Anaheim, CA — Home Entertainment Source (HES), with support from PARA, set a new standard for its annual spring summit. During this year’s three-day event, HES members were joined by some of PRO Group’s members in Dallas, Texas, to explore all of the opportunities available to both organizations via their newly formed alliance. Attendees also took advantage of the occasion to network with one another and attend a series of educational courses sponsored by PARA.
Home Entertainment Source (HES), the AV specialty division of Brand Source, is a not-for-profit organization with approximately 540 members. The organization provides specialized pricing, merchandising allowances, and rebate programs to the CE independent specialist, while using the size and power of Brand Source to provide general business services.
Despite the economy, HES attendance was actually up 20 percent over last year, but what defined this year’s event most was the resiliency, optimism, and positive attitude displayed by HES members, according to executive vice president Jim Ristow.
Kerry Moyer, senior director at CEA, agreed. “The energy and enthusiasm of dealers attending made it clear to me that they meant business,” Moyer stated. “For our PARA Education Series, the rooms were packed with dealers hungry for new ideas. I expect many already are putting those ideas to the test back at their businesses.”
The summit also served as a time to recognize the individuals within the group that helped contribute to its overall success. During the HES opening session, Milestone AV Technologies (Chief and Sanus brands) received the “Vendor of the Year” award. Primetime Audio Video in Rockford, Illinois, received the “Member of the Year” award, and Dean Sottile and Dave Meekings both executive vice presidents at Expert Warehouse, received this year’s “Excellence Award” in recognition of the high level of service they offer to the group and their overall contributions to the success of its members.
Other announcements include the launch of new transactional web sites that will allow members to take advantage of e-commerce capabilities, and the addition of Definitive Technology and Energy speaker brands to the group’s Expert Warehouse. Both brands will be available to members immediately with exclusive distribution rights to the HES PRO Group Alliance on the Energy brand. Draper was announced as an additional factory-direct program, and both Niveus and iPort were announced as additions to the Expert Custom Warehouse.
