Spring Partners Meeting

Edge Spring Partners Meeting 2024 Recap

That’s a Wrap on Edge Spring Partners Meeting 2024

Patrick Whipkey, vice president of Edge, Cheryl Walton, director of business development and Mike Boettcher, president of Edge

The highly anticipated 2024 Spring Partners Meeting kicked off on May 13, in Dallas, Texas! This year’s flagship event brought more than 80 members and partners together for an immersive three-day experience. Attendees engaged in expert-led sessions and roundtables, heard inspiring keynotes and participated in exclusive networking events. The Spring Partners Meeting emphasized collaboration and education, offering invaluable industry insights to drive business growth and foster partnerships within the Edge network.

Day one started with an AT&T Stadium tour, home of the Dallas Cowboys! Attendees enjoyed exploring the iconic stadium, learning the history and networking with industry peers at an Edge Partner Tailgate immediately following.

Kicking off education sessions, day two featured two keynotes and more exclusive networking opportunities. Attendees heard from Zack Kass, former Head of Go To Market at OpenAI, who discussed the future of AI and the practical applications to business, and from Jeremy Bess, economist at ITR Economics who gave insight on the 2024 economy and how business owners can best prepare for 2025.

Day two also included two partner events, Partner Matchmaking and Meet the Elite. In the matchmaking event, members and partners were paired together to explore partnership possibilities and learn more about Edge manufacturers. In the Meet the Elite segment, Edge elite partners ADI Global, Avocor, Exertis Almo, Legrand and Liberty were given the floor to showcase their successes over the past year and conduct a Q&A.

Afterwards, attendees joined in on the Rock ‘N Keys Showdown: A Dueling Piano Experience where they danced, networked and enjoyed a night of energetic piano music in conjunction with PSA TEC attendees.

Day three opened with a PSA TEC general session, Going Deeper and Wider with Commercial Clients - Bringing Together Security and AV, with panelists Travis Deatherage, Todd Hutchins, Craig MacCormack and Dawna Payne. They discussed how integrating the two industries is becoming more common and profitable. The panelists also heard what challenges and success integrators have faced from merging security and AV.

Throughout the event, attendees were treated to many education sessions led by industry professionals. Brooke Erickson, director of learning and development at PSA, discussed how to design impactful training programs and best techniques for managing employees from the five different generations currently in the workforce.

Mike Boettcher, president of Edge, and Scott Morgan, business development leader from TAMCO, discussed overcoming AV as a Service (AVaaS) objections and gave advice on how to reshape your sales thought process. Jason Baez, senior regional manager from Q-SYS, Ashish Maru, director of technology from Red Thread and Aakash Ravi explored what’s next for AV integration. Attendees were also able to enjoy additional education by attending TEC workshops on the third day. Education equips attendees with the latest industry knowledge and skills, fostering professional growth and innovation.

Thank you to everyone who made it to Dallas this year. We look forward to seeing everyone at the upcoming Edge and industry events, including InfoComm, CEDIA, E4 Experiences and the Edge Fall Integrators Meeting. We encourage everyone to attend as many events as possible to continue to make valuable industry connections and stay up to date on trends. Be on the lookout for next year’s Spring Partners Meeting dates in Denver where we will again collaborate and celebrate our partners!

Thank you Edge sponsors for making this event possible. We are grateful for your partnerships and all that you do for Edge members. This year’s sponsors include:

Elite –

ADI Global, Avocor, Exertis Almo, Legrand, Liberty, Shure

Signature –

Lencore, Netgear AV, QSC, Sharp

Foothills –

Barco, BrightSign, Jabra, Lea Professional, ScanSource, Windy City Wire

Edge had the honor of recognizing five partners for their dedication to the AV industry. Voted on by the Edge network, Exertis Almo, QSC, LEA Professional, Legrand and Shure Incorporated were awarded for all their hard work. Congratulations to these companies and we thank you for the difference you make in the AV industry.

Awards:

Edge of Distinction – QSC

Represents best customer service.

Unparalleled Partner – Exertis Almo

Represents all around excellence as an Edge partner.

Mountain Mover – Legrand | AV

Represents best product innovation.

Ascender – LEA Professional

Represents rookie of the year.

Peak Performer– Shure

Represents dedication and production of high-quality results 

Watch the Spring Partners Meeting highlights video for a sneak peek of what you missed and check out the Spring Partners Meeting 2024 photo gallery.

Edge Spring Partners Meeting 2023 Recap

EDGE SPRING PARTNERS MEETING 2023 RECAP

Mike Boettcher, president of Edge, Cheryl Walton, Director of Business Development and Patrick Whipkey, vice president of Edge.

Spring is a time for new beginnings and the Edge Spring Partners Meeting! If you could not attend the Edge Spring Partners Meeting this year, you missed out on an unforgettable event! Edge began the year with our flagship event, a time to collaborate and establish new relationships leading to #unparalleledpartnerships. And what better location than in the music city of Nashville, Tennessee - the perfect location with its central proximity and vibrant nightlife. 

A highlight of the Spring Partners Meeting was our dinner at The Listening Room, known for showcasing local Nashville bands and popular national acts. In addition to the concert with Emily Shackelton, Michael Logan and Chris DeStefano, the country artists gave Edge members and partners a behind-the-scenes look at how the songs came to life. As songwriters for Carrie Underwood, Carly Pearce and Brett Eldridge, Edge members listened to some of their favorite country award winning music!  

More than 80 Edge members and partners joined the meeting for education, networking and collaboration. The following day, Mike Boettcher, the president of Edge, and Dennis Schliske, the chairperson of the Dealer Advisory Council (DAC) welcome new Edge members AV-Tech Media Solutions, IVCi, Radiant Technology, RoomReady and Verta Technologies, as well as new Edge partners Jetbuilt, Lencore, PCM, Salamander Designs, Spaceti and TAMCO. 

Sean Wargo, director of market intelligence for AVIXA.

Keynote speakers Sean Wargo, director of market intelligence for AVIXA, and Steve Gaches, head of music business and legal affairs at Endeavor Music Group, provided members with great insights into the AV and music industry. Sean provided us with the latest stats from the AV industry, including tallies for 2022, where the hot sectors of the market are currently, and where they may be soon. Wargo thoroughly covered all questions and concerns from the Edge members. Steve gave an insider's view of the music industry. He talked about how the industry adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic with in-person events being cancelled. Like the AV industry, the music industry had to pivot; some changes were temporary, but others have become permanent. Labor shortages, increased costs and a changing customer base affected both industries. Key takeaways included, live concerts are irreplaceable, AI impacts all industries and music is a universal language everyone can relate to. 

Over the three-day meeting, Edge facilitated panels on managed services, member cross-utilization, hybrid workforce management, elite sponsors Q&A and the annual DAC Attack panel.  

The managed services panel featured Tina Peters, the vice president of SVT, Todd Hutchins, the chief technology officer of USIS and Doug Freutel, the vice president & visionary of Radiant Technology.  

The member cross-utilization panel featured Dennis Schliske, the CEO of VIcom, Lyndi Redfern, the vice president of operations at Stage Front and Joe Winkler, the sales manager at Midwest Computer Products. They focused on how members can work together to maximize their resources and provide the best solutions to their clients. 

DAC Attack Q&A Session with NSCA

The hybrid workforce management roundtable discussion turned out to be incredibly interactive and engaging. The key takeaway from this session was that hybrid workforce management is still a hot topic, and many companies are still figuring out how to navigate this area effectively. Attendees left with valuable insights and ideas on tackling this challenge in their companies. 

DAC members and Mike Abernathy, director of business resources at NSCA, answered questions from Edge members and partners. Topics covered included the future of Edge, the importance of the membership and the need to share internally who Edge is and how they impact their companies. 

Edge Elite Sponsor Panel

The panel of Edge Elite sponsors included Sharp/NEC, Avocor, Exertis Almo, Legrand | AV and Liberty. The panel tackled supply chain, forecasting, projects and cash flow issues. Integrators and partners engaged in open discussions and shared what they wanted to see from each other, what they enjoyed, where they struggled and how they could help one another. The session was enlightening for both sides and gave insights into how the ordering process evolved. The collective knowledge within the Edge group is the most underrated aspect, and these sessions brought light to it. 

Attendees were treated to a session on project success stories that featured speakers John Mitton, vice president of Red Thread, Aakash Ravi, chief growth officer of Spaceti, Kevin Miller, president of Coitcom and Tim Hennen, CEO of Digital Labor Solutions. Their shared stories shed light on the new challenges integrators and manufacturers face. The speakers stressed the importance of understanding others' experiences, challenges and thought processes before making judgments. The session was insightful and embodied the essence of #unparalleledpartnerships. 

Thank you Edge event sponsors, Sharp/NEC, Avocor, Exertis Almo, Legrand|AV and Liberty. If you missed this year's Edge Spring Partner Meeting, make sure to be on the lookout for next year's dates for an opportunity to collaborate, establish new relationships and create #unparalleledpartnerships. It's an experience you won't want to miss! 

We look forward to seeing everyone at the upcoming Edge and industry events, including InfoComm, CEDIA, P2P, E4 Experience, Total-Tech, Edge Fall Integrators Meeting and Edge Elite Retreat. It is encouraged that everyone should attend as many events as possible to stay up to date on industry trends and make valuable connections with others in the industry. 

PARTNER AWARDS 

Edge partners were recognized as award winners for 2023. Although there were some close calls, these companies were chosen as they represent Edge in a superior fashion. 

Peak Partner Award – Sharp/NEC & Legrand | AV 

Represents dedication and production of high-quality results. 

The Ascender Award – NETGEAR 

Represents rookie of the year. 

Mountain Mover Award – Shure 

Represents best product innovation. 

Edge of Distinction Award – Exertis Almo 

Represents best customer service. 

Unparalleled Partner Award – QSC 

Represents all around excellence as an Edge partner. 

ATTENDEE COMMENTS 

“I plan to ensure our project manager team goes to Edge partners first when in need of labor help and have the sales team look into Spaceti as an added value to our service offering. I will also plan to go over the industry updates with the leadership team.”
— Integrator Attendee
“I learned a lot about how the Edge Network has the ability to subcontract within the group. Secondly, I learned how service agreements are sold to end-users by the panel. Lastly, as a manufacturer it was good to get more granularity behind how integrators order in today’s supply chain environment.”
— Partner Attendee
“I am enjoying the Edge partnership and realized I need to do a better job internally about sharing who Edge is and what they bring to the table at my company.”
— Integrator Attendee

Watch the Spring Partners Meeting highlights video for a sneak peek of what you missed and check out the Spring Partners Meeting 2023 photo gallery.

2022 Spring Partners Meeting Recap

2022 SPRING PARTNERS MEETING RECAP

The 2022 USAV Spring Partners Meeting officially kicked off in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday morning at the Almo E4 event. We connected with USAV strategic partners including Legrand AV, Sharp/NEC, Netgear, Sony, Jabra and Kramer on the show floor. We listened to Gary Kaye’s keynote which was well attended and included impactful information. The show floor was a great source of education, and everyone was happy to be back together in person.

Candice Aragon, Cheryl Walton & Patrick Whipkey.

After Almo E4 we headed to Windy City Wire, where their team rolled out the red carpet for us. We enjoyed a wonderful spread of food and drinks in their café area and then broke into groups of 15 to check out the manufacturing floor. The entire site was clean, and organized and was running like a well-oiled machine. A combination of humans and robots were working in unison to create all types of low voltage wires. We want to thank Windy City Wire for hosting such a wonderful event and letting us tour their impressive facility.

DAY ONE

Wednesday morning began with a networking breakfast, followed by a few words from Matt Barnette, CEO of PSA Security. He touched on the values of the partnerships, the network and the appreciation to the USAV members and partners. He also broke the news that Chris Salazar-Mangrum is leaving USAV and moving onto another role outside of the industry. Chris has been a key part of the USAV family for the last five years and will be missed. We wish him the best in his new endeavors.

Patrick Whipkey kicking off day one of the Spring Partners Meeting.

Exertis/Almo started the education meeting with Melody Craigmyle, breaking down their 75th year in business and showing us how they gave back to 75 different charities. There were many benefits for companies to put together a plan of giving back, from employee engagement to helping your community and even building your brand awareness. We are looking forward to seeing how others within the USAV community are giving back.

We switched over to the topic of “Hybrid Work and What Does it Mean?” ET Group has been working with the top 100 companies on defining what the hybrid model is and how to best implement it within your company culture. It’s not about when you work but how you work together. Synchronous vs. asynchronous learning and the company’s ability to provide platforms for both situations.

Next on the agenda was the Sharp/NEC tour where they captured the famous catchphrase “May the fourth be with you” from Star Wars. They executed it perfectly, their screens filled with Star Wars-themed content and character cut-out boards. They exhibited the different use cases in real-world environments for their display technology in different vignettes, retail, hospitality, theater, corporate, command and control, education and digital signage. We ended the fantastic tour with some great refreshments before we headed to Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs vs. White Sox game. A classic inner-city rivalry and networking was the best way to experience Chicago and end day one of the USAV Spring Partners Meeting.

Some great photos from the Sharp/NEC tour & CUBS GAME BELOW!

DAY TWO

Beginning day two, we had yet another successful networking breakfast with many conversations about the Cub’s game and the discussion from the day before. After breakfast, we started with a presentation from Liberty AV regarding the hybrid work approach and how integrators are adapting the hybrid selling model of service and projects. It was a very interactive discussion that provoked a lot of thoughts and opinions. Legrand AV was on the podium next to talk about all things sustainability, this topic has been growing within our group and we were curious to hear what a global manufacturer was doing to support the cause. It was interesting to see how big of topic sustainability was and how much people cared about it. Legrand AV has an entire plan on how they are going to improve their products, packaging and how something gets from point a to point b. It’s truly remarkable how much thought and action went into such a great cause.

Legrand AV was a great segway into our next presentation from Cleartech AV. Christina and Joe discussed how they developed a nonprofit organization specifically for AV integrators to help with sustainability. SAVe is a company that Christina and Joe have stood up for specifically focusing on how the AV community can help be a part of the bigger sustainability picture. Next, we broke out into two different breakouts. One was focused on sustainability within AV and the second was a deeper dive into the hybrid work model.

Cheryl presented the importance of dealer reporting, maximizing rebate potential, new manufacture introductions and upcoming USAV events such as the InfoComm Reception and Fall Integrator Meeting. Stay tuned for more information to follow.

We closed out the afternoon and the meeting with a visit to Shure’s downtown office. They gave us an in-depth tour and demo of the different conference rooms and their technology in each room. Since it was Cinco de Mayo, they had a great spread of Mexican tacos and margaritas on tap! The entire team was so passionate for their company that you could feel the energy as they gave the tour and talked about the use case of the products.

Some great photos from the SHURE tour BELOW!

Each Spring Partners Meeting looks and feels a little different each year but what remains unchanged is the networking that goes on throughout the meeting. From lifelong friendships to brand new business opportunities, this is certainly USAV’s flagship event. Thank you to everyone who attended and of course a big thanks to all our vendor sponsors. Next up, InfoComm in Las Vegas June 8-10, we will see you there!

Patrick Whipkey

Vice President of USAV

 
 

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