Mobile Showroom Offers New Way to Reach Customers

All told, the Hi-Def Mobile Showroom includes:

Whole-House Audio -- a Russound CAS66 system, "HiFi by HAI" and NuVo Grand Concerto. It also contains a Hitachi Hi Def TV, Apple TV and a Sonos wireless controller, all powered by a Denon Receiver. The room also contains a Sharp LCD screen. The shower sports a 19-inch waterproof LSC screen ("Don't ask me what they use it for," says Kesselman about that last item, "but I sold four of them at the show").

Home Automation -- an HAI OmniPro system with the new 5.0 7-inch touchscreen. That equipment is connected to all of the lighting, air conditioning and sound equipment. It also contains a gigabit Ethernet network, a media center PC and Smarthome Insteon dimmers and switches.

Media Room -- a Mitsubishi Hi-Def projector, a 103-inch theater screen, a Harman Kardon receiver, Sony PlayStation 3 with Blu-ray, a 55-inch Hi-Def Hitachi screen all surrounded by Infinity in-wall speakers and Jamo subwoofers. The remote control is provided via a Harmony 1000, Sony UX1 (a handheld PC) and the Universal Remote MX3000.

Outside A/V -- two 50-inch Hitachi screens fed through DirectTV Hi-Def receivers.

Thank You; Drive Through

So, was it worth it? Absolutely. It was worth it, Kesselman says. "I would dare to say that it has paid for itself."

And are customers receiving this novelty warmly? Yes, quite. At the Sept. 12 show, Home Media Pros stamped and counted 1,100 people that weekend alone.

"I don't believe you can get better traffic at any showroom in a metro," Kesselman says. "The customers are hesitant at first. They don't expect that much technology in that little space. But we get three wows from them once they're inside -- one for each room."

The Hi-Def Mobile Showroom is paying off for Home Media Pros, which is fairly new to the home theater category.

In home automation and lighting since 1998, Home Media Pros launched their official entry into home theater with their Web site, http://www.homemediapros.com, in October 2006. The RV was the company's next "big step."

What follows? A fully automated high-rise condominium in the city, Kesselman says.

As for the RV, it will be touring various block parties, homeowners' associations and open homes. The best news, though: Kesselman himself added, "We would allow certain customers to borrow it for the weekend."

Get your fishing pole.