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What Happens in Vegas……Is Powered by JBL

by | Nov 4, 2019 | Uncategorized

The JBL name carries a lot of weight in the A/V world.  Quality, craftsmanship, and powerful are just some of the adjectives that can be used to describe the JBL product lineup.  So it should come as no surprise that an event hosted by JBL and Harman would be any less than amazing.  Welcome to the 2019 JBL FEST.

Starting in 2017, JBL and Harman have assembled some of the best musical acts, most popular audio equipment, celebrities, and forums into one location – LAS VEGAS!  The 2019 edition was no different and Almo Professional A/V was proud to send Josh Taylor, Mac McKay, and Leo Merizalde to experience the sights and sounds.   From the moment you arrived to the Aria Hotel you will notice that an entire wing of the hotel was decorated top to bottom with JBL graphics and promotional marketing.

You are truly “living” the brand at that moment.  You have options to experience an oxygen bar, some of the best food you can imagine, and possible celebrity sightings and then you remind yourself that the party hasn’t even really started!  The day ended with a special performance by Run DMC and hosted by Shaquille O’Neil, which was made all the more special considering the group only does 2 concerts per year now and this was held at an exclusive outdoor venue.

On the 2nd day of JBL Fest there was a Tech Forum in which the keynote speakers were Paul Zikopoulos, VP of Big Data Cognitive Systems at IBM and Robert Herjavec, Founder of Herjavec Group and star of Shark Tank.  The discussion of the forum centered around the topic of “Is the World Ready for Intelligent Technology?” and how collaboration amongst partners and even competitors will unlock the full value of data in the business world.  Definitely a thought-provoking discussion to kick off the day!  After the Tech Forum concluded we were surprised to be able to attend the “gifting station.” As if the opportunity to be in Las Vegas with JBL wasn’t enough we were able to design custom backpacks and received Maui Jim glasses and JBL Bluetooth headphones!  WOW to say the least.  The fun didn’t stop there as we next went on the e-sports arena tour that was held at the Luxor.  For anyone who is even remotely into gaming this is a bucket list item!  Being able to experience the behind the scenes action and what makes the arena function was definitely an eye-opener.  The evening was capped off with an event at Club JBL at the Jewel Nightclub where Bebe Rexha and Armin Van Buuren kept the energy at a peak.  The final day of the event was no different.  Although a bit more relaxed, there were various game stations set up where you could win prizes, a DJ Masterclass with Armin Van Buuren in which he showed you how he mixes and creates some of his greatest hits and a private concert area set up where JBL Brand Ambassador, KHALID, closed out the week.

There aren’t many opportunities where you can experience a true “once in a lifetime” event but I would place JBL Fest in that grouping.  Throughout my time working with Harman I have come to expect the best of the best and it is safe to say that they extend that mantra to their events. I cannot wait to see what the 2020 version has in store.  Whether you are a JBL fan such as myself or you simply love A/V of all kinds, put JBL Fest on your list for next year and experience the sounds and sights of one of the top audio manufacturers in the world!

Thank you to our contributing co-author, Mac McKay, ALMO National Business Team, for sharing his perspective from the event.

 

Work hard, play hard, and build relationships in-between.

by | Sep 19, 2019 | Uncategorized

We have all learned the importance and value of building key relationships with our customer base within the PRO AV Industry.  And there are the typical guidelines… communicate, exceed expectations, be available, listen, ask questions, etc.; but, at the end of the business day, what is it that matters most to both you and your customer? Does a fair price fare well with poor service and lack of trust?  TRUST is the key differentiator in any relationship.    Your relationship with your customer should be no different.

At ALMO Pro AV we pride ourselves in building that trust with our customers, not only by providing them all the business acumens referenced above; but, by building one-on-one personal relationships, with people.

As the ALMO Business Development Manager dedicated to LG, I recently had the pleasure of attending a reseller “thank you” event at a Toronto Blue Jays game with a valued customer.   As I engaged with everyone attending, I had the opportunity to see our sales rep interact with this customer.  He knew everyone!  REALLY KNEW THEM!  He knew their names, their children, their likes, their business style, and more.   The collaboration between ALMO, LG and the reseller meshed as easily as wind guiding a sail.

So what was the key to future business opportunities aside from “business conversation”?   FUN!  We were engaged.  We talked, we laughed, we smiled, we relaxed, and we let our guard down. If for only a few hours, the stress of the traditional business model was removed, leaving us such a great opportunity to sell.  To sell our company, sell our products, and sell ourselves.  And that built trust. Trust is not meant to be given, it is meant to be earned.

As a business community, we are focused on goals, measurements, and ROI.  All be it important to your bottom line, some things just can’t be measured in clear metrics.  It is important to understand when unmeasurable activities create measureable results.

Trust is a long term investment.   Customers put their faith in people, not just the companies that they choose to do business with.  Trust is a clear path to success and long term business relationships.  And if they eventually turn into friendships (as many do) everyone wins!

Corinne O’Rawe
888-420-2566 x6220  |  [email protected]

Fresh Air. Good for You. Great for Driving F&B Revenue.

by | Jul 30, 2019 | Hospitality, Uncategorized

This year, Almo Hospitality is debuting its first ever outdoor collection; the Cape Soleil Contract Collection of outdoor hospitality furniture, made by Agio. The collection is designed to help hoteliers create better outdoor customer experiences for guests, while giving operators great designs that are affordable yet durable. Oh yeah, it also sets the stage for more food & beverage sales too.

Why? Outdoor living is now essential to many travelers, both on balconies and in outdoor areas around the hotel. In fact, getting closer to nature is a major consumer demand driver for hotels. Take the idea of biophilic deign in hotels. That’s the idea of bringing the outside, inside hotels.

In residential, outdoor living has become increasingly important to the consumer. According to Global Market Insights,  The Outdoor Furniture Market will cross US$23 billion by 2024 as “rapid socializing trends, including dining at gardens, rooftop restaurants, grilling & barbeque events in the garden, or in the backyard area are the factors propelling the product demand.”

So, it’s no surprise hoteliers are seeing increased demand for more outdoor experiences from customers. In fact, the hotel business is seeing increased demand for nature related elements inside too! According to a report from Terrapin Bright Green, guests will spend on average 36% more time in hotel lobbies that have biophilic elements such as living walls and water elements. Also, guests will pay up to 18% more for rooms with a great view.

Now imagine taking that philosophy outdoors by creating an outdoor living experience through partnering with Almo Hospitality to help you create memorable outdoor experiences that drive sales food and beverage while simultaneously setting the stage for increased loyalty.

Hospitality.net notes that properties utilizing rooftops for F&B experiences saw a whopping $13 increase in revenue-per-seat to $68.20. In comparison, other properties saw an average of only $55.22. And that’s just one area within the hotel ripe for possible transformation.

Almo Hospitality has partnered with Agio to expand into the hotel business after finding success in the residential outdoor residential furniture market for more than 25 years.

“Hotels, restaurants and resorts rely on outdoor furniture to provide the best experience for guests by creating a calming, relaxing and inviting space that they can enjoy and remember,” said Apryl Lamberti, director of business development, who also noted this creates an additional revenue opportunity for Almo affiliated resellers.

Created specifically for hoteliers and their guests, the Cape Soleil Contract Collection is designed to be indoor or outdoor and can be mixed and matched as desired. It features what Almo says is comfortable furniture that requires minimal maintenance and is constructed from lightweight materials that provide strength, weather and rust-resistance for long-term durability. In addition, Cape Soleil furniture uses UV-resistant contract fabrics from Sunbrella and Phifer to protect against fading and stand up to rigorous use in commercial environments.

The Cape Soleil Furniture Collection is available in a wide range of styles, finishes and materials that can be stand alone or be paired together. The Cape Soleil line includes tables, dining chairs, lounge seating, sofas and side tables and a variety of complimentary outdoor living essentials like fire pits, umbrellas, patio heaters, outdoor fans, misters, combined with outdoor TVs, mounts and sound bars from Peerless-AV.

To view the complete collection, click here

Three Observations From My First InfoComm as an Almo Pro A/V Business Development Manager

by | Jul 16, 2019 | Uncategorized

By John Borns

In June 2019 the AV world descended upon Orlando, FL for AVIXA’s annual InfoComm Show.  This year, Almo Pro A/V celebrated its 10th birthday as an AV distributor.  I was there for the celebration as the newest member of Almo’s Business Development Team, experiencing my first InfoComm in Almo Blue.  This was my 6th time attending Infocomm, but the previous five had been on the manufacturing side.  Here are some of my observations from this year’s show:

1. What’s a Display Anymore?

The first thing I noticed was that my understanding of a “display” needs to be readjusted.  Video walls and panoramic projector surfaces aren’t brand new ideas, but I had never seen so many creative ways to turn a wall into a stunning visual experience.  As bezels disappear and pixels become more and more impossible to discern, pretty much any surface can be re-imagined as a way of delivering content, in ways that I wouldn’t have thought possible only five years ago.

2. It’s Hard Not to Be Impressed with Almo Pro AV’s History

While on the manufacturing side, I had taken Almo for granted as a constant staple of the industry.  I’d always known Almo as one of my biggest customers and a vital part of the AV channel.  At the 10-year anniversary cake-cutting event, I listened to Sam Taylor tell the story of Almo’s humble beginnings in the industry.  To hear him fondly recall walking around the show trying to convince some of the biggest players in AV to let them carry their products as an upstart was very moving.  Almo was just awarded the title of “2019 rAVe Reader’s Choice Best AV Distributor” again this year – for the eighth year in a row!  To think that Almo Pro A/V went from nothing to a $500M global distribution business in just a decade is hard to believe.  I’m proud to be a part of this team!

3. The Biggest Booth at the Show Was… Legrand?

Legrand, a relatively new player in the AV world, has been slowly and quietly building an impressive portfolio of leading brands in the AV infrastructure world.  It was pretty  much the first booth you saw when you walked in the door and its size and scope were impossible to ignore.  It’s difficult not to look at their presence at this year’s show as a bit of a statement of their arrival as a new player in the market, and; some sort of evolution from their background as a collection of individual independent brands.

So, that’s my take on this year’s InfoComm Show.  What did you think?  Post a comment below and have an Almo Pro A/V 10-year anniversary gift sent to you!

LG Brings the “WOW” Factor at IC19

by | Jul 11, 2019 | Digital Signage, Uncategorized

Just about halfway through another year and one more InfoComm is in the books.  Since my start in the industry in 2003, I’ve approached the InfoComm show with various emotions – excitement, trepidation, anticipation, and some years even some dread.  Each year, I’ve come out the other side finding something at the show that I’ve enjoyed, and have even been impressed at the creativity of various manufacturers.   However, it has been quite a while since I’ve walked away from a manufacturer’s booth saying “Wow, that was truly awesome.”  No matter how big a display gets, it’s still just a display – and no matter how much you want it in your front room, it’s not going to keep you engaged on a trade show floor.

The LG booth at InfoComm 2019 was a refreshing change. Sure, they still had the obligatory large display, but even that threw me a curve.  Not only did they have an 88” OLED display with 8K resolution, but the panel was being used as the actual speaker.  Not a rear firing speaker like we’ve all come to expect, but the glass on the display vibrated with sound.   Not something I’d want to test the audio limits on.

The 8K display was almost lost in the other innovative and engaging attractions.  The biggest of which was the incredible curved video wall that created a cove like effect.  The content that LG used, consisting of various outdoor scenes, made you feel engulfed in the experience.  I wasn’t fortunate enough to go to the ISE show in Amsterdam, but I understand that the LG curved wall at the show was even more impressive there than at InfoComm.  I would have a difficult time believing it, if it weren’t for the video proof.

After I pulled myself away from the curved video wall, I could see other locations they’ve used the curved OLED displays in real world applications, such as inset curved corners on walls, providing the end user and integrator with some great inspiration for future projects.

The second attraction that caught my attention was the portrait, 2×2 video wall made from transparent OLED displays.  The content would appear and flow, allowing you glimpses of the retail product behind the displays, keeping you transfixed on seeing more, and providing an excellent way to engage the retail customer.

Overall, LGs continued innovation of new and exciting products has made their InfoComm booth as much of an attraction as it is a business destination.

Todd Heberlein
888-420-2566 x6205  |  [email protected]

“No Risks CAN Equal Big Rewards: How Almo’s Business Communications Program Sets Partners Up For the Future”

by | Jul 9, 2019 | Uncategorized

Over the past 2+ years of my employment as Business Development Manager with Almo Professional A/V, I have heard countless “reasons” on why someone cannot sell Business Communications: “my current team doesn’t have a telecom background”, “we are maxed out with jobs right now” or my personal favorite “I’m a pro a/v integrator and that’s not what we do.”  Now I’m not saying these are bad “reasons”, however, for all of those out there who recognize declining margins on hardware and the increased need to show double the value on each and every job, you should definitely keep your ears open when an industry leader such as Almo Professional A/V jumps into a new category.

During a recent stop of the E4 Experience, respected A/V evangelist Gary Kayye presented on the buzz surrounding AV-Over-IP and at one point states “everything requires bandwidth.”  That one sentence could be your entire sales pitch to a customer on why they should look at their services.  Customers get excited over technology and the more they add the more bandwidth that technology eats up.  Think about it… if you have a simple 100×10 cable internet circuit in your home but you have a family of 4 with 3 smart TVs, 3 iPhones, 2 tablets, 2 laptops, a security system, and 2 nest thermostats all of that is connected to your network – those devices eat up your bandwidth and drastically slows down technology performance.

It’s one of the main reasons why NOBODY seems happy with their internet provider these days.  In the Pro A/V industry it works no different.  Digital Signage, security cameras, control systems, audio, and more all require that same bandwidth.  Thus, the birth of Almo Business Communications.  We have strategic suppliers throughout the country, 170 of them to be exact that all specialize in essential services such as Internet bandwidth, voice services, Live TV, commercial security, mobility services, and even essential business needs like cyber security and multi-location management (SD-WAN).  We have also had the privilege of working with a “who’s who” of suppliers such as Comcast, Spectrum, DIRECTV, Verizon, New Horizon Communication Group, Nextiva, Nitel, Entelegant, and Viasat to name a few.

To be perfectly transparent with you, the concept of selling these services and partnering with a master agent is certainly not new, but what is new is the way Almo has approached the concept by formulating a service offering that literally has NO RISK. Through our program, 98% of the carriers above pay a LIFETIME RECURRING COMMISSION on every sale so there are no commission chargebacks, no sales quotas, no costs to you or your customer, no lengthy application process, and no need for you to hire trained employees to manage the new business.  Thus, NO RISK.  To continue with my transparency, I tell every new partner that I speak with that 1 sale will seldom make you rich.  However by doing a minimum of $1,000 in new billing each month you will see an additional $57k a year onto your bottom line!  When you think back to those shrinking hardware margins, $57k is a pretty nice chunk of change to add back into the business in a given year and will certainly set the tone for the future of your company.  For most, that is an extra employee salary or a new company work truck.  We have current partners doing double-triple that amount in a month so once the momentum builds, so will those residual checks!

In the world of recurring revenue, even by closing 1 sale per month, you will never start each month at ZERO again.  You will always have “something” coming in, so why not maximize that “something” by checking off the following boxes TODAY:

-Work with a distributor who is a multiple “Favorite A/V Distributor” winner

-Earn lifetime recurring commissions on every sale

-Have a dedicated sales team do 95% of the work for me- that’s right!  We will do the work for you!

-Provide more value to my clients which will lead to more work and help win more jobs over competitors.

-Make up for the lost margin on hardware and add $$$ to my earnings.

I hope that I have helped open your eyes and minds a little regarding Business Communication Services and how there is a very large need in the industry for these services.  As technology continues to advance, so must our services that make that technology what it is!

I will challenge each of you to take a look at your OWN services today and can promise you that there are annual savings to be realized!  Please contact me to examine further and even earn lifetime commissions on your own sale which will help set you up for the months and years to come.

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