Updated! The Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA) bestowed its 2015 Awards during the buying group’s annual Fall Conference in Chicago this week.
Vendor of the Year honors went to Dana Innovations; the Man of the Year nod went to B&W Group’s Doug Henderson; and Sony was named Most Supportive Vendor.
In addition, group members Brian Perreault of Barrett’s Technology Solutions, and Carol Cornish of Dallas Sight & Sound, copped Future Leader awards.
The awards, a dozen in all, were handed out to members and vendors while onboard a sunset cruise on the Spirit of Chicago. Photos and a full list of winners are posted here.
Forty-five vendors and over 90 percent of HTSA’s membership were present at the conference, whose theme was “Next.”
“The rate of change in this business is crazy. It’s all about what is next,” explained HTSA managing director Bob Hana. “For each of us in this room that spells opportunity.”
And what’s next for HTSA are the benefits that will accrue through its recent alliance with the Nationwide Marketing Group, and the resulting formation of a new Nationwide specialty A/V chapter, the Home Technology Specialists of Nationwide (HTSN). Those benefits include access to Nationwide’s video production resources; new financial options through its relationship with Synchrony Financial; and access to online training modules through Nationwide’s MemberNet portal.
Hana noted, in a nod to Nationwide’s video production know-how, that “Knowing that in 2014 consumers watched 73 percent more branded video than the year before, and that by 2018 mobile video will account for 69 percent of mobile traffic, digital video is what’s next for HTSA marketing initiatives.” To that end, each HTSA member recorded their introductory video on-camera against a green screen at the conference as part of their 2016 digital video initiatives.
“We’ve learned so much about the opportunity that video presents to market our services to new customers,” said Chris Woolman of Wilshire Media Systems. “Like many HTSA members we are about to launch our new website, and we focused on what we’ve learned is next – mobile compatibility, organic content and digital video.”
Members and vendors also collaborated on business for the coming year, reviewed the state of the industry, made their CEDIA 2015 predictions, and welcomed two new members to the fold: The Stereo Shoppe of Boise, Idaho, and Stellar of Houston, Texas.
