Core Brands Strengthens EMEA Sales and Support Team with Industry Pros Marc Waple and Iain Cameron

Furthering its commitment to provide Distributors with the industry’s best sales and support team, leading control, audio and power solutions provider Core Brands, today announced the reorganization of its EMEA sales and technical support team, with the appointments of Marc Waple and Iain Cameron as Core Brands International Sales and Tech Support Managers, concentrating on the ELAN, Furman CI*, Niles, SpeakerCraft, Proficient, Sunfire and Xantech brands.

Marc Waple

“Both Waple and Cameron have produced impressive results, helping Core Brands to grow its business in the CI and Pro channels,” Core Brands Director of International Sales Simon Spears said today. “Their industry expertise will greatly benefit Core Brands’ Distributors, as they continue to drive sales, and provide technical support in the EMEA market. We’re excited to welcome them both as full-time members of the Core Brands international team.”

Marc Waple has worked with Core Brands products since 2006 when he began working as a Niles Audio UK Sales Manager for BMB Electronics UK. Since then, he has held multiple sales and brand development positions at well known organizations within the UK, such as Sales Manager at Midwich Homes, Business Development Manager at Invision UK, and International Sales Manager EMEA at World Marketing Associates. 

Iain Cameron

Prior to joining Core Brands full time, Iain Cameron served as the Managing Director of ICSound, where he utilized his extensive audio engineering background. Cameron first joined the industry in 2001 as the Head Sound and Lighting Engineer at Woodend Arts Center in Aberdeenshire. Throughout the next 15 years, he held positions such as Audio Engineer at Great Big Resources; Audio Systems Design, Integration and Commissioner at the Anglican Center Qatar; and Freelance Applications Engineer for CUK-Audio.

“Marc and Iain bring a wealth of experience to their new positions at Core Brands,” Spears concluded. “Their knowledge of the markets, coupled with their understanding of our product offering, is going to help our Distributors throughout the region build their business volume and profits. We’re thrilled to have them on board.”

*Furman Pro products will remain with Julian Young at WMA.​

NanoLumens Turns Up the HEAT at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami

For the last 16 years the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida, has been known for pushing the limits of the in-arena fan experience with its unusual scoreboard, world-class concerts and must-see sporting events. So when The HEAT Group, the parent company of the arena as well as the Miami HEAT NBA basketball team that calls the arena home, wanted to bring the fan experience outside to the newly designed and soon-to-be unveiled Xfinity East Plaza, they turned to NanoLumens to create an eye-catching visual environment using six of its NanoSlim and NanoWrap solutions.

The state-of-the-art outdoor plaza, which features a stage, fully-equipped bar and NRG Solar Canopy, is making its  debut during the grand opening celebration on January 31, 2016, as the Miami HEAT take the court against the Atlanta Hawks.

“The Miami HEAT have always been a technology-driven franchise committed to delivering a superior entertainment experience at both HEAT games and Arena events," said Eric Woolworth, President of The HEAT Group Business Operations. "Our latest endeavor of pairing technology with fan experience comes with the unveiling of our Xfinity East Plaza, where the incredibly impressive NanoLumens displays are helping us to deliver digital content to a previously underutilized outdoor space—a prospect we believe HEAT fans and Arena guests will enjoy as much as we do.”

The opening of the sensational Xfinity East Plaza will turn a once under-utilized outdoor area into a revenue-generating epicenter of entertainment for the HEAT Group. According to NanoLumens Southeast Regional Sales Director Arch Nelson, “The new Xfinity East Plaza creates an oasis for ticketed guests to enjoy the South Florida weather, while not missing a minute of the action. On the NanoLumens solutions, the HEAT Group can show guests what is going on inside the arena with live action and instant replay while also offering other entertainment options, as well as also showing revenue-generating sponsor advertisements.” Utilizing the six NanoLumens displays, the AmericanAirlines Arena can boost revenue through game day advertising while also offering local South Florida businesses and residents an impressive new event space for future opportunities.

The NanoLumens solutions have been made available to The HEAT Group through the NanoLumens Advantage program, designed to help businesses gain a competitive sales advantage with the latest technology, protect against obsolescence, and simplify asset management, all while streamlining the many benefits into a one-stop solution. 

To learn more about the Xfinity East Plaza, click here. 

"Do's and Don'ts" of Insurance Coverage Demystified by Take1 Insurance at Pollstar Live! 2016 Roundtable on February 12, 2016

Live event producers, tour sound managers, concert promoters, touring musicians, and literally anyone involved in the staging and production of a live event who has ever wondered why their insurance coverage always seems to provoke more questions than answers, will have an opportunity to learn how to ‘demystify’ insurance at Pollstar Live! 2016 next month at a roundtable hosted by Take1 Insurance, the entertainment industry’s leading insurance solutions provider.

The roundtable, entitled “Worry About This, Not That, When Dealing With Your Insurance Vendor,” will be held at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis Hotel on Friday, February 12, 2016 from 9:30AM—10:45AM in Nob Hill Room A-D.  “Having the right insurance coverage for a live event of any kind is a critical component of that live event’s success,” said Scott Carroll, Executive Vice President & Program Director of Take1 Insurance. “Ensuring that the right coverage is in place does not have to be a complicated or a long drawn out affair. Our Pollstar Live 2016 roundtable is going to demystify insurance, outline the ‘do’s and don’ts’ as well as the ‘ins and outs’ of setting up the right insurance coverage for everyone involved in the production and staging of a live event."

According to Carroll, the roundtable will address a number of questions that Take1 frequently encounters from prospective clients, such as: How is it that I get hit with a rate increase years after a claim is paid and my insurance company tells me that it’s related to my loss ratio? What is a loss ratio, and why should I care about that? Why shouldn’t I be shopping my insurance every year? Why do carrier’s tout their claims service but then loathe when they have to pay a claim? Are there practical things I can do to help my underwriter understand my business better and will that effort pay off?  

“This roundtable will feature insurance veterans from the broker community who are experts at demystifying the mysterious world of insurance underwriting. Attendees will be able to listen to their peers share their experiences," Carroll said. "I am convinced that attendees will learn something they should be doing when dealing with their insurance vendors, and better yet, they will learn what not to do.”   

The roundtable will be lead by Take1 Insurance’s Scott Carroll and Marcus Paxton. Scott has over 30 years of insurance industry experience.  Since 2008, he has been managing and building the entertainment division of US Risk, known as Take1 Insurance, a Managing General Agency, focused exclusively on underwriting risks specific to the entertainment industry, with a focused concentration on LIVE productions. Today, Take1 Insurance is a recognized leader throughout the LIVE insurance community and as an insurance expert for event service related insureds who support the LIVE entertainment community. Scott is a tireless advocate for safety and promoting safe best practices at all LIVE events.

Marcus Paxton, is a Vice President Underwriter and Broker with Take1 Insurance, who brings over 18 years of professional experience in the insurance industry. Previous to joining Take1 Insurance in February of 2014, Marcus spent ten years at the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company (Allianz), where he held executive and underwriting roles in the High Net Worth Personal Lines and Commercial Entertainment Division. Prior to this he served for eight years as an Underwriter at Atlantic Mutual Companies.

wePresent Introduces All-New SharePod Pairing Solution

wePresent, the industry-leading manufacturer of professional wireless presentation systems, today announced the launch of their all-new SharePod, a unique pairing solution that wirelessly connects any HDMI source into a wePresent environment, allowing all connected users to view the displayed content. What’s more, now through March 31, 2016, wePresent is offering their resellers $100 off when purchasing both a SharePod and WiPG-2000 – their flagship wireless presentation product and winner of InfoComm 2015’s Best in Show award.

“SharePod represents the next great step forward in the evolution of an award-winning product line that is rapidly gaining the attention and support of the entire AV community in every important vertical market,” asserted Eva Cannon, Director of Marketing in wePresent’s US office. “The launch of this new addition to the wireless presentation line, coupled with our new reseller incentive program, is certain to add sales momentum to the product and the line.”

Used primarily in classrooms and boardrooms, where time is often of the essence, seamless and quick set-up is essential for all wePresent products – and the SharePod is no different. To integrate the SharePod into a wePresent environment, simply pair the device with an existing WiPG unit and connect it to any HDMI source using a standard HDMI cable, then press the SharePod’s “Share” button to begin presenting HDMI content wirelessly.

“When talking with teachers, executives, and IT managers, you hear time and time again the importance not just of product performance, but also of ease of set-up and use,” continued Cannon. “In just a few simple steps, the SharePod goes from box to your wePresent network, with zero hassle or headache.”

The SharePod is compatible with all HDMI cameras, video cameras, document cameras, laptops/ PCs, smartphones, tablets, DVD players, and GoPros. What’s more, the SharePod supports all WiPG device features such as full 1080p HD projection, cross operating system compatibility, 4-to-1 projection, annotation, WebSlides, and conference control, to name a few.

Like all wePresent products, the SharePod is available immediately through Stampede’s vendor network. “As North America’s leading distributor of ProAV solutions, it’s our continued mission to offer our dealers a comprehensive product portfolio that evolves with market innovation,” said Stampede President and COO Kevin Kelly. “The SharePod’s ability to­ easily expand a wireless presentation network to include any personal device is an example of this innovation and we’re excited to introduce it to our dealers.”

For more information, visit www.wepresentwifi.com or email sales@wepresentwifi.com.

Gefen to Debut Major New Product Introductions at ISE 2016

Underscoring its commitment to provide innovative signal processing solutions to the global commercial Audio/Video marketplace, Gefen, the leading A/V signal management brand from Core Brands, today announced new precedent-setting products to be introduced at ISE 2016 in the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center, Stand 1-M45.

“Gefen innovations have defined commercial A/V signal distribution for many years,” Core Brands President Joe Roberts stated. “Now, as part of Core Brands, we are amplifying the pace with important new introductions for the commercial market.”

Building on the new products already launched since joining the Core Brands family, Gefen will premier nine new signal distribution products at ISE, showcasing both what’s new and what’s next. “These new Gefen introductions put us in a stronger position than ever to expand our leadership position in the global commercial A/V signal distribution market," Roberts continued.

According to Senior Director of Product Management Ara Gharapetian, Gefen will debut nine new AV signal processing solutions at ISE 2016, each designed to deliver important benefits for specific installations and channels. “Gefen is unique in its ability to provide the widest array of audio-video distribution solutions that meet the unique needs of customers engaged in every major vertical market,” Gharapetian said. “The new solutions debuting at ISE 2016 will strengthen our ability to continue to meet the needs of our global customer base.”

Leading the way for what’s new for Gefen at ISE is the GEF-UHD-89-HBT2 4K Ultra HD 8x9 Matrix for HDMI. This matrix switch takes advantage of new HDBaseT 2.0 technology toroute eight 4K sources to any combination of eight 4K sources to any combination of up to eight remote 4K displays over a single CAT5 cable and one local display with HDMI for local viewing/ monitoring. The HDBaseT 2.0 outputs extend AV and controls up to 100m at 4K Cinema-DCI (4096 x 2160 at 24 or 30 Hz 4:4:4) and 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 at 60Hz, 4:2:0 or 30Hz 4:4:4).

“This product is compliant with the latest HDCP 2.2 protocol as well as the legacy HDCP 1.4,” Gharapetian explained. “The Gefen 8x9 Matrix has been designed to work with Gefen’s Syner-G™ software and supports 1080p Full HD, 3DTX and Deep Color along with 7.1 channels of LPCM and HBR (High Bit Rate) digital audio. It can be controlled via its front panel, IR remote, electrical IR, RS-232, Telnet, UDP, and Gefen's intuitive web server interface. An easy-to-read, super-bright OLED display indicates routing status and IP settings. The matrix comes in a rack-mountable enclosure. Low profile, surface-mountable receiver units fit in tight places and accommodate Gefen locking HDMI cables.”

Gefen is showing two new extenders that use the latest HDBaseT™ 2.0 technology, EXT-UHDA-HBT2 and GTB-UHD-HBT2. Both extend HDMI up to 330 feet (100m) at 4K or 495 feet (150m) at 1080p, using one CAT-5e cable. The new HDBaseT 2.0 platform provides new features including 2-way audio, and ensures an even more robust and resilient connection than the industry standard HDBaseT. Both products support resolutions up to 4096 x 2160 at 30 Hz 4:4:4 or 60 Hz 4:2:0, along with 7.1 channels of LPCM and HBR (High Bit Rate) digital audio. The GTB-UHD-HBT2 extends HDMI, RS-232 and 2-way IR. POH (Power Over HDBaseT) technology provides power from the Sender to the Receiver, using the same CAT-5 cable that extends the signal. The EXT-UHDA-HBT2 adds 2-way audio, Ethernet, and POH from Receiver to the Sender. The Gefen Syner-G™ software speeds up configuration via EDID Management, facilitates real-time performance audits by Link Monitoring, and simplifies field firmware updates. Low profile, surface-mountable Sender and Receiver units fit in tight places and accommodate Gefen locking HDMI cables.

For high performance and extra-long range extension of a computer workstation, Gefen is debuting its EXT-DVIKA-HBT2 HDBaseT 2.0 KVM extender. It extends DVI, USB 2.0, RS-232, and 2-way analog audio up to 495 feet (150 meters) over one CAT-5e cable. The new HDBaseT 2.0 platform provides added features such as USB and 2-way audio extension, and ensures an even more robust and resilient connection than the industry standard HDBaseT. Resolutions up 1920 x 1200 (WUXGA) and 1080p are supported. POH (Power Over HDBaseT) provides power from the Receiver to the Sender, using the same CAT-5 cable that extends the signal. The Gefen Syner-G™ software speeds up configuration via EDID Management, facilitates real-time performance audits by Link Monitoring, and simplifies field firmware updates. Both the Sender and the Receiver units feature 1U tall, half-rack-width enclosures that can be placed on a shelf, surface-mounted, or rack-mounted using the separately available EXT-RACK-1U tray.

And in addition to showing what’s new, the brand will also be previewing what’s next. Gefen showcase the upcoming EXT-UHD600 Series of 600 MHz HDMI Distribution Products. This new product family takes the HDMI 2.0 platform to its highest level by enabling AV distribution at full specification of 4K 60 Hz at 4:4:4 color-space, along with HDR support.

The product line consists of the EXT-UHD600-12 1:2 Splitter, EXT-UHD600-14 1:4 Splitter, EXT-UHD600-18 1:8 Splitter, EXT-UHD600-41 4x1 Switcher, and EXT-UHD600-44 4x4 Matrix. All products are compliant with the latest HDCP 2.2 protocol as well as HDCP 1.4. 7.1 channels of LPCM and HBR (High Bit Rate digital audio and HDR are passed through. HDR (High Dynamic Range) delivers greater contrast between light and dark areas of a video image, resulting in tremendous improvement in picture quality and color depth.

All products include powerful EDID Management capabilities. Gefen's Multi-Layer Cascading feature is available on all splitters, facilitating their use in large AV distribution systems that require daisy-chaining multiple units without loss of picture quality. The switcher and the matrix feature flexible control options including the front-panel, IR remote, electrical IR, RS-232, Telnet, UDP, and Gefen's intuitive web server interface. The Gefen Syner-G™ software simplifies configuration. The 1:8 splitter and the 4x4 matrix come in 1U tall rack-mountable enclosures that can also be surface-mounted or placed on a shelf. The 1:2 and 1:4 splitters and the 4x1 switcher feature low profile, surface-mountable enclosures that can be placed on a shelf or hidden away in tight places. All models accommodate Gefen locking HDMI cables.