NEWS SnapAV Merges With Control4 SnapAV and Control4 have announced the successful completion of their merger. Unified into a single organization, Control4 becomes a professional brand in the company portfolio, whereas SnapAV continues to bring technology professionals an end-to-end partner that invests in growing the industry and helping their businesses succeed. The combination of these two companies brings together a robust product catalog of inhouse brands and third-party products, backed by experienced product-engineering teams, quality customer service, education and training programs, and in-field technical support. Together, the companies have the resources and logistics infrastructure to be a one-stop shop that drives value-added services for technology professionals across the industries the companies have served. Dealers can expect to see continued investment in both local and international expansion. Ordering products will remain the same for now, but, over time, the combined portfolios will be made available through easy online ordering, convenient shipping and local pickup. SnapAV intends to invest further into the international markets that Control4 has established, including the UK, Ireland, China, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland. With a combined 1,200 employees, SnapAV’s CEO, John Heyman, will lead the merged teams as CEO, whereas former Control4 CEO Martin Plaehn joins the Board of Directors of SnapAV’s parent company. Jeff Hindman joins the executive team as CRO, whereas former Amazon Alexa executive and Control4 SVP of Products and Services Charlie Kindel is named Chief Product and Technology Officer. Mike Carlet will serve as CFO. Additional executives of the combined company include Jeff Dungan, G. Paul Hess, JD Ellis, Barrett Schiwitz, Bryce Judd, Carmen Thiede, Graham Jaenicke and Wally Whinna. The company will have headquarters in Charlotte NC and Salt Lake City UT, with offices and local facilities around the world.
AVIXA Foundation Welcomes Students And Educators To AV Event The AVIXA Foundation hosted 140 students, educators and community leaders from southern California for an AV experience event at the newly renovated Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles CA on September 12. Attendees toured the Coliseum to get an up-close look at the new AV technology in action—from scoreboards to displays—and meet with AV professionals to learn about careers in the industry. “It’s so important to help young people visualize future career possibilities,” Joseph Valerio, Program Director, AVIXA Foundation, said. “At the Coliseum, students [saw] firsthand the vibrant experiences that AV professionals create in their own community. Events like this are an essential part of the AVIXA Foundation’s mission to showcase the exciting opportunities in the AV industry and help build more bridges from school to the workplace.” The 96-year-old stadium, home to the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans and the Los Angeles Rams, recently underwent a $300-million renovation to bring it up to modern standards in preparation for its 100-year anniversary celebration in 2023 and the 2028 Summer Olympics. During the event’s tour, attendees explored the coliseum’s AV technology, including two LED displays measuring 26.5'x 99.5' on the east side of the stadium, LED ribbon boards in the press box, a 6,000-square-foot LED scoreboard and more. Students also learned about careers in the AV industry from Atomos, Canon, Sony and Shure representatives, as well as those from other companies. The event drew students from several southern California school districts, including Bellflower Unified School District, Downey Unified School District, Fullerton Joint Union High School District, Huntington Beach Union High School District and Newport Mesa Unified School District. 84
Sound & Communications September 2019
Almo Professional A/V Opens Registration For Fall E4 Events Almo Professional A/V has announced that registration is open for its fall E4 Experiences, which are coming to the New York NY metro area on September 25 and Atlanta GA on October 15. As always, the E4 partnership with AVIXA allows Almo to offer attendees a range of AV courses and certifications worth CTS renewal units (RUs). This fall marks the 10-year anniversary of the E4 platform, which has grown substantially since the inaugural event in fall 2009. The fall E4 Experiences will include more than 40 manufacturing exhibitors, courses led by industry experts and autograph sessions with local professional athletes. “It has been exceptional to watch the E4 format blossom over the last 10 years into an experience that AV resellers and integrators cannot and will not miss,” Melody Craigmyle, VP of Marketing and Communications for Almo Corp., said. “Our attendees rely on E4 for local connections; as a way to [get] free, high-quality industry education; and to see the latest AV gear, especially if they are unable to travel to major industry trade shows. We also like to host a local celebrity at every E4 Experience, and we are looking forward to having Lawrence Taylor and Spud Webb join us this fall. We are expecting a record-breaking crowd at our New York metro area E4 Experience, which will include both manufacturer and channel partners who were at our original event 10 years ago.”
CALENDAR October
147th AES Convention Oct. 16–19 New York NY AES www.aes.org/events/147 NAB Show New York Oct. 16–17 New York NY NAB www.nabshowny.com Collaboration Week Silicon Valley Oct. 28–30 Silicon Valley CA IMCCA www.imcca.org
November
AV Executive Conference (AVEC) Nov. 5–7 New Orleans LA AVIXA www.avexecutiveconference.com