All Articles Tagged Showroom

Jason Knott | 04/17 09:00 AM, 1 Comment

The trend is clear: Physical media for audio is dying a slow death as more consumers embrace digital music, from downloads to storage to Cloud-based solutions. For Mokena, Ill.-based The Little Guys, a CE Pro 100 company, that trend has become a reality. That’s why David Wexler has become the first to install a new pre-packaged education and demo area from The Lenbrook Group. It’s called the Digital Music Experience Center (DMEC), and Wexler carved out a 475-square-foot area in his specialty retail showroom for the DMEC to educate and… View this story

Jason Knott | 04/09 07:42 AM, 0 Comments

At 28, Bryan Gorog of BCG Concepts in Los Angeles is already a 10-year veteran of the electronics industry. The combination of having so much experience under his belt while still a young man is serving him well not only in creating, selling and installing integrated A/V and control packages that are attractive and affordable for GenY clients, but also in running his business efficiently. Gorog’s playbook is not unlike many small veteran integrators: He runs a lean-and-mean operation in which he does all the sales and system design himself.… View this story

Jason Knott | 02/23 10:46 AM, 2 Comments

It’s tough enough to sell A/V without a showroom, but what about control systems? How do you show automated lighting and shade control and slick user interfaces without a demo room? That’s the message to integrators from Innea, a new software system that creates 3D virtual automated conference rooms, homes and apartments for dealers to use with clients and put on their company websites. Using a smartphone or tablet, the software allows integrators to give a virtual control system demo for an apartment, theater or boardroom environment. The software includes… View this story

Jason Knott | 01/23 10:08 AM, 2 Comments

Not many integrators are building new showrooms these days, but if you are and your territory happens to be located in one of the most affluent zip codes in the nation, you’d better make it a lavish one. That’s what Chris Brody, president of Crescendo Designs Ltd., did. The company is located in the prestigious Hamptons area of Long Island, N.Y., where being “elite” doesn’t even cut it … you have to among the “super elite” to make it here. Crescendo has leveraged all of its top-of-the-line manufacturers to create… View this story

Jason Knott | 12/19 10:50 AM, 0 Comments

Sweeping the front porch, picking up the dirty laundry, washing the dishes, and not walking around in boxers all day (I suppose part of the day is OK, but not all day) are pretty much universally accepted commandments inside any home. But those rules and many more are rigid laws for integrators who choose to use their own homes as showrooms to showcase their custom electronics installation prowess. Already, 47 percent of CE pros, according to the CE Pro Annual Readership Survey, have home offices. So it seems logical for… View this story

Maxine Giza | 11/10 06:24 AM, 0 Comments

McIntosh has unlocked the doors to two upscale Experience Centers, one in San Jose, Calif. at Century Stereo and one at IQ Home Entertainment in Fairfax, Va. McIntosh products that will be on display include the "Manhattan" (MXA60) home audio system, the “Westchester,” home theater collection with MX150 AV processor, and the "Soho" collection, a two channel system solution that combines the MT10 turntable with a high performance preamplifier and loudspeakers. The Experience Centers are part of McIntosh's plan to expand its customer base beyond audiophiles to include luxury consumers.… View this story

Deborah Smith | 07/01 07:32 AM, 1 Comment

Most integrators have shied away from gaming because low margins hardly make it worth the effort. No one in this industry will get rich from selling gaming consoles, but gaming is, for many individuals and families, a primary motivation for buying a bigger TV and stepped-up, higher-margin sound system. I am not suggesting anyone actually sell gaming consoles. But all integrators - both with and without showrooms - should start including the gaming experience into their sales presentations. It opens the door to a discussion about multiple theater systems, 3D… View this story

Arlen Schweiger | 06/07 07:39 AM, 0 Comments

We don't know if she's an audiophile, but supermodel Kathy Ireland shares space with lofty names like McIntosh, Classe, Musical Fidelity and Bowers & Wilkins at ListenUp's new Colorado Springs, Colo. showroom. In January 2010, the custom electronics specialty retailer opened doors on the new location of its Colorado Springs store - it also has stores in Denver and Boulder, Colo. - that ListenUp renovated from its previous standing as a furniture store. But with high-tech consumers also interested in blending electronics with high-style these days, ListenUp kept the furniture… View this story

Jason Knott | 05/27 07:13 AM, 0 Comments

Honk, honk! Beep, beep! Awoooga! In addition to some awesome audio demos, attendees at the grand opening of Audio Video Integrated Systems' (AVI) new showroom in Draper, Utah might also hear the sounds of vintage car horns. As integrators look for more interesting ways to attract new customers, Jim Young, owner of AVI, is combining a classic car show with the grand opening of his new showroom. Here's the twist. AVI is inviting the public to participate by bringing their own classic car to the event. The first 25 people… View this story

Tom LeBlanc | 05/24 06:22 AM, 0 Comments

Integration companies often look to forge relationships with builders and design firms in an effort to stimulate referrals. System 7 has taken that a step further - it has become roommates with a design-build firm. System 7 recently moved 25 miles south of its already impressive Topsfield, Mass. office and showroom to a building in Winchester, Mass. owned by Lee Kimball design-build firm. Upon walking in the door, Lee Kimball is on the left and System 7 is on the right. The two companies already had a strong relationship, says… View this story