Van Nuys, CA–AVAD completed its first Vend-O-Palooza, a one-day event held at the AVAD branch in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, on Thursday, August 7, that connected area dealers with leading manufacturers in a very efficient, interactive forum.
The over 145 dealers who attended Vend-O-Palooza got the opportunity to meet direct with 18 product manufacturers, ask questions, demo hot new products, participate in multiple raffles and purchase products at special pricing. Dealers also learned about new selling opportunities in the lighting, Central Vac, and projector categories. The Grand Prize give-away was a limited edition AVAD electric guitar.
The event also offered two highly attended workshops designed to equip dealers with the tools they need to successfully manage and grow their business. Bob Smith, Dean of AVAD University, presented his Law and Mortar workshop which taught dealers how to navigate legal pitfalls, with a discussion of what should be in any contract with a builder or homeowner.
Chris Burns, AVADs chief financial officer, taught a course on Avoiding Cash Drawer Crisis, which showed dealers how to manage the financial aspects of their business, including understanding your P&L, managing cash flow, and why you should get to know your banker before youre out of money.
This event was a great opportunity for dealers to accomplish a lot of training and vendor interaction in a very efficient manner, said Bob Gartland, AVADs president. Our vendors benefited by having detailed conversations with dealers installing their products and are enthusiastic about participating in more of these events.
JVC did demonstrations and mini training on 2:35:1 Cinemascope, which not only delivers a true cinema experience to the consumer but is a great opportunity for the dealer to up-sell the installation. Dealers were also impressed with the 103-inch Panasonic LCD on display. Universal previewed their all-new MX450 and MX880 remotes that will officially be introduced at CEDIA Expo 2008.
Due to the success of this event, AVAD is planning to roll out Vend-O-Paloozas at 10-15 branches nationwide in the coming months.
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