Blinded By The Light

It still amazes me, even to this day, that the topic of lighting does not come up more in AV projects.  I look at every project from a viewpoint as if I am walking from the parking lot into the front door and to the specific area where a solution might be needed. This viewpoint approach helps place me at the property, so I can better envision the needs, potential pain-points, and ultimately what the customer might experience.  This is exactly where lighting comes in and how I see the conversation going!

While the pandemic certainly caused havoc over the live sound/production audio space due to the Broadway shutdowns, etc., we are seeing a bigger turnaround ever since.  The typical project might require line arrays, powerful amplifiers, microphones, a mixing console, and more depending on the size of the production.  However, what I normally do not see on a typical BOM is lighting – stage lighting, back of house, front of house, exterior illumination, and more.  None of which can be overlooked!

Martin Lighting, which is a Harman Brand, remains one of the premier lighting manufacturers in the world, and I am proud to say that they are a part of the Exertis Almo line card of product offerings.  In a past case study featuring the live production of Music Man on Broadway, the Harman team spoke about the need to emphasize the natural quality of the existing lighting while also bringing in modern features such as automated effects and color changes. All of this is made achievable via Martin.  This project ran the gamut of Martin fixtures, including the MAC Ultra Performance for their brightness and vast features, and the MAC Encore for their traditional incandescent appearance according to the Harman team.

Martin LightingExterior Lighting

While I could take the time to start discussing the specific items, like Wash fixtures, MAC Encore, and others which were used in this application, I’d rather take the time to suggest how to even start the conversation and that leads right back to the qualifying questions.  Earlier, I mentioned how I look at a given property by observing the inside, outside, and trying to envision the customer needs.  Lighting normally becomes one of the first items I check off.  When standing outside any office building, hotel, or concert call, what is the first thing you might notice?  For me, I’d normally say the lighting.

  • Can I see the building and the sign out front?
  • Do they have bright colors illuminating the exterior to add a personalized touch?
  • Maybe there is a marquee, and they want to highlight the acts that are playing?

Interior Lighting

I then walk through the front door and possibly find illuminated signage in the lobby.  Anyone can place a pop-up banner next to a desk, but using one of Martin’s many fixtures to make that signage stand out will take things to another level.  For projects such as a Broadway play or any other live production, that is where Martin’s MAC Aura’s will come in, as well as the ELP’s, and others.  There are many to list and choose from, but they all serve a specific purpose depending on factors such as type of production, customer need, room type, and more.  The key is to not be intimidated by this possibly new realm of business, but rather tweak the traditional questions you are already asking to uncover further customer needs.  Asking your client about the lighting is even easier now thanks to the level of training and support from Martin, and the effort to make it an area of comfort for all of our partners to achieve greater long-term success!

On a recent visit to Tampa, I met with several integrators, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that a few did offer lighting solutions already. My hope is that more will begin to ask the question of “How do you plan to illuminate this area?”  This is no different than asking what a customer is using for the audio or what source are they using to display an image. Asking about the lighting goes hand-in-hand with the audio and video.

We’re Here to Help

With all that being said, fear not!  The team at Martin and Exertis Almo are here to guide our integrator partners through the learning process, whether that be finding what fixtures are best, what lubricant is recommended for a given light, or even what control system is most recommended for a project.  There are training tips and certifications regardless of your expertise level. I challenge each of you who might already be working in House of Worship, Enterprise, Live Production, Hospitality, Retail, or Higher Education to think of where lighting might fit for you, and then please reach out to explore a possible opportunity with Martin Lighting.

Enjoy this blog?
Let Rob know over on LinkedIn …and/or connect with #ExertisAlmo on our LinkedIn company page.

Robert Voorhees

About the Author

Rob Voorhees | CTS, CTP, DSCE, CTNS, Dante

BDM II – Technical Specialist

Supported Manufacturers: Business Communications Services, and Harman: AKG, AMX, BSS, Crown, DBX, JBL, Soundcraft, Martin Lighting

Blending Education & Entertainment: I Present JBL Fest 2022

“This was the best work trip I’ve ever attended.”  That statement carries a lot of weight when your career requires you to travel to different industry events and you regularly get to see what our country has to offer.  However, that was the exact phrase that an Exertis Almo employee said to me when I asked him what JBL Fest 2019 was like.  For the 2nd consecutive year (not counting 2020/2021 due to the pandemic shutdown), our sales team at Exertis Almo was selected to participate in a sales incentive with the grand prize being a trip for 2 to Las Vegas to attend JBL Fest 2022.  This year, we had five lucky winners (and their spouses) descend onto Las Vegas from Sept 27th-Sept 30th.  Christina Smith, Kenny Razor, Kyle Smith, Cassidy Alley and Doug Schulte all did an incredible job to earn this opportunity, and congrats to all of them!  I took on the role of “Unofficial Tour Guide” to make sure they got the most from the trip and did not miss any of the swag opportunities either.  Allow me to do the same for you as I attempt to paint a picture of what this experience was truly like.

JBL Fest 2022 team backdrop

Leading up to the 27th, I made sure to review the itinerary which included the Harman Tech Forum, Installed Audio Masterclass, Content Creation Master Class with world famous DJ Morgan Page, and multiple concerts and club events each night.  Once landing in Las Vegas, you are greeted in the baggage claim area by multiple people holding JBL Fest signs and helping usher you to the waiting bus in the parking lot to take you to the destination.  Admittedly still jetlagged from the 3-hour time difference and 2:30am wakeup, I was happy it was a short ride to the Virgin Hotel where immediately you hear the bass thumping, see a bright JBL-orange truck and a solid-gold dancer just in the parking lot.  It was tough NOT to hang out in the parking lot with everyone else.  Once checked in you immediately feel thrown into the experience of JBL Fest.  Bright colored signage everywhere and an oversized chair that replicates JBL earbuds are sitting in the lobby.  The short walk from the registration area to the room was well worth it when you open the door to your room and find there is a concert stage directly outside your room  (more on that a little later on 😊 ).  Once I was settled and rested, I decided to head down to the JBL Hospitality Lounge where I was checked in and “tagged” with an orange JBL bracelet that acts as your “tracker” for all the events you attend and it’s your VIP pass.  I am all about branding, so I certainly did not mind wearing a JBL bracelet for a few days.  Once finished with check-in, I was told to go into the lounge and pick up my “welcome gift,” while assuming it was a fidget spinner or pop socket; you know, the usual swag that is handed out.  Instead, I’m given a Herschel/JBL branded backpack that was filled with JBL noise cancelling wireless earbuds, a premium wireless battery pack, a premium wireless phone charger, and a JBL fanny pack (which now sits on my Michael Scott standup at home, haha).  I do not want to give off the impression that I can be bought with premium swag, but this sure was a nice way to welcome guests to the event!

After a brief bit of downtime to explore the hotel, it was time to meet up with the rest of the Exertis Almo team and head to Club JBL for the 1st night of concerts, headlined by pop star Bebe Rexha.  Food, drinks, and sitting feet away from future NFL Hall of Famer, Rob Gronkowski, made this a great first night for everyone — ending with Bebe Rexha singing some of her more radio-popular hits from the past few years.  Waking up on Wednesday, it was time to roll as we had our busiest day ahead.  Starting with the Harman Tech Forum, which featured several panel discussions on the future of the metaverse, where the automotive industry is heading, and learning how athletes and celebrities are using technology to become more accessible to their fans.  Capped off with a Shark Tank-like presentation of innovative ideas, we also heard from President and CEO of Harman International, Michael Mauser.  Afterwards we took a brief hiatus to head to the Maui Jim Gifting Experience.  Essentially, you went outside to a group of tables where they were designed to look like a sunglasses retail store.  You were instructed to try on as many pairs as you wanted and select which you liked best.  They literally hand you a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses for FREE! Just chalk that up to another piece of premium swag that Harman treated to their

guests.  With our new sunglasses in hand, we then headed the Pro Audio Installed Masterclass.  Among the presenters was Saben Shawhan who is the Director of Audio Applications at Harman Pro.  Saben is a personal favorite of mine, and he certainly did not disappoint this time around.  Standing on a mock stage with speakers all around him, Saben went through a brief slide presentation on each series including the CBTs, PRX One, Eon One MK2, and the new SRX900s.  However, the fun part was the actual product demo.  Featuring an eclectic mix of music to highlight the strengths of these different speakers, we went one by one to fully immerse yourself in each.  While all were extremely impressive, I think my chest is still feeling the bass knock on the SRX900s from the heavy techno music that was playing.  Holy cow did that speaker really impress me!

JBL Fest 2022 product launch
JBL Fest 2022 presenter

As if I was not already feeling excited and inspired enough, I was then approached by Whitney Bosch and Frank Joseph from the Harman Marketing team with what I can only describe as quite an honor –having a private 1-on-1 meeting with Michael Mauser himself.  To have Michael touch on our sales growth at Exertis Almo and then ask for my thoughts and feedback on the improving supply chain and how to continue improvement was something I will never forget.  There are certain moments in your career when you might experience an emotional “high” or a “flow state” as I’ll describe later…..and this was certainly one of those times.  Thank you to Whitney and Frank for affording me that opportunity.

After heading back to my room feeling as excited and inspired as ever, I started to hear some “disruption” outside my window to find that the sound check was starting for the night’s musical guests, The Kid Laroi and Doja Cat.  I would like to think that I have a wide-spanning taste in music; there is something about live drums and guitars that just perks the ears regardless of the musical artist.  I wound up standing by my window overlooking the stage for a good 35 minutes just watching and listening.  After being a gracious guest for drinks with the Harman Marketing team and toasting the successful event, we headed to the VIP section outside on the lawn for the evening concert.  First stop was the bar where you receive a blinking glow-in-the-dark JBL cup to enjoy the drinks all evening, and then I found my way to the balcony ledge with a clear view of the stage just in time for Kid Laroi to appear.  While I do not know all his music, the best moment of his set was when he played “Stay” which is easily his biggest hit song and clearly recognizable to everyone in attendance.  I overheard a lot of people saying, “oh this is that song from Tik Tok,” truly a sign of the digital world we live in.  Once Doja Cat came on stage and ran through some of her hits, it was time to end the evening with another day of fun ahead on Thursday. 

JBL Fest 2022 concert

While the final day was a lot more relaxed and mellow, I was ready and waiting for the Content Creation Masterclass featuring DJ Morgan Page.  Morgan conducted a presentation on his “Quick Tips,” which essentially are a guide for how to reduce complexity in whatever you do and as he puts it: “grease the wheels of resistance.”  Every attendee received a box of his quick tips cards, which I am guilty of looking at ever since I returned home.  One point that I raised previously was in regard to experiencing “flow state.”  As Morgan described, a “flow state” is when you find yourself in such a groove with your work that time is flying by, and you are in such enjoyment with what you are doing that you remain in a state of constant flow.  That really resonated with me and as I attempted to describe it here, this trip was my “flow state.”  The final event of the trip was offsite at Hakkassan nightclub featuring world famous DJ Martin Garrtix.  Lights, smoke, loud club music, and plenty of drinks and good conversation to go around. It was the ideal way to end the trip.  Having “foolishly” booked a 3:30am Uber ride the next morning to head home, I knew the wise thing was to end the night and go back to the hotel.

JBL Fest 2022 team outing

As I sit here composing my thoughts and memories from the trip, I just received a message from Christina Smith, Exertis Almo Director of Sales and one of the lucky incentive winners for JBL Fest.  Christina says, “this time last week we were all arriving in Vegas” to which I replied, “and now I sit here writing about it.”  This was easily the best trip of my entire career as it was so methodically planned out by everyone at Harman that it truly was the perfect blend of education and entertainment.

If you would like to learn more about the products, I mentioned above or how Harman continues to come up with new innovation, please contact us today.

Robert Voorhees

 

Robb Voorhees | CTS, CTP, DSCE, CTNS, Dante

Business Development Manager

Supported Manufacturers: Business Communications Services, and Harman: AKG, AMX, BSS, Crown, DBX, JBL, Soundcraft, Martin Lighting

Taking a Hands-On Approach to Pro AV

The human body has roughly 5 million sensory nerve receptors inside. The receptors help trigger the sensations of heat, cold, pain, and so many others that we have grown accustomed to. Being that I just turned 41 in March, it is quite easy to overlook these sensations outside of the frequent times I would yell “I CAN’T STAND THE COLD WEATHER ANYMORE!” Having just returned from a trip out to California while attending Almo Pro AV’s award-winning E4 Experience, it really dawned on me of the importance that the sense of touch has on all of us. It had been 3 long years since I last had gotten on a plane and roughly 2 ½ years since I last attended an E4 or any other industry events. It is absolutely true that you don’t know what you have ‘til it’s gone and having the Pro AV industry (and the world for that matter) shut down the past couple of years really caused me to miss being on the road and interacting with all of you. With that being said, I found myself immersed in the opportunity to be around the product that we all sell, train, manage, and communicate on the daily. 

Dating back to my days selling the first consumer Plasma TV’s and 500lb console televisions (slight exaggeration!) in retail, I have always had a belief that to be successful in sales, you had to be a customer yourself. How could I honestly and accurately sell products if I didn’t use those products myself? There is something to be said about taking a new audio receiver home, connecting it yourself, and spending hours, days, or weeks adjusting the settings to your preferred listening levels. This practice dates back to the late 1990’s for me and holds true to this very day. I am a visual, hands-on learner. I enjoy the art of “trying to break something,” meaning I like to test the product, possibly disassemble it, and try to understand how and why it functions the way it does. Looking around my office right now, I can count a minimum of 10 products that are available through Almo Pro AV. If I look around my house even further, I see internet, cable TV, security, and even solar services, which I had sold previously in my career. Again, if I don’t use the product, how can I accurately sell it? 

How many times a week do we find ourselves quoting out product specs for a particular item? Half a dozen? 10-12? I’d venture to guess quite a bit. Let’s take a portable loudspeaker as an example. All week long I can be on email, zoom, and phone calls and recite the following to a customer: “Yes, this speaker has a vertical array containing 12 2.5” drivers with copper-capped pole pieces to minimize distortion.  This model contains a 2000-watt fully-bridged amplifier and a 7-channel digital mixer. Each speaker weighs roughly 55lbs and measures 33x19x25” in size.” Ultimately, reciting those specs to a customer is probably going to be good enough to close the deal, especially if it is a speaker the customer has previously used, or maybe they need an upgrade to a more current model, etc.

However, imagine being able to attend an event like E4 Experience, where you walk up to a manufacturers booth, you see this particular loudspeaker on display, and you are ENCOURAGED to be HANDS-ON! The E4 Experience is hardly your 5th grade trip to the Museum. These manufacturers want you to touch the product, examine at your own speed, and ask questions about how to best utilize those products! There is a lot to be said for the ability to do this and immediately earns you a layer of credibility with your customers when you can speak from personal experiences. 

During this most recent E4 Experience, held in sunny Anaheim, CA, I had the opportunity to talk with Cassidy Alley, Account Manager from Almo’s National Business Team. Cassidy is newer to the Almo Family, having just started in the fall of 2021, and this was her first ever E4 Experience. In our show floor discussion, she said, “Being able to attend the E4 tour is a great experience as it provided the opportunity to learn about products through a live demonstration, build relationships with the vendors, and interact with end-users. This opportunity has helped with driving business as relationships and knowledge grew. The E4 tour is an invaluable way for dealers and end users to connect with key players in the industry. Going to an E4 presents an amazing opportunity to really dive deep and have a personalized interaction with the newest in AV technology.” The two things she said that really struck a chord with me were learning about products through live demonstration and also how attending an E4 presented an opportunity to dive deeper. Cassidy, like the rest of us, can only go so far reciting specs from online data sheets. She took the opportunity and ran with it like so many others and I find that extremely commendable. 

For those of you who are familiar with past blogs and articles I have written, you will know that I am a big proponent of seeking out ways to educate ourselves in order to move further in the comfort model. The E4 Experience is an excellent example of this, and it is a way for us to get our hands on the latest and greatest in technology that the Pro AV industry has to offer. As the country continues to open back up to pre-2020 normalcy, it is imperative that we all seek out these opportunities to not only get in front of the manufacturers we all know and love, but also get in front of the products we have been talking about for years and really gain a physical understanding of how the products work, how they tie together to complete a project, and even pick up some tips and tricks on how we can better sell them to our customers through live demos.

I hope to see you all in Chicago on May 3rd at the next E4 Experience, and don’t be afraid to walk up to a booth and get hands-on with everything that Pro AV has to offer in 2022!

What An Experience!

Get a behind-the-scenes tour of Harman’s Experience Center

In my last blog I chose to discuss how you can improve your knowledge of audio solutions simply by knowing the different support channels and asking the right questions.  One facet I did not discuss was the need to have a desire to learn.  Simply put- you will make every opportunity that much harder if you refuse to grow independently.  I am no exception to this rule.  As I admitted previously, I came into my new role “not knowing audio” but thanks to the plethora of support channels and various opportunities that exist, gaining this new knowledge is quite easy, all thanks to the team at Harman Professional Solutions.

While attending the most recent stop on the Almo E4 Experience tour in sunny California, I was afforded the opportunity to visit the team at Harman and their new Harman Experience Center which is located at 8500 Balboa Blvd. in Los Angeles.  Pardon the pun, but WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!  The moment you walk in the front door you are greeted by a light show through the winding hallway which works in step with the images on the large video wall further down the hall. Thanks to my unofficial “tour guides”

Mark Wilson and David Tewksbury, I was able to really entrench myself in all of the technology that surrounded me!  A few steps further we were greeted by a row of actual Grammy Awards presented to Harman for their JBL and Lexicon lines amongst others.  Truly innovators in the professional technology space!  Coming from a retail background, I really focused in on their Connected Retail Experience display.  As a business owner, imagine being able to KNOW who your customers truly are and then cater to those specific customers.  From displaying male/female centric marketing to displaying specific content when a customer picks up a certain item, it’s all tied to improving the overall experience at a given store.   It was very intriguing to see where we are headed in terms of custom shopping experiences.

The next steps on our tour was really the “heart of the Experience Center where I was able to learn about  the Connected Huddle Space featuring the AMX Acendo Vibe speaker (which happens to be an Almo Best Seller!), an actual recording booth where we could test out all different models of AKG microphones (if you are lucky, David might sing for you!), and several Martin Lighting displays which were absolutely breathtaking!  Martin Lighting has been used in Las Vegas, London, and so many more of the world’s biggest attractions so to EXPERIENCE that up close was amazing. One of the final stops of our tour was a large room where Harman has hosted several gatherings such as corporate events and parties.  The room is set up to resemble part club, part concert hall, part Broadway stage.  Directly in the middle of the room was a Soundcraft Vi3000 Digital Live Sound Console and boy was that impressive. It is the only console in its class that can be used by two engineers at the same time and despite all of the added features and functionality it also retains all of the features that have made its series the preferred choice for sound engineers.  I had commented to Dave how many times I had seen similar models at concerts and various shows and how it only further demonstrated the theme of the day which was “EXPERIENCE”.  This room allows you to demonstrate how Harman products function in certain environments.  Listening to Phantom of the Opera on Broadway vs a lecture in a college auditorium vs smoke machines and disco lighting in a dance club….awe-inspiring!  Out of this entire room, one of the final yet coolest experiences was the live concert demo complete with drum kit, lighting, smoke, and some of the loudest yet clearest speakers I’ve ever heard!  The JBL VTX A12W is a dual 12” line array loudspeaker.  The kind you would see at the largest world tours from some of the most popular music acts. Various Harman resellers have said “this might be the single best speaker that JBL has ever made” and after seeing/hearing it live I would have to agree!  Starting with the simple installation to the crisp/clear vocals you hear it’s clearly a step above most.  At one point, David told me to stand in a specific area and I found myself directly under this massive speaker.  David walked over to join me and we had a typical conversation.  He then looks over and says “pretty cool huh”….we were standing directly under this line array loudspeaker and I could hear him clear as day.  When was the last time anyone went to a concert and didn’t have to shout all night to friends just to be heard?  That is what clear/powerful sound will do for you!

It is always a pleasure in my line of work to spend time with our vendor partners.  It provides an opportunity to learn more about the people and products that make the machine run smoothly.  However, getting to spend time with Mark and Dave at the Harman Experience Center was unlike any previous meeting I’ve ever had.  It was all part of the learning EXPERIENCE that I talked about previously. While you can certainly learn from online materials, various books, etc, there is something to be said about good old fashioned hands on learning and experiencing for yourself!  I challenge each of you to experience all that Harman has to offer by visiting them in Los Angeles at 8500 Balboa Blvd.  I know they would be more than happy to host you and your teams much like they did for me!  Remember, this is all part of the desired end goal — to learn more about audio and better position your respective companies in the eyes of your customers.  Thanks to Harman’s support system, educational opportunities, and unparalleled approach to technology and innovation, they should be the first stop along the way!

If you’d like information on Harman products, please feel free to contact me.

Rob Voorhees
888-420-2566 x6547  |  [email protected]

 

But I Don’t KNOW Audio!

Wise words from one of our own.

 

More times than not, it seems the “A” in A/V becomes an afterthought.  I like to think it is the first letter because it is the most important, but opinions will vary on that.  Much like any other product or service offering, salespeople will always gravitate towards their comfort zone, whether it is the right solution or not for the end user and even if it means leaving margin/revenue on the table.  The concept of audio systems is a prime example and my goal in writing this piece is to illustrate how to avoid doing a disservice to your customers and to your own company.

 

It was 7 months ago when I was approached with an offer to manage our Harman product line.  My first thought was pure excitement of the new responsibilities, not to mention the opportunity to become further entrenched in the Pro A/V industry.  I have always considered myself a “student” and the more I can learn, the better version of me I would become.  With that being said, my 2nd thought was a resounding “but I don’t KNOW Audio!” From my past experiences in consumer A/V, I was well aware of how vast of a product lineup Harman carried, however I also became aware of the fact there were now 9 different lines I would be responsible for learning.  Yes, I said 9!  My competitive side wanted to immediately learn every feature of every sku of every line…..which I later realized was not the wisest decision by any means.  That is when it dawned on me- Harman and pro audio were no different than my responsibilities in Telecommunications in that all I needed to do was ask the proper qualifying questions while also relying on the support team I was given. Harman has an incredible team of inside support staff and product engineers who are available for the simplest inventory requests to the most complex system designs.  I found that you only needed to learn WHO to turn to and at WHAT time should you turn to them.  This also allowed me the ability to learn the products and features as we went along in the process.

 

Let’s dive into the one aspect I mentioned above which was, learning to ask the right qualifying questions.  I have always been a firm believer that you can’t sell something if you don’t ask.  Simply put- if you don’t ask your customers about their audio solutions, chances are they won’t be asking you!  So how exactly do you ask about audio if YOU DON’T KNOW AUDIO?  “Mr. Customer, based on your needs I think we can put together a perfect display solution for you.  Now let me ask, what are you currently doing to address your AUDIO needs?” THAT’S IT!  That one question is normally all you would need to ask in order to get the conversation started and get your foot in the proverbial door to audio. This is the moment where the customer might state that he has never thought about audio or he might say he is already sourcing that elsewhere and it gives you a chance to try and win the business.  It will allow you to gather the customer’s needs, how they want the system to function, the dimensions of the room, etc., and then provide that detail to the support team in place at the appropriate vendor to begin designing the proper solution.

 

Harman happens to not only have one of the widest audio product lineups in the country, but I have found that they also have a wide array of training resources available regardless of your skill level.  Did you know that simply by going to https://pro.harman.com/applications  you can select the application you are working on and see an example of the necessary hardware required?  It is through this method that I was able to learn about JBL Surface Mount Speakers, Crown Amplifiers, as well as DBX Zone Processors and how they function in a restaurant environment. Another tool I have learned to value is through the Harman Professional University Training Program. Through these resources that Harman has invested in, it becomes far easier to dive into the world of Professional Audio whether you are initially comfortable with the idea or not.

 

Hopefully I have started the thought process for you on how to begin offering Audio to your customers.  Aside from added value to your clients, you will be pleasantly surprised by the increased comfort you have recommending new services/products not to mention the HIGHER MARGINS!  I challenge each of you to explore new opportunities involving audio and start the process TODAY.  You may contact me directly at [email protected] or 215-251-7685 and I will get you and your team registered on Harman Professional University and begin reviewing possible leads where we can easily integrate audio into the mix.  So, the next time you speak with a potential client, feel confident in saying “Lets Talk About Your Audio Needs” because you now KNOW AUDIO!

If you’d like information on Harman products, please feel free to contact me.

Rob Voorhees
888-420-2566 x6547  |  [email protected]

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