the best in the audio field. Harman’s space was filled with AMX collaboration tools, installed audio products like ceiling speakers and amplifiers, as well as a small showcase of their latest product introductions. However, the real eye catcher was the large truss at the front of the room, containing the new SRX900 series powered arrays. This new product has been very well-received since its recent launch, so to see it and experience it live was definitely a perk of the week. Other impressive booths I saw were from Legrand, BrightSign, Sharp NEC, and Panasonic. While I wasn’t able to dive too deeply into each, you could tell there was a great deal of planning that went into the designs of each booth, on top of the products being featured.

I love about product discussions at InfoComm happen organically. These aren’t your typical trade-show-level sales pitches where the vendor is trying to close a deal. This is someone who is there to educate you on what their products with a legitimate interest in you receiving value. I experienced this personally with Tom Roberts, Channel Manager from Jabra. Tom spent the week in the Exertis Almo booth, and as crowds started to wind down on Thursday, I approached him to strike up a conversation about their consumer products with which I was familiar. By the time we were done with the 35-minute talk, I had learned more about their line of conferencing cameras, like the Panacast and Panacast 50, than I had previously known. That is where the value lies!

And of course, we can’t forget the parties! The opening reception was only the tip of the iceberg to the Peerless AV–sponsored “Glow Up the Night” party on Wednesday. Held at the Zouk Night Club, the preferred attire was bright colors which matched the venue’s bright lights and glow-sticks, necklaces, and more. Exertis Almo had their own private VIP section, and the night lived up to all expectations amongst the attendees! While I will be the first to admit I am no longer the “late nighter” I used to be, everyone who closed the party down certainly didn’t regret a thing. Everyone had a tremendous time indeed.

If you aren’t already impressed by all that InfoComm has to

LG sponsored at InfoComm 2022

offer, I saved the best for last. As the now-combined Exertis Almo Pro AV, our team took home the rAVe award for Favorite Distributor for a 10th consecutive year…YES, I said 10th! When we say Best in Class, we mean it! For all the work our collective teams do day-in and day-out, this was the icing on the cake.

After traveling to Las Vegas for my 10th time and attending my 3rd InfoComm, this one was the best. The past couple of years were certainly a challenge, but the second you step off the plane and see the InfoComm banner hanging in the airport, you know you are ready for the exciting events to come! I look forward to InfoComm 2023 in Orlando, FL, and hope to see even more first-timers attending the experience!

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