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.

Toronto Transit Commission Gains Critical Control With Massive Rear Projection Cube Videowall Installation By Advanced!

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) selected Advanced to upgrade their Control Room where they monitor Toronto’s four subway lines, 11 streetcar routes, and more than 140 bus routes each day.

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), home to one of the largest Control Rooms in North America, wanted to incorporate the most dependable and innovative videowall display for monitoring Toronto’s public transportation system. To do so, they turned to Advanced, Canada’s leading AV integrator, to envision and install a large 80” Delta Displays Rear Projection LED Cube videowall system that guarantees 24/7 footage of the city’s transportation system for more than 1.6 million people daily.

“Advanced is honored to have been selected from a pool of elite Canadian integrators for this critical project,” Advanced Co-President David Weatherhead said today. “The TTC’s Control Room oversees the safety of 460 million passengers annually. Utilizing dependable technology is essential in order to make sure everything runs smoothly.”

When selecting the ideal videowall for the TTC’s Control Room, Advanced knew it had to be dependable, low-maintenance, and easily serviceable. The Delta 80” Rear Projection LED cube videowall embodies all of these factors; broken into different sections, each low-maintenance rear projection cube displays four separate camera feeds. Other cubes display the transit system and subway lines status allowing control room operators to make critical decisions.  Each cube operates independently, so that if one has an issue, the rest of the videowall remains functional.  The LED light source ensures no lamps need to be replaced over the life of the display, and since Delta is the world’s largest manufacturer of power supplies the power engine is extremely robust and durable.

“Most importantly, the videowall is easily field serviceable, as it provides rear access to the displays without affecting the image presented at the front. Therefore, we can change or repair a cube without affecting the rest of the videowall, which is extremely important in this type of operation,” Advanced Vice President Mark McPherson said today.

Switching out the TTC Control Room’s fifteen-year-old system presented several challenges for Advanced. Firstly, the videowall had to be updated in sections and matched precisely to the concave curvature of the wall, which required custom-tailored engineering. Secondly, the Delta LED rear projection cubes are smaller than the previous systems’, so each new cube had to be custom matched with two sections flanking each side.

In order to install a videowall in a 24/7 mission-critical room, Advanced provided a temporary seamless NEC LCD ultra-narrow bezel videowall during the installation process so that TTC employees could continue to monitor Toronto’s public transport system at any given time.

In addition, Advanced technicians worked through the night to avoid busy transit times, such as Toronto’s rush hour. “Our integration staff was fully briefed on the TTC Control Room’s schedule and unique requirements. All of this work was done in the wee hours of the morning,” McPherson added.

The Transit Control room oversees every vital Toronto Transit System operation. As the largest referrer to 911, Transit Control workers are responsible for maintaining order in an emergency. The room holds 98 employees, 22 per shift, working 24/7 to track the trains.

NanoLumens Helps Phoenix College Integrate 21st Century Technology Into a 20th Century "New Deal" Masterpiece

In the depths of the Great Depression President Franklin D. Roosevelt promised the American people a “New Deal.” From 1933 through 1943, a constellation of federally sponsored programs put millions of jobless Americans back to work and helped to revive a moribund economy.  These programs produced a rich landscape of public works across the nation, often of outstanding beauty, utility and craftsmanship. 

One of these masterpieces was Phoenix College (www.phoenixcollege.edu), the flagship institution of the Maricopa County Community College District and one of the largest community college districts in the nation.  Now, with the help of NanoLumens®, the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of indoor LED displays, Phoenix College is educating the AV/IT industry on how to integrate 21st century technology into a 20th century architectural masterpiece.

“In 1939 Phoenix College retained the architectural firm of Lescher and Mahoney with Public Works Administration funds to design the first six buildings for the new campus,” explained Mike Poplin, Director of Technology Support and Media Services, Information Technology Department. “The Arts and Science buildings; gymnasium; combination library, Bulpitt Auditorium and administration building; cafeteria; and a central heating plant formed the core of the college for many years.”

The Bulpitt Auditorium serves as the centerpiece for Phoenix College and hosts many important college, district and community events, explained Dr. Mark Koan, CIO and Dean of Information Technology.  “As we considered the range of diverse events hosted in this venue, as well as the college’s commitment to innovation, we focused our design goals on enhancing the auditorium’s historic appeal with state-of-the-art lighting, audio, and video technology.  When we found the video solution from NanoLumens, we knew we had to find a way to work it into the budget.  We couldn’t be more pleased with the results.”

According to Doug McCarthy, Director, Phoenix College Facilities Planning & Development, great care was exercised in the planning and execution of the auditorium’s renovation to preserve the integrity of the Art-Deco/Early Mid-Century design while bringing it up to current code compliance and functionality. “Chip Shay of SPS+ Architects was retained to design the project. Chip is a certified acoustician who also has a great deal of experience in theater renovation.  The success of this project was a result of a strong collaboration with the college’s Facilities Planning, Administration, Music, and IT departments.   The vision and goal was to create an environment conducive to compete with and/or exceed modern Phoenix venues, while honoring the past glory of the historic building.”

The renovation involved the installation of new electric rigging and drapes, LED lighting, mechanical systems, structural enhancements and cosmetic renovations.  Great care was taken in the selection of the finishes, windows, lighting devices and colors to enhance and capitalize on the original design of the building.  Even the original outside lighting fixtures were refurbished and reused.  These fixtures are now re-installed with LED lamps; an example of the level of detail that went into the project.  Each need examined in the planning and completion of this project was reviewed for relevance from a functional and historic standpoint.

Phoenix College chose NanoLumens to supply two 5mm NanoSlim displays, each measuring 181” diagonally, based on several important characteristics, according to Poplin.  “No other company comes close to offering the same combination of technology, customization, and warranty.   Our new installation is expected to have a lifespan of 100,000 hours or 11 years, which ever comes first, and NanoLumens is guaranteeing this performance with its unprecedented six-year, zero defect warranty program.” 

Add to this the fact that the NanoLumens displays are ultra-thin and light in weight, manufactured in the United States, feature ‘hot-swappable’ LED nixels, are front serviceable, deliver a seamless bezel-free viewing experience and are designed to be extremely quiet and energy efficient — “and the selection of NanoLumens became the right one for us,” Poplin emphasized.  “What’s more, the new installation space features completely open windows that had been covered up by dry wall for many years.  Even with the new open windows, the NanoLumens displays deliver an outstanding picture quality!”

Click here to see a time lapse video of the construction.

Stampede Rides Ahead of the Herd at InfoComm 2014

Industry-leading distributor of ProAV solutions to showcase innovative high value added systems for digital signage, unified communications, AV/IT, and presentations that take dealers out of the trap of commodity pricing. 

Challenging dealers to see that ‘the profits are always to be found in the details,’ Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. today said it will use its InfoComm 2014 exhibit to showcase a number of specific system solutions for digital signage, unified communications, AV/IT, and presentations that add value and profit for dealers looking to beat the trap of commodity pricing. 

“Stampede always rides ahead of the herd when it comes to pointing the way to the future for our dealers,” Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly said today.  “Our corporate vision is to be the best at creating value for our partners and just one more way we are providing our customers with integrated system solutions that add value to their end-users and profits to their business.  We believe this is the new model for our industry — an industry that is being reinvented by the commercial reality of the Internet of Things.  And this couldn’t come at a better time for an industry looking for a path forward out of the woods of commodity pricing.”

According to Kelly, Stampede’s InfoComm 2014 exhibit program will reinforce this commitment by showcasing real world solutions in channels like corporate, healthcare, education, house of worship, and digital signage.  “In each instance we will show customers how to stay ahead of the herd in their local markets by adding profitable connectivity tools, software, accessories, and new devices that didn’t exist five years ago.  These are the areas that add profit to the system configuration and sale.”

The message is taking hold throughout Stampede’s organization, Kelly stressed, and it’s bringing a number of new manufacturers into the Stampede portfolio.  In fact, the company has added 30 new lines since last year’s InfoComm Show including Afficom, ASK Proxima, BlueBOLT, Cenique, Christie (Brio line), CompuLock, DISE, DJI, Huawel, Korus, Marshall Electronics (Unified Communications), MasterVision, Neurona, Niles, Oklahoma Sound, OSD Sound, Parametric Sound, Peerless (Outdoor Display line), Revolve Robotics, Richo, Samsung (Tablets line), Sapphire, ScreenScape Networks, SecureAVCarts-AVRhodem, StreamTV Networks, SunBrightTV, Surf Communications Solutions, TSItouch, WePresent, and WyreStorm Technologies. 

“If there is one message we want our manufacturers and dealers to take away from InfoComm 2014 it is that Stampede is always ahead of the herd when it comes to providing intelligently designed, profitable solutions that work for our manufacturers, our dealers, and, most importantly of all, the end user customers we all ultimately are in business to serve.”

Stampede to Celebrate Year of Record-Breaking Growth at InfoComm 2014

New lines, new dealers, and new market opportunities fuel growth for the industry-leading distributor of ProAV solutions. 

Paced by the addition of a number of new manufacturers to its vendor portfolio, along with a substantial growth in the number of dealers in its network, Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. plans to celebrate a record-setting year of growth next month at INFOCOMM 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

The new manufacturers who have appointed Stampede to serve as a distribution partner include Samsung-Techwin, Parametric, ASK Proxima, Cenique, Circle Technology, We Present, Demo Pad, DISE, Samsung Galaxy Professional Tablets, SAPPHIRE media players, Surf Communications, Videotel, Whoosh! Screen Shine, and NTW among many others.  According to Kelly, these manufacturers are electing to work with Stampede because of the depth of its market knowledge and the strength of its dealer network, which has grown 25 percent in the last year to 11,500 dealers.

A rapidly changing industry is also playing to Stampede’s strengths, according to Kelly.  “The Age of Interactivity is now giving way to a new Age of Hyperactivity characterized by an always-fast, always-on Internet and, as a result, a new era of unprecedented opportunity is now unfolding — creating sales opportunities for dealers that were unimaginable a few short years ago.

“At a time when the traditional AV industry is maturing, a new personalized industry is rising up to take its place, one that is built upon the ideas of connecting, integrating, and sharing devices in entirely new eco-systems built around highly customized software applications,” Kelly explained.  “This shift is challenging our industry to stop using the terms ‘audio and video’ and start using the terms ‘see, hear and control’ in order to understand the business opportunities that this shift is creating.”

Stampede has taken a number of strategic steps to empower its 11,000 dealers to take advantage of this seismic shift by consumers and professionals to connect, integrate and share devices at work, school, government and home.  “Since last year’s InfoComm Show we added 20 new product lines and several new core platforms that traditional AV products can attach to,” Kelly said. 

Even more encouraging for dealers and integrators, Stampede’s sales are growing in all three of its primary product categories — displays, projectors, and unified communications, which is by far the fastest growing segment of the company’s business.

Kelly reaffirmed Stampede’s commitment to constantly add value to every system installation it is involved with.  “Value adds margin for our dealers,” Kelly told Vendor Summit attendees.  “And, thus far in 2014, Stampede is adding value at an unprecedented level that cannot be matched by any other distributor in the business today.  We can add this value on a consistent basis because we are focused exclusively on meeting the needs of the ProAV dealer community.  We are not distracted by other industries and market segments.  We devote 100 percent of our time and considerable resources to helping dealers grow their business.”  

Meeting the demands of growth, however, requires an expanding commitment to maintain face-to-face training, online learning, and readily available credit facilities to qualified dealers, “all of which Stampede is committed to providing,” Kelly added.  “Last year we increased our available monthly credit line by 28 percent, enabling us to serve as a bank to our dealer partners.  This year we are opening a new southwest regional office and adding to our field sales team network to increase the number of contacts we can have with dealers and their customers.”