Stealth Acoustics’ Steve Olszewski meets with attendees at a Tech Summit event.
The Technology & Business Summit, an education and networking event hosted by independent manufacturers’ rep firms in the home technology industry, continues to expand its presence as it enters its ninth year. Adding dates in Houston and Dallas to its schedule for 2017, along with return visits to Southern California and Florida, the Summit supports CEDIA professionals and provides the opportunity for AV integrators to get to know their regional manufacturers’ rep firms in an intimate setting while taking advantage of educational opportunities that can yield increased profits for those who attend and implement what was learned.
This year’s Technology & Business Summit events include:
• Houston – April 4
• Dallas – April 6
• Los Angeles, CA – May 2
• Orange County, CA – May 4
• Fort Lauderdale/Coral Springs, FL – May 16
• Tampa, FL – May 18
• Fall dates TBD
The Tech Summit is largely driven by the collaborative efforts of multiple independent manufacturer rep firms in each territory. This year’s hosting rep firms are:
• Texas: Bell & McCoy, Dobbs Stanford, Elite 3 Pro, Integral Marketing Associates, Lucas Sales, Marketing Concepts, Momentum Sales, Sage Solutions, Summit Sales
• Southern California: AV Partners, ByDesign Vision & Sound, Calwest Marketing, Chris Dixon Company, I Rep Green, Morris Tait Associates, Paul Collins Group, ProWest Sales, Media Décor
• Florida: AMI Sales, C&E Marketing, Higher Fidelity, High Note Sales, LK & Associates, LP Hench Company, Maverick Marketing, Orion Integrated Systems
Technology & Business Summits feature an exhibitor showcase with typically nearly 100 different brands on tabletop displays and skilled factory staff who are present to answer questions and demonstrate products.
“Our talented manufacturers’ reps drive the Tech Summit,” said event founder Mark Cichowski. “The intimate venue and focused displays encourage an interactive environment. Instead of doing a ‘fly-by,’ dealers have the chance talk at length with exhibitors, getting the deeper-dive detail that helps them succeed in the marketplace while establishing stronger ties to the brands they work with, as well as discover new ones.”
Attendees and exhibitors enjoy a networking lunch within the venue, giving them even more face-to-face time with representatives and the opportunity to spend the entire day at the event.
CEDIA is the Tech Summit’s education partner, enabling seminars from top CEDIA members, including the 2016 Training Volunteer of the Year. Planned seminars for 2017 include:
• Service Plans Are Easy, Execution Is Hard – Joseph Kolchinsky, OneVision Resources
• Make Quickbooks Work For You – Susan Sipe, Salez Toolz
• The Evolution of HDMI & The Future Of Fiber – Eric Bodley, Future Ready Solutions
• Next Generation Networking – Michael Maniscalco, Ihiji
New this year, Dan Quigley, principal technical product manager for Alexa Whole Home at Amazon, will present the Tech Summit’s first-ever keynote address: Building a Smarter Home with Alexa. In his keynote, Quigley will demonstrate how advancements in speech recognition not only create new, user-friendly experiences for customers, but provide additional profit avenues for integrators who design, install, and service smart home systems.
“We are thrilled to have Amazon’s Dan Quigley provide the keynote for the 2017 Tech Summit events. We strive to have content that is current, and that integrators can use in their companies immediately to build their businesses,” Cichowski said. “Dan’s in-depth, insider knowledge about Amazon Echo and Alexa AI technology totally fits the bill.”
“When it comes to DIY and voice control, no single entity brings up a more controversial conversation than Amazon Alexa, the AI system embedded in Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Dot technology,” added Frank White, an integral part of the team at Integrator Network, the company that organizes and manages the Tech Summit. “The technology is disrupting so many arenas; we can barely get our minds around all the facets that affect our industry. But one thing is certain: Once they embrace it, dealers can learn how to profit from it,”
To learn more about the Technology & Business Summit in the various regions, or to register for an event, visit www.techsummittexas (Texas), www.techsummitwest.com (California), and www.techsummitflorida.com (Florida).
