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2006 PARA Management Conference Equips Specialty Audio Video Retailers With Strategies For Success


WEBWIRE

Marketing, Business Strategy and New Technology Highlight Conference Agenda

Arlington, Virginia, 4/3/2006, Key representatives of the audio-video, home theater and custom electronics industries will gather at the 2006 Professional Audio-Video Retailers Association (PARA) Management Conference to learn and share information about the latest technologies, market research and business strategies that affect the specialty audio-video market. The conference, produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®), will take place May 3-7, 2006, in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

PARA, a division of CEA, represents more than 250 dealer and retailer members involved in the retail of specialty audio-video, home theater and custom electronics products.

“The PARA Conference brings retailers and manufacturers together to discuss the strategic issues vital to growing the specialty audio-video retail channel and enhancing the overall consumer electronics marketplace,” said Gary Yacoubian, chair of CEA’s PARA Division. “It’s an invaluable resource for specialty audio-video retailers to meet with industry peers and leave with a fresh take on the industry, where it is headed and how to make their business stand out.”

On Thursday morning, May 4, Jack Trout, president of renowned consulting firm Trout and Partners, will deliver the opening keynote that focuses on the importance of differentiation in the marketplace. In “Differentiate of Die” Trout will explain marketing mysteries such as aesthetics, design and consumer psychology and give attendees marketing advice that emphasizes verbal, rather than visual messages. His primer advocates simple methods that will easily distinguish a brand from its competitors.

Following the opening keynote, Mitchell Klein, founding partner, StayTuned LLC, will present an informative session designed to help custom installers improve productivity and maximize efficiency in their business. The two-part “How to End Labor Pain” series will analyze cost effective ways to manage employees, labor costs and vehicles and explore methods to improve cash flow.

On Friday morning, Verne Harnish, founder and CEO, Gazelles Inc. and author of “Mastering the Rockefeller Habits,” will present a special workshop, “Mastering the Rockefeller Habits: What You Must do to Increase the Value of Your Business.” The interactive session concentrates on strategy and will cover topics such as cash flow, core ideology, business goals, branding and short-term decision making.

Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA will discuss high-definition television (HDTV) and the end of analog broadcasting during a keynote on Saturday morning. “HDTV: Debunking the Myths about the Analog Cut-Off” will provide PARA attendees with the latest market research and public policy news surrounding the February 2009 analog cut-off date. Attendees will gain insight into the future of American television and what the specialty retail market can expect from consumers.

Following the keynote, Kerry Moyer, senior director, strategic relationships, CEA and Bjorn Dybdahl, president, Bjorn’s Audio Video, will facilitate a discussion on “Marketing Programs that Work.” PARA members will be encouraged to share their stories on marketing successes - how they are driving traffic to their stores, increasing sales and building a brand.

In the last session of the morning, Karen Chupka, vice president, events and conferences, CEA, will moderate a panel titled “CE 2010 - PARA Dealers to the Rescue.” Panelists including Steve Caldero, vice president of sales, Ken Cranes Home Entertainment City; Jeff Hipps, senior vice president, Sherwood America Corp.; Jay McLellan, president, Home Automation Inc. (HAI); and Gary Yacoubian, president, MyerEmco AudioVideo, will discuss the PARA retailer’s place as the ultimate consumer resource for increasingly complicated product set-ups and requirements. The panel also will look at the opportunities available to specialty dealers to differentiate themselves as full-service providers.

In the final session of the PARA Management Conference, B. Joseph Pine, author, “The Experience IS the Marketing,” will deliver a closing keynote based on his best-selling book. Pine will discuss the notion of “experience venues” and how such outlets tend to be more effective at generating demand than most advertising or marketing campaigns. The goal of Pine’s keynote is to energize attendees marketing campaigns and enhance their customer interactions with revenue-generating experiences.

In addition to these insightful keynotes, panels and workshops, the 2006 PARA Management Conference features one-on-one dealer-vendor meetings, networking events, and additional break-out sessions focused on financial principles, management strategies, recruiting and new technology.

For more information on the PARA Management Conference, including the full conference schedule and registration details, visit www.CE.org/Events. Media may also contact Leah Arnold at to register.



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