Youd never know by the recent spate of manufacturer event invitations that anything was wrong with the U.S. economy. But then again, any marketer worth his salt knows that when times get tough, promotional dollars should be spent, not cut.

Due to my self-imposed travel blackout for the birth of my second daughter, Talia, the schedules of managing editor Llanor Alleyne, contributing editor Margot Douaihy, and even Systems Contractor News editor Kirsten Nelson have been overloaded during the past two months.

It all started for Margot with the annual Runco Getaway in Cabo San Lucas. There,
Runco executives showed no signs that the company culture had missed a step since its acquisition by Planar Systems. Little did we know at the time that the companys earnings statement would soon reveal Scott Hixs departure from the company after less than a year running the new combined division.

Next up was a trip to Peabody, Massachusetts, for a re-introduction to 30-year-old Snell Acoustics (see our blogs at resmagonline.com). During her visit, Margot learned that since its acquisition by D&M Holdings in 2005, Snell has been busy developing a campaign to modernize its identity while honoring its hi-fi roots. Now Snell plans to expand its network of dealers and its global footprint. Integral to the next chapter is the Spring launch of the Joe DAppolito-designed Illusion Tower.

After a quick coffee break with Sunfires Bob Carver and Eric Harper back in New York (where Margot learned that several product launches, including the High Resolution Satellite Series, and a focus on luxury selling, promise to meet the needs of the current Sunfire dealer base), it was time for Llanor to head to Miami for a tour of Niles Audios corporate headquarters (see p. 18). In Miami, Llanor learned from Niles president Frank Sterns that his companys team approach to designing new products enables quick decision making, efficient and effective communication, and facilitates better solutions to stubborn problems.

Next up was a trip back to Massachusetts, where Cape Cod-based Savant Systems held its second Dealer Conference (see p. 24). Thats where Margot learned why company executives consider their products nothing less than game changing. Its their ability, said Savant CEO Bob Madonna, to handle the convergence of IT, AV, and interactivity. We are trying to change an industry, Madonna said. Our mission is to program complex AV systems without writing code.

After another quick visit to Pioneers press event in New York, Llanor was off to Epson in Japan (visit our blogs at resmagonline.com) to see the beauty of that country and to learn about TFT (thin film transistor) technology. Simultaneously Margot jetted down to Kentucky for ELANs Tech Week. In Lexington, ELAN president and CTO Bob Farinelli said that the combined expertise of co-owned ELAN, Sunfire, and HomeLogic enables the triumvirate to meet every customer need (see p. 12).

Last but not least, Kirsten headed west from her Salt Lake City satellite office to Denons line show in Dana Point, California (visit our blogs at resmagonline.com). There, among other 2008 business objectives, senior VP of sales and marketing Joe Stinziano, talked about the companys objective to  position audio as a viable, profitable strategic category, despite the acknowledged fact that the era of HDTV and Blu-ray is upon us.

If that sounds like a lot, just stay tuned to learn details about our upcoming trips to visit APC in Rhode Island, Russound in New Hampshire, and Exceptional Innovation in Anaheim for the grand opening of a special exhibit at Disneyland. Let the good times roll.￿