Work hard, play hard, and build relationships in-between.

We have all learned the importance and value of building key relationships with our customer base within the PRO AV Industry.  And there are the typical guidelines… communicate, exceed expectations, be available, listen, ask questions, etc.; but, at the end of the business day, what is it that matters most to both you and your customer? Does a fair price fare well with poor service and lack of trust?  TRUST is the key differentiator in any relationship.    Your relationship with your customer should be no different.

At ALMO Pro AV we pride ourselves in building that trust with our customers, not only by providing them all the business acumens referenced above; but, by building one-on-one personal relationships, with people.

As the ALMO Business Development Manager dedicated to LG, I recently had the pleasure of attending a reseller “thank you” event at a Toronto Blue Jays game with a valued customer.   As I engaged with everyone attending, I had the opportunity to see our sales rep interact with this customer.  He knew everyone!  REALLY KNEW THEM!  He knew their names, their children, their likes, their business style, and more.   The collaboration between ALMO, LG and the reseller meshed as easily as wind guiding a sail.

So what was the key to future business opportunities aside from “business conversation”?   FUN!  We were engaged.  We talked, we laughed, we smiled, we relaxed, and we let our guard down. If for only a few hours, the stress of the traditional business model was removed, leaving us such a great opportunity to sell.  To sell our company, sell our products, and sell ourselves.  And that built trust. Trust is not meant to be given, it is meant to be earned.

As a business community, we are focused on goals, measurements, and ROI.  All be it important to your bottom line, some things just can’t be measured in clear metrics.  It is important to understand when unmeasurable activities create measureable results.

Trust is a long term investment.   Customers put their faith in people, not just the companies that they choose to do business with.  Trust is a clear path to success and long term business relationships.  And if they eventually turn into friendships (as many do) everyone wins!

Corinne O’Rawe
888-420-2566 x6220  |  [email protected]

Big Things Come in Thin Packages

by LG Commercial Display

It’s only fitting that the world’s largest shopping mall should have the world’s largest LG OLED video wall.

The mall is the Dubai Mall, the city’s shining landmark. Home to 1200 shops, the multi-million-dollar mall contains the area of 50 football fields filled with rows upon rows of opulent spaces and stores.

The Dubai Mall also hosts the world’s largest acrylic panel aquarium, the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, which is 107.8 ft. wide x 27.2 ft. high x 29.5 in. thick, and weighs 245 tons.

Sitting atop the aquarium is the world’s largest LG OLED video wall, and it has officially received three Guinness World Record titles. Thanks to the partnership with LG, the screen has set the record for being the world’s largest high definition video wall, the world’s largest OLED screen, and the world’s highest resolution video wall.

The LG OLED video wall has 820 ultra-thin 55-inch panels and 1.7 billion pixels that emit their own light; no backlighting required. Taking advantage of LG OLED’s flexibility, the mammoth video wall is also beautifully curved, mimicking the curve of the aquarium below it.

Now imagine LG OLED at a mall near you.

Have a look at the triple record maker in action.

LG Introduces LV640S – the New Series of Smart TV Signage

Author: LG Commercial Display

We’re hearing it more and more. Small and medium-sized businesses are looking for eye-catching, affordable and easy to manage ways to communicate with their customers. And it has to be attention-grabbing—enough to get customers to look up from their smartphones for a while.

That’s why we’ve created a smart new solution—the LV640S Series Smart TV Signage.

Smart TV Signage builds upon the success of our SuperSign® TVs. Like SuperSign TVs, they have built-in tuners to support a variety of TV broadcast signals. They enable businesses to show live TV programs and deliver customized messaging and advertisements simultaneously. They include pre-installed templates to make it easier than ever to create dazzling content for various types of businesses and use cases.

So what’s the difference? The Smart TV platform. Smart TV Signage offers a number of exciting new capabilities like embedded CMS software for PC-less operation. (But they also have PC-based SuperSign Simple Editor software.)

The new LV640S Series Smart TV Signage is engineered for reliable 16/7 operation in business environments, and is backed by our commercial 3-year warranty.

New Smart TV Signage Features:

  • Crestron Connected® Certification – Quickly integrate the LV640S Series as part of a totally automated A/V and IT environment. It will function seamlessly with all other Crestron Connected Certified products.
  • Content Manager – Without an extra PC, you can easily create content using embedded templates and play it according to scheduled sets.
  • Group Manager – Smart TV Signage works as a server. Without any extra device, a master TV can distribute content and set data for a selected group within the same network.
  • YouTube and Web Browser – Access various content via the pre-loaded YouTube app, web browser and live channel.
  • Smart Share and Screen Share – Use features such as Wi-Fi Direct®, WiDi and Miracast® to view content from mobile devices on the TV screen.
  • Wireless Hotspot – SoftAP (software enabled access point) is a virtual Wi-Fi feature that enables Smart TV Signage to function as a wireless access point for mobile devices in the vicinity.
  • Wi-Fi / Bluetooth Built-in (Bluetooth Sound Sync) – Distribute content and control the TV through a wireless network. Listen to audio from a Bluetooth-enabled mobile device through the TV speakers.
  • Full IP control through the network, including WoL (Wake on LAN) to remotely wake the TV from low power mode.

3 Ways LG Commercial Displays Compare to Major League Baseball

Everyone wants to hit their business opportunities out of the park – and LG’s newest commercial displays can help make this possible! Given that we are in the midst of summer, it only makes sense to compare how LG displays are like one of greatest games on Earth…you guessed it! Major League Baseball.

#1 There’s something for everyone to enjoy at the ballpark

Going to a baseball game is enjoyable for all ages with so much to do beyond just watching the actual ball game. There’s the food and beverage vendors, people watching, pre-game activity and post-game fireworks. Each team has its own unique chant, song or something special to make the overall experience fun and satisfying for everyone.

Much the same, LG provides a major league experience with a wide array of commercial displays. From flat to curved OLED, to Wallpaper OLED, Videowalls, 4K product and LED offerings to high bright, transparent and easily installed “run and done” outdoor solutions.  The cutting edge 88-Inch LG Ultra stretch (86BH5C) and 55-in LG Ultra Bright Video Wall Displays (55VH1D) were also part of the entirely new line of products for the U.S. Market, showcased at INFOCOMM 2017.

For the most important locations, LG’s OLED displays provide the best brightness and contrast. Viewers get a broad viewing angle without loss of color. The displays are amazingly thin, so they can fit almost anywhere. OLED displays can even come in double-sided form, so people walking by on both sides can read it. Or you can throw the customers a curve they’ll love, with a curved display to get notice from all sides. They’ll make a hit every time.

 

LG Curved OLED

LG OLED

 

Backlit LED displays fill out the lineup. LG LED monitors are available in a broad range of sizes, so high-resolution displays can go anywhere and everywhere.

And don’t forget LG’s key differentiator: IPS Technology. IPS Technology provides color accuracy beyond compare and the “stable panel” provides for zero image distortion. IPS wide viewing angels are not only technologically important, but provide you opportunity for more time to deliver a message to customers.

#2 Baseball is not a fast game

Baseball games take time. Extra innings, rain delays, recalled plays – yep, we all watched Game 7 in the 2016 World Series…all 4.5 hours…a nail-biter that lasted well past our bedtimes.

Not every hit has to be a home run. Wouldn’t you like to “walk” your customer and give them an additional five seconds to retain your messaging?

$150 BILLION IS LOST

in retail revenue alone

Customer experience can

BOOST REVENUE BY OVER 5%

Research has indicated that today’s

MILLENNIALS

who are driving decisions

WOULD PAY UP TO
20% MORE

for a better retail experience

Are you enjoying your virtual baseball analogy within the world of digital signage?  While enjoying the game, we all want to enhance the experience. “Peanuts, Popcorn, Cracker Jack, Content Management Software (CMS)?”

Enhance your digital signage opportunities with an essential component of digital signage.  You may find that CMS can not only influence, but dictate the hardware selection of your customers in the same manner as the smell of popcorn may influence your decision to purchase a snack.

#3 Understanding the rules of the game

Not everyone is an MVP but together we are all an important part of the team.   With ALMO PRO AV and LG in your “dugout” you have everything you need all the players you need to have a winning team.

“Progress always involves risks. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.”

Frederick B. Wilcox

You’re in the major league now. Don’t bunt – Aim out of the ballpark with LG.   Take advantage of LG’s “Best in Class” 3% discount for government, education, medial and house of worship sales on select commercial grade displays now through the end of 2017.

And as the dedicated business development manager at LG, I welcome an opportunity to become a part of your team.  Contact me at [email protected] to learn more about LG’s state of the art products, programs and promotions.

Share in the comments how you’ve incorporated LG displays into your installations and you could earn a $5 Starbucks gift card!

LG Wallpaper: The Easier Way to Enjoy Being Thin

When we live on the east coast, the spring thaw sends thoughts of basking in the summer sun at a lake front cottage.

And then it hits you!  THINK THIN!  Who wouldn’t want to be the thinnest model ever?

You don’t need to go on a stringent diet or work out to the point of exhaustion.  LG can help!   That’s right; LG has released its futuristic “wallpaper” OLED TV – Their thinnest model ever!  This panel is so thin and light, you can literally attach the screen directly to the wall. Making it seem more like a framed painting than cutting-edge OLED technology, this is first-of-its-kind design.

Most models sold today require a backlight, but not LG OLED TVs. LG OLED TVs have complete control over their pixels. Meaning they can be turned on or off to achieve truly perfect black levels with zero light bleed. This gives shadows more depth and makes colors feel like they’re leaping off the screen.

This version of the LG OLED Wallpaper is specifically for commercial display applications and it’s in a 55″ form-factor that weighs less than 13 pounds and has a depth that is just 3.65 millimeters (0.14 inches). Yes, you read that right – barely more than 1/10th of an inch.

LG OLED technology uses self-lighting pixels for exact control of image brightness and quality, and with no separate light source the technology is extremely lightweight, thin and flexible

Rave Publications highlighted the new LG OLED Wallpaper Display in a recent article written by Gary Kayye, highlighting the best new products at 2016 Digital Signage Expo.

“The Wallpaper display can be mounted either vertically or horizontally for a customizable display design. Ultra-slim mounting brackets with a magnetic mat create a truly seamless design that becomes one with the wall. Electronic components are housed in a separate control box connected to the display with a 2-meter (6-1/2-foot) cable.”

So if you are looking for a solution with perfect color, a wide viewing angle, and clear viewing images, check out the LG 55EJ5C.   And, with easy installation and video wall tiling options, it can be hung on the wall with dedicated slim brackets for video wall usage; providing you more time to spend basking in the sun at that lakeside cottage.

Digital Signage + Almo Pro A/V = Success in 2017!

READY TO GROW YOUR DIGITAL SIGNAGE BUSINESS IN 2017? HERE’S HOW!

Life wouldn’t be fun without change.  And 2016 was certainly full of exciting changes and new developments in the Pro AV Industry.  Technology has “Moved Beyond Limits” with exciting products like Dual view flat  O L E D Signage, O L E D Curved signage, Ultra Stretch Signage for widescreen dynamic digital content, borderless design video walls sporting 0.9 mm even panel bezels, content management offerings and WEBOS; all in one hardware and software platform to run and install software in a simplified solution.

LG OLED Signage
LG OLED Curved Signage
LG Ultra Stretch Signage

The future of digital signage has arrived. As we move into 2017, companies are evaluating their business. The industry’s new solutions present constant opportunities for growth, as well as the need for training and support to attack the occasional challenges in selecting the proper Pro AV solutions. www.digitalsignagetoday.com

For some organizations, the challenge of advancement lies in more fully using the new products that they discover. Budgeting and operational approaches can differ from the opportunities that lie ahead, which sometimes inhibits the innovation to be widely accepted and tested. Being innovative therefore entails defining approaches that are new to the organization, but also, advancing the ways that allow the benefits of these to be more fully realized.

The Outlook for Digital Signage in 2017 is MORE, MORE, MORE!

According to www.lynnbunn.com the proposition for 2017 is simple.  More digital signage equals more revenue – for end users that apply it, and the resellers that sell it.

2017 will be viewed as the “year of the enabled customer.” Companies that have used digital signage and supporting product lines will increase use.  The analysts predict current users will go bigger, as they begin to make a larger investment and expand their use.

RING IN 2017 WITH ALMO’S 3 “Cs” OF DIGITAL SIGNAGE

As the largest professional audio visual distributor, Almo Pro A/V, is ready to provide not only the products in demand, but the support and specialized teams to help you build out solutions for your customers.
Included in those solutions is what I like to refer to as ALMO’s “Three Cs” of digital signage:
  • 1. ALMO CONTENT – Brings you and your clients an award winning team of high caliber designers, who understand the requirements of design for digital signage.
  • 2. ALMO CONNECT – Providing direction, suggestion and solutions for assisting your customers with installations through all the major carriers is the US.
  • 3. ALMO CONTROL – a team of specialists will assist with configuration and programming of control systems.

PREFER HANDS ON PRODUCT INFORMATION IN A FRIENDLY, TECHNICAL ATMOSPHERE?

The Award-Winning Almo E4 AV Tour will hit the road again in the spring of 2017.   If you missed our 2016 tour, check this out!  It will provide you a great summary of our 2016 successes, accomplishments, and collaboration with our customers, as well as the trends in the world of Pro AV.

Interested?  You should be because Almo has an exciting line up for 2017

Mark your calendars for our first two E4 2017 Events in Chicago on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 and in San Jose on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.

Watch the video! ——->

For more information and to register, click on the link:  www.almoproav.com/education/list/e4avtour

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