Stampede Partners with InfoComm Roundtable Events for the Big Book of AV Tour and Conference Stop in Houston, Texas

The 2015 Stampede Big Book of AV (BBOAV) Tour and Conference, the ProAV industry’s biggest annual traveling roadshow, will make its next stop at the Houston Marriott South Hobby Airport Hotel on March 26th, where it will team up with InfoComm to provide dealers with a jam packed agenda of hands-on product demonstrations, information-rich presentations, CTS-certified training classes, and an InfoComm roundtable discussion on industry issues.

“Fueled by a huge dealer interest in all things related to drones, 2015 is turning out to be our biggest tour yet,” Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said today. “Our partnership with InfoComm’s Roundtable Events provides attendees with additional access to leading industry executives and subject matter experts.  And, of course, the participation of leading manufacturers from every product category make the 2015 Big Book of AV Tour & Conference a must-attend networking and business developing event for any forward-looking ProAV dealer.”

After stopping first in Tampa, Las Vegas, and, most recently, Chicago, the 2015 Stampede BBOAV Tour and Conference is set to provide Houston-area dealers and AV professionals with the opportunity to meet with leading AV industry manufacturers, attend CTS-certified trainings, and participate in industry-focused roundtable discussions.

Specifically, the Houston stop will feature a morning keynote by InfoComm SVP Duffy Wilbert, CTS, CAE, and three industry training sessions entitled “Samsung, Sorting Out Media Players for Digital Signage,” by Jonathan Brawn of Brawn Consulting, “Sony Unified Communications & Video Conferencing Fundamentals,” and “Overview of the Drone/ UAS Industry and Business Potential” both by Paul Dragos, Stampede Unified Communications Group's Director of Engineering and Unmanned Vehicle University’s Dean of School of Flight Training. 

“Dealers are finally getting the message that drones represent a major new revenue opportunity that they can immediately begin to incorporate into their portfolio of solutions,” Kelly explained.  “And Stampede offers them a very clear way to profit from drones by offering the industry’s broadest range of drones for every possible application, along with the training courses that dealers can resell to their customers. Our strategic alliance with Unmanned Vehicle University provides Stampede with a compelling end-to-end solution that includes product, training, and service support.” 

Furthermore, Stampede will be offering event incentives such as a $500 Stampede credit to qualified attendees and a $50 Amex gift card to all in attendance the day of the Tour and Conference. Every attendee will also be entered into a drawing to win a 42” HD television.

Manufacturers participating in the 2015 Stampede Big Book of AV Tour & Conference include Optoma, Sharp, Chief, Mustang, Ken-a-vision, Lumens, Sony, Christie, Hitatchi, Hitachi Starboard, Samsung, Ladibug, Atlona, Balt, Iogear, Epson, LG, Vision, NEC, Benq, Da-Lite, Casio, AVteq, Canon, Peerless AV, Hall Research, DynoScan, Vidyo, Circle Technology, WHOOSH! Screen Shine, Gefin, MediaPointe, AmpliVox, Audio Solutions, Vaddio, Luidia, and BrightSign.

For more information about the event and to register to attend, dealers and AV professionals should go to www.bigbookofavtour.com.

Stampede Joins Forces with InfoComm to Bring Pro AV Dealers the All New 2015 Stampede Big Book of AV North American Dealer Show & Conference Tour

The most ambitious, information- and product-packed series of local market exhibitions and conferences ever undertaken in the ProAV industry will kick off tomorrow, January 15, 2015, in Tampa, Florida as Stampede Presentation Products, Inc., together with InfoComm, begins the all-new, expanded and renamed 2015 Stampede Big Book of AV North American Dealer Show & Conference tour.  The inaugural stop on the 2015 tour will take place at the Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel.  Registration is open at www.bigboogofavtour.com.

“When you pack as many seminars, CTS RU-approved training sessions, and network opportunities together with an exhibition of this scale and scope, you simply have to rename the tour to better reflect its content,” said Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly.  “There simply is no better way for ProAV dealers and their customers to see, hear, and connect with the technologies, products, services, and training programs that will help them to significantly grow their business than this all-new Big Book of AV North American Dealer Show & Conference series.” 

Underscoring the scale of the 2015 tour, Kelly today announced that InfoComm Executive Director and CEO David Labuskes will deliver a keynote presentation at the Tampa stop entitled ‘The Exceptional Experience: A Fantastic Journey.’  “Today’s AV professionals are not in the equipment business,” Kelly emphasized.  “They are in the business of providing their customers with an exceptional experience that involves seeing, hearing, and connecting more clearly and more meaningfully, through the technology that we make available to them.  This is what David will address in his presentation and it promises to set the tone for the way all of us approach our businesses going forward.” 

In addition to the keynote presentation by Labuskes, the day will include no less than six training sessions and seminars delivered by industry-leading subject matter experts who will present on the technologies, products, and services that are combining to completely transform today’s ProAV industry.  Transforming it from an equipment-centric industry into an eco-system of products and services that are making every part of our personal and professional lives an experiential encounter through technology. 

By co-locating with InfoComm Roundtable Events, dealers and AV professionals have an opportunity to spend the day meeting with leading AV industry manufacturers, attending CTS-certified trainings, and participating in industry-focused roundtable discussions. InfoComm’s Regional Roundtable Events are a networking and business education opportunity that’s FREE to Stampede dealers and InfoComm members.

In addition, the Stampede Big Book of AV North American Dealer Show & Conference tour is geared to help owners, senior executives, engineers, and installers focus on the business opportunities inherent in the top nine vertical markets served by Stampede — Corporate, Hospitality, Higher Education, K-12 Education, Houses of Worship, Hospitality/Bars, Digital Signage, Retail, and Healthcare. 

Each day-long conference provides industry insights, technology updates and training forums for your total business needs and features the latest technologies for audio, video, display, projection, lighting and staging, digital signage, conferencing, digital content creation, networking, signal distribution, and much more.

Participating manufacturers in the 2015 tour include Sony, Christie, Hitachi, Hitachi StarBoard, LG, Epson, Vision, Optima, Sharp, Chief, Samsung, NEC, Hall Research, BenQ, DaLite, Gefen, MediaPointe, AmpliVox, Mustang, Ken-A-Vision, Lumens, Atlona, ioGear, Canon, Mustang, PeerlessAV, Casio, AVTEQ, DynaScan, Audio Solutions, Vaddio, Luidia, Vidyo, Balt Audio Visual, Circle Technology, WHOOSH!, and BrightSign, among many others.

During the First Quarter of 2015, the Stampede Big Book of AV Dealer Show & Conference tour will stop in the following cities: 

• January 15th  — Tampa, Florida  (in partnership with InfoComm)
• February 19th — Las Vegas, Nevada (in partnership with ITRA)
• March 5th — Chicago, Illinois (in partnership with InfoComm)
• March 16th — Houston, Texas 

Complete information can be found at www.bigbookofavtour.com. 

World's First 'Plug and Print' 3D Printer Debuted in North America By Stampede

Developed in Great Britain by CEL, the new ROBOX® delivers full featured 3D printing capability for well under $2,000. 

The world’s first affordably priced, ‘plug and print’ 3D printer, Robox® from the British development company CEL, is now available in the United States from Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. for the suggested retail price of only $1,799.

According to Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly, key features of the new printer include:

• A proprietary dual-head print nozzle designimproves print speeds by up to 300% compared to other printers. One nozzle is designed to print in detail, while the other is able to ‘fill in’ larger areas at much higher speeds; the Robox’s needle-valve system stops ‘ooze’ and ‘stringing’ from the nozzles, ensuring speed and quality.  The Robox can print super-fine 0.02mm layers.
• Multi-color printing: Robox users have the ability to pause a print job and swap out the filament being used, allowing for multi-color 3D printing.
• Intuitive print bed:A proprietary bed probing mechanism automatically detects and corrects the gantry to ensure it is always parallel and the first layer of whatever is being printed adheres evenly; the bed itself is made of PEI (Polyether imide), which adheres to the hot plastic while a print is taking place, but allows the user to ‘pop’ the printed object off when the plastic it is made of cools and shrinks slightly post-print.
• Intelligent reel system: Microchips on the reels of filament allow the printer to detect exactly what material it’s working with.  Additionally, the pioneering closed feedback loop and dual-pinch-wheel extrusion system makes sure that the printing material is fed to the printer head evenly. 
• Easy-to-use software:  The Robox team has developed its own AutoMaker™ software to ensure the simplicity and usability of the printer for both experts and novices alike. Users simply choose the design they would like to print and press start.
• Future-proof design: The Robox has space for a second extruder that will eventually allow dual-color printing and/or the ability to print with different materials simultaneously. Its unique HeadLock™ system means that different heads can be quickly assembled to perform a range of different functions, meaning that the Robox is more of a micro-manufacturing system than a 3D printer.

“The development and widespread market availability of a full featured, affordably priced 3D printer for the home market is exactly what consumers have been waiting for,” Kelly said today.  “By removing the price barrier, Robox is moving strategically to make the benefits of 3D printing immediately available to a large and growing consumer and commercial market.  We see great potential for the product in the K12 and corporate vertical channels as well.”

According to Chris Elsworthy, CEO of CEL, “3D printing has the potential to change the way products are made, bought, and sold. However, the price and complexity of the 3D printers currently on the market means that it has not fulfilled that potential to date. The Robox is affordable, capable, and usable, and that’s why it’s the perfect 3D printer for the small start-ups, artists, architects, inventors, homeowners and especially the students and children out there.

We hope that the Robox will enable the average person to innovate, design and make more easily than ever before, and encourage today’s generation to make the most of their imaginations and creativity.”

For more information about order the new Robox 3D printer in the United States, call Stampede at 800-398-5652.  In Canada, call 888-459-8181. 

Stampede Appoints Elizabeth Clune Vice President of Marketing

Underscoring its commitment to provide its dealer and manufacturer partners with the highest level of Value Added Marketing support, Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. today announced the expansion of its senior executive marketing team with the appointment of industry veteran Elizabeth Clune to the position of Vice President of Marketing. 

According to Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly, Clune joins an already strong Stampede executive team that is headed up by Senior Vice President of Products and Marketing Jeff Willis and includes Vice President of Products John Marcolini.  “Beth brings to Stampede more than 20 years of experience in helping technology manufacturers and resellers to develop strategic, high ROI-generating go-to-market business development programs,” Kelly said today.  “Her background in telecommunications, consumer electronics, and professional services is going to immediately impact the effectiveness of our business development and marketing programs.  At the same time, she is going to add a new level of depth and leadership to our existing marketing team.”

“The Stampede team is comprised of talented and experienced professionals who are focused 100% on helping manufacturers and dealers achieve their short and long term business goals,” Kelly stated. “This is what separates us from the herd of other distributors and the addition of Beth to our team is going to help make the team more effective for our partners.”

Beth Clune comes to Stampede from the business development and marketing consulting company she founded in 2009.  Before founding her own consultancy, Clune served as Director of Business Development & Marketing for Installs, Inc., where she developed the role of the customer relations executive to manage VIP level and complex clients.  In this position, she established, developed and maintained successful relationships with Fortune 100 clients that include Best Buy, Dell, NEC Unified Solutions, and Sony, among others. 

From 2005 until 2008 Beth Clune served as the Director of Marketing and Sales of AAA of Upstate New York, where she established and built the entire regional membership, sales, and marketing department — coordinating all communications, e-commerce, travel agency, membership, web site, and financial services programs.  Before this, Beth Clune held a number of positions over a 12-year career at Cingular Wireless (now AT&T Wireless) including Director of Sales Operations, Director of National Retail Sales, and Director of Marketing.

“Beth is an entrepreneurial-minded executive with a natural ability to quickly understand complex issues and translate then into programs that achieve short and long-term objectives,” Jeff Willis said today. “She takes best–in-breed technology and data driven marketing techniques and applies them across all aspects of business, exceeding revenue and corporate goals in record time.  I welcome her to our team!”

Commenting on her appointment, Clune noted that, “For more than 20 years I have had the privilege of working with both large and small technology and service providers to help them meet the challenge of change in their respective industries.  Change is the one constant that cuts across all business sectors today, most especially in technology.  I am excited to join the Stampede team that is already very far along in helping their dealers and manufacturers to meet the challenge of change with high value added marketing programs that generate new business from new customers and incremental business from existing customers.  I look forward to putting my talents and experience to work for the entire sales organization.”

Beth Clune earned her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Communications and Marketing at Saint Bonaventure University in 1986.

Stampede Fall 2014 Big Book of AV Tour Kicks Off In Minneapolis On September 23

Drones take center stage as Stampede introduces the ProAV industry to a $12-billion commercial sales opportunity.

The official start to the fall sales season gets underway tomorrow when  Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. kicks off its Fall 2014 Big Book of AV Tour in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Ramada Bloomington Minnesota Airport Mall on September 23rd.  And, in keeping with Stampede’s commitment to bring revolutionary new sales opportunities to its dealers, the company is introducing drones to tour attendees and reinforcing the introduction with intensive presentation and training sessions designed to put dealers in command of an amazing new business opportunity.

“Drones, or ‘cameras in the sky’ as we like to refer to them, represent nothing less than a $12-billion commercial sales opportunity,” Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said today, “and we have designed our entire fall tour to show dealers how they can profit from both the sales of drones and using them as a way to generate incremental sales of traditional AV and IT components.”

According to Kelly, drones are definitely not a ‘pie in the sky.’  “From security to education to real estate to agriculture, drones represent the most complete and cost effective way for enterprises of all type to capture and deploy critically important content that then needs to be viewed, edited, distributed, and stored — and this reality is what is going to generate a huge increase in business for our dealers in 2015 and beyond.”

In addition to learning how to profit from drones, BBOAV tour attendees will get to receive hands-on product demonstrations from more than 40 manufacturers and participate in an InfoComm Regional Roundtable.  Attendees will also have the chance to participate in training sessions hosted by Atlona, NEC, BrightSign, Christie, Circle Technology, Samsung, Sony Unified Communications, and Optima.

All attendees will also receive a $500 Stampede credit on orders of $5,000 or more, a $50 American Express Gift Card, a $100 Restaurant.com Gift Card for each training session they complete, and they will be automatically entered into a drawing to win a 42” HDTV.  The day-long event runs from 9:00AM until 7:00PM and includes a special InfoComm networking reception from 4:30PM until 7:00PM.

After Minneapolis, the Fall 2014 Big Book of AV Tour heads to Dallas, Texas on October 16; Raleigh, North Carolina on October 23; metropolitan New York/New Jersey on November 6; and Toronto, Canada on November 13.  Complete details and registration information can be found at www.bigbookofavtour.com.