Industry Hopeful, Cautious About Attending Upcoming Trade Events
SAN ANTONIO -- Unknowns about the COVID-19 delta variant are making some dealers take a wait-and-see attitude toward CES and even the September CEDIA Expo shows, ProSource members told us at their summer event last week.
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Several cited accounts of Nortek employees who reportedly contracted the virus while attending the International Security Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas last month. Nortek, which isn't on the list of exhibitors for CEDIA Expo Sept. 1-3 in Indianapolis, didn’t respond to questions.
CES is “too far out” for ProSource to consider canceling its event at CES, promoting it "or anything in between,” said ProSource CEO Dave Workman at a media briefing. “We’ll have to see how CEDIA goes,” he said. “The delta variant could come, it could go,” he said. “It’s going to be week by week.” At some point, society will have to get to the point “where we recognize it’s never going to go away,” said Workman. “Hopefully, we’ll get to herd immunity,” he said, “and it’ll just be another version of the flu at some point.”
Voxx’s Premium Audio, the umbrella company for Klipsch and the Onkyo, Integra and Pioneer brands -- due to join the company Aug. 16 when its and Sharp’s purchase of Onkyo’s audio business becomes final -- is taking a lower profile at CEDIA Expo, Tommy Jacobs, senior vice president-sales and marketing, told us. Premium Audio is planning more private meeting rooms vs. a large exhibit floor presence, said Jacobs. “It’s important for us to do it right and safe for everybody.” The company plans a similar approach to CES.
Colorado dealer ListenUp plans to send people to CEDIA Expo next month, CEO Walt Stinson told us. “COVID’s kind of a moving target,” said Stinson. “We’re not sending anybody who isn’t vaccinated, so, as long as the vaccines appear to protect people from serious illness, I think people will go.” It’s “too early to say” about CES, Stinson said, saying he's not sure what the company will do, largely a business decision about what the dealer would be trying to accomplish in Las Vegas. Stinson, a longtime CES supporter, said, “I like to support our industry trade associations; I really believe in them. They made a big difference in our company’s long-term success.”
World Wide Stereo CEO Bob Cole told us he isn’t sure if he will attend CES 2022, saying the company has been successful with virtual communications. “There’s greater efficiencies” today, he said, noting the integrator has been doing virtual visits with customers as they walk through their homes so “they become part of the process.” Cole wasn’t sure he was going to attend the ProSource summer meeting since he has been out of the day-to-day operations on buying decisions, but “I’ve had a ball. It’s been great talking to people, seeing people.”
Dealers said some vendors are sending surveys to gauge interest in CEDIA Expo. David Wexler, EOC Audio director-sales and marketing in Lisle, Illinois, told us, “It’s a lot of money for vendors to spend and not have as big a participation,” he said, saying vendors need to be able to justify the expense. Wexler received three surveys in the previous week “testing the waters.” CES, Wexler said, isn’t as relevant for his company as it was for his previous company, The Little Guys, which had a retail side.
AudioControl plans to go to CEDIA Expo, the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show this fall and CES, CEO Alex Camara told us. The company will follow state, local and venue guidelines, stock up on hand sanitizer for booths and “and mask up our team if they need to mask up,” he said. “The most important thing to me is for our team to stay safe and customers stay safe.”
CEDIA Expo said Monday it's doing a virtual “first look” media preview tour Aug. 25 2-4 p.m. EDT for all media interested in learning more about residential connected technology. The 10 featured brands, selected from more than 30 interested companies, are LG Electronics, Orro, Autoslide, Seura, Josh.ai, Schneider Electric, Leon Speakers, Perlisten Audio, Brilliant and Magna Audio. The 10 exhibitors were selected by three media judges through an application process. All exhibiting brands were able to apply to be one of the 10 brands for the virtual tour. Selected companies were chosen for innovation, newness and relevance, said Expo owner Emerald Holding.