Azione Unlimited is gearing up for its “Philosophically Phocused in Philadelphia” Spring Conference and a roster of panelists, including Google Home, Sonos, and Josh.ai; engaging Experience Rooms; and extensive networking opportunities between the organization’s “Perfect Partners.”
Azione welcomes members to the Sheraton Society Hill in historic Philadelphia from April 2325. With an in-depth focus on business philosophies and new technologies, such as voice control and artificial intelligence, more than 250 attendees will have several opportunities to collect insights, share ideas, and make connections to help increase profitability and achieve even greater success in 2018.
The Spring Conference introduces Experience Rooms, interactive spaces providing opportunities to connect with Azione vendors and try out products, seeing and hearing features, performance, as well as technologies. Vendor members are working together to present 12 different rooms, including representatives from new Azione partners Atlona, AudioQuest, James Loudspeaker, SmartCare, Lyngdorf Audio, Sonos, and Google Home. Dealers will rotate to every room in groups of 12, providing deeper engagement and more meaningful supplier relationships.
“The industry is shifting to an ‘experience-first’ philosophy, leveraging new and emerging technologies to showcase how today’s products change the way we work, play, and live,” said Richard Glikes, president of Azione Unlimited. “Azione Experience Rooms reflect this philosophy, putting our vendors’ products directly in the hands of those who integrate them, giving dealers actionable takeaways about specific brands and their offerings, along with the chance to connect with the manufacturers in a relevant setting.”
Jeremy Glowacki, NewBay Media content director and Residential Systems Editor, and Jason Knott, senior editor for Security Sales & Integration and CE Pro magazines, will moderate educational panel discussions, including:
How Will Voice Recognition and Artificial Intelligence Change the Custom Install Business?
This panel brings together new vendor members Google Home and Sonos, along with Josh.ai for a discussion led by Knott. Daniel Clarkson, business development for Google Assistant, Andrew Vloyanetes, VP of sales for Sonos, and Alex Capecelatro, Josh.ai co-founder and CEO, will discuss what smart home integrators should know about the latest advancements that change the way we interact with technology—and how technology interacts with us.
How Architects, Interior Designers, and Lighting Designers Interface with the Audio Video Integrator and Each Other will be moderated by Glowacki and featuring Tim Lucci of Peter Zimmerman Architects; Rafael Novoa of Rafael Novoa Interior Design, and Jennette Kollman, lead lighting designer for Wolfers. This panel will focus on how these three key trades—architecture, interior design, and lighting design—interface with audio-video integrators and each other.
Dealer presentations and workshops, as well as small group meetings provide Azione members an opportunity to learn from their peers to better understand, resolve, or prevent the more pressing challenges faced in the field today.
Dealer presentations will tackle topics including:
· Digital cinema and content for the high-end residential application
· Showroom experience with your co-operative vendor base
· Buying your real estate
Dealer workshops presented by industry experts will discuss:
· Measuring and analyzing key performance indicators
· Making the most of your marketing budget
· Generating recurring monthly revenue
· Successfully entering the lighting market
Vendors and dealers will meet over a variety of small group meeting discussions, such as:
· How to sell performance
· What’s new in commercial and how to get involved
· Creating the right vendor mix/matrix
· How to grow from $1.5 to $4M
