APG Displays Opens U.S. Headquarters and Expands Its United States Marketing Program at InfoComm 2015

Underscoring its commitment to provide all of North America with specialist AV distribution services and a series of unique wholesale-only rental partnerships, APG Displays, Canada’s leading distributor of video walls and other displays, is announcing its expanded U.S. marketing program and the opening of a U.S. headquarters office and showroom in Orlando, Florida. The announcement was made by APG Displays President David Weatherhead at InfoComm 2015 at Booth #3569 in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

“We’re excited to expand further into the United States marketplace,” Weatherhead said today. “Our new office allows us to better support our resellers and wholesale sub-rental partners. Plus, we will be in closer proximity to key rental and staging customers who service exhibits.”

The new office also puts APG Displays closer to the event market in Orlando. Prospective resellers and sub-rental clients can now visit the space and tour the demonstration showroom before purchasing or renting video walls. “This expansion makes it easier for our clients in Orlando to select displays,” Weatherhead added. “It also simultaneously broadens our reach in the U.S. market.”

At InfoComm 2015, APG Displays is showcasing displays and visual solutions from leading manufacturers like Prysm, Leyard, Orion, and NEC. “Our objective is to offer the U.S. market the same range of solutions backed by an exceptional level of support that our Canadian customers have long come to expect from APG,” Weatherhead said. 

The United States headquarters and showroom are being managed by Dan Ayerst, who noted that, “No other company is better able to meet the needs of resellers who want to sell video wall technologies or rental companies who need access to cutting-edge digital displays than APG Displays. We offer the most comprehensive portfolio of large video display solutions, each with customized accessories, technical support, and full system design and installation services. We’re very excited to bring our services to Orlando and the United States in general.”

The new office is located at 7685 Currency Dr, Orlando, FL, 32809. For more information, visithttp://www.apgdisplays.com/. 

Valley View Agri-Systems Personalizes Office With Custom Table, Lighting Fixture, and ELAN g! System

Logos are one of the most important advertising tools that exist, helping us recognize and remember world famous brands regardless of language or location. Valley View Agri-Systems, a leader in grain storage and material handling solutions, took their logo to heart when redesigning their Arkansas office to impress visitors and potential clients. Using the logo throughout their design and incorporating an intelligent control system made by ELAN, the company created a meeting and working space truly unique to their brand.

In a new conference room dubbed “the war room,” a custom-designed conference table and lighting fixture in the shape of their logo accentuate the space and reinforce the idea that Valley View Agri-Systems is in control of the meeting environment. That control is further highlighted by the advanced ELAN g! control system, which allows meeting leaders to easily manage and use the war room’s audio and video systems from an iPad docked on the conference table or an ELAN HR2 handheld remote.

According to installer Ryan Heringer, owner of Jonesboro, Arkansas-based Sound Concepts, the consolidated control of A/V in the conference room and eight separate offices gives the Valley View staff another means of impressing potential clients and visitors.

“With a few taps they can pull up presentations and videos without any complications, every time,” Heringer said. “Anyone who has frequented board rooms for presentations using technology can likely tell you how frustrating it is when things don’t work perfectly, or that it is a nuisance for someone to require advanced knowledge to simply operate the TV and audio system. What we are able to provide through the ELAN g! system is a dead-simple interface that turns everything on and presents the video options and computer connections in a truly easy format so even a first-time user can dive into operating it with ease.”

In addition to the requirement that the system be basically foolproof, keeping everything hidden was a top priority. Using in-ceiling adjustable direction speakers and the wireless ELAN g! system, the only things visible in the room are an iPad for control and the TVs on the walls. Infrared signaling and IP connectivity allows for all the processing equipment, video players and amplifiers to remain behind the scenes in a rack located in small closet in the war room.

The war room consists of a 14-seat conference table in the shape of Valley View’s bulging-rectangle logo, situated directly beneath a matching lighting fixture designed in precisely the same shape. Beyond the head of the table is a wall-mounted 80” Sharp 1080p TV, with two 65” Samsung 1080p adjustable-angle TVs flanking the table’s long sides, providing easy presentation and video viewing for every person in the room. Eight in-ceiling speakers provide clear audio without cluttering the room.

Outside the conference room the integration extends into eight offices, each featuring a wall-mounted 40” Samsung TV and a single in-ceiling speaker. An ELAN S1616A amplifier/multi-room audio controller provides power for all 16 speakers throughout the conference room and offices, and can send separate signals to each room. This way the war room conference does not affect a smaller office meeting, while everything runs through the same reliable system. The equipment rack includes nine cable boxes, one for each separate room, in addition to two Apple TVs and an Integra Blu-ray player with access to Netflix and Vudu. A Binary 16x16 HDMI matrix switch routes all video from the equipment closet to the 11 TVs.

To download additional hi-res photography, click here.

Stampede to Demonstrate the Many Ways to Strike Gold in Vegas at DSE 2015!

Digital signage resellers attending DSE 2015 who think the only chance they have to 'strike it rich' is either at the slot machines or the tables should bypass the casinos and proceed immediately to Booth #2128, where they will find that Stampede will be offering a number of exciting new risk-free ways to build revenues and profits by incorporating complete digital signage solutions into their 2015 business plans. 

“Displays, media servers, media content, managed services, and all of the traditional product categories that attach to make a complete digital signage solution will be displayed at this year’s DSE,” said Kevin Kelly, President & COO of North America’s oldest, largest, and still fastest growing distributor of high value-added ProAV solutions.  “No one offers more ways to ‘strike gold’ in today’s dynamic digital signage industry than Stampede.  We offer solutions for every vertical market and in every major system configuration, from simple in-store signage to complete customer engagement solutions.” 

What’s more, according to Kelly, Stampede will be making its business points at this year’s DSE by wrapping them around an array of exciting in-booth promotions that are all themed around the gold rush that made the West famous. 

As for the business side of the show program, Stampede will be offering it all: 

•  The Samsung RM48D Smart Signage Platform, featuring a wireless connection and offering both portrait and landscape modes of operation, as well as a custom wall-mount solution that makes this choice the industry’s most complete ‘signage in a box’ solution.

•  The just-introduced 70” NEC E705 Display that is built upon NEC’s proven V Series digital signage platform.  This is the clear winner when it comes to high quality, cost-effective display signage panels that can be used in a wide variety of applications.

•  The industry-leading Sharp Professional PN-Y Series of digital signage displays, incorporating a built-in USB content player, fan-less architecture, and out-of-the-box portrait and landscape mode operation — all of which makes this option the perfect reduced profile winner.

•  The new 98LS95A-5B LG display from LG Electronics, which is the new 98” addition to the state-of-the-art LG line-up featuring 4K resolution, IPS glass, as well as the software needed to enable the screen to be divided into video wall quadrants using WebOS.

•  High performance, weather-proof SunBrite displays for every kind of outdoor signage environment.

•  The latest MicroTile solutions from Christie Digital that can be used in video wall applications, broadcast studios, and so much more.

•  The ultra-bright DS55LX3 55” DynaScan video wall that is specifically designed to deliver a brilliant, high ambient light solution.

“Just as important as the display solutions on exhibit are the content management systems that can be combined with them,” Kelly emphasized.  “Stampede offers everything a ProAV dealer needs to profit from offering digital signage solutions and this includes content management solutions from 11 Giraffes, BrightSign, Cenique, and WonderSign.” 

Finally, Stampede will be offering ProAV resellers a complete range of services to make their implementation and use of digital signage solutions as simple and efficient as possible, including nationwide warehousing; direct-to-job delivery; market-dedicated digital signage specialists; account relationship managers strategically placed throughout the United States, Canada, and Latin America; pre-configured solutions for specific installs; a selection from more than 150 different manufacturers; and professional services that include installation, network monitoring, and system configuration. 

“We’re doing everything possible to help DSE 2015 attendees strike it rich in the most meaningful way possible,” Kelly concluded, “and that’s with well thought-out solutions that include every piece of the digital signage puzzle — displays, content management platforms, media, and services.  Don’t gamble your future anywhere else. Come to Stampede, where you will always ride ahead of the herd.”

Advanced Brings York University Atrium To Life With Stunning Ultra-Thin Bezel Videowall Installation!

York University’s Schulich School of Business, one of the world’s top business schools, wanted to replace their dim projector screen with a vivid display to compliment the modern aesthetic of their new atrium. To do so, they turned to Advanced, Canada’s leading AV integrator, to envision and install a 4x4 panel 55” LCD ultra-thin bezel videowall in the school’s new space.

“Advanced is honored to have been selected for this prestigious project,” Advanced President David Weatherhead said today. “The school’s former projector screen was not compatible with the room’s natural light. We were able to replace the old system with a videowall that vividly delivers content to students.”

The ultra-thin LCD bezel videowall with a 4mm seam gap is made up of 16 panels to display one, complete image. The content feed, comprised of announcements, videos and photos, is managed from the network operations room. All content is managed and displayed by a BrightSign XD digital media player.

“The ultra-thin bezel LCD videowall is the ideal technology for this space because it is as visually stunning in high ambient light and more cost effective than traditional LED displays,” Weatherhead said. “The videowall’s content distribution mechanism allows administrators to send an image to any monitor from the network operations room. This gives them complete control over the content in real time.”

What’s more, the videowall is easily serviceable due to the unique pull-out videowall bracket system Advanced installed. Since the University runs the display twelve hours per day, it’s important that the videowall can be easily serviced should a failure happen.  “The videowall mounting system allows for increased maintenance flexibility, which is vital when managing a display in a public space,” Weatherhead added.

Known as Canada’s Global Business School™, the Schulich School of Business in Toronto is ranked among the world’s leading business schools by a number of global surveys. Schulich’s MBA program is ranked #1 in the world by the Aspen Institute (a Washington, DC-based leadership think tank) in a global survey that identifies which schools are doing the best job of preparing future business leaders for the environmental, social and ethical complexities of modern-day business. Schulich’s MBA program is ranked #1 in Canada by Forbes.

Advanced Makes Pro A/V Accessible With Its New Web Store!

Underscoring its commitment to providing AV services to professionals across Canada, Advanced, North America’s leading AV integrator, today announced the launch of the “Advanced Store”, a fully transactional web store that provides Canadian customers with professional audio and video products. 

“Advanced Store is focused on professional AV,” Advanced Co-President David Weatherhead said today. “We’re differentiating ourselves by providing highly trained technical sales staff and strong customer service.  With Advanced Store, we are offering customers an accessible and easy-to-use platform to order products directly from manufactures.” 

Advanced Store is serviced by InfoComm qualified sales and customer service staff to ensure that each customer’s most technical AV questions are thoroughly answered. Additionally, Advanced has developed its own training plan to support new hires to the Advanced Store team. “We’re committed to providing the best customer service staff in the AV web business,” Weatherhead added.

The website is fully integrated with Advanced’s logistic systems, allowing for instant warehouse dispatch, live inventory, and automatic FedEx tracking. Plus, all products are offered at discounted rates.

“Many web stores that sell pro AV products don’t get close to integration services. Since Advanced has in-house technical design and installation knowledge, we can provide real value to our web clients,” Weatherhead said. “This website will compliment Advanced’s current site, which offers complete system integration services. We want our customers to rely on us as a one-stop-shop to suit all of their professional audio/visual needs.” 

The store, officially launched today is accessible at store.advanced-inc.com.