Beaverton,
Ore. – Following last-minute negotiations and
arrangements, Planar’s Runco
International said Tuesday it now plans to exhibit at the 2009 CEDIA Expo
in Atlanta,
Sept. 9-13.
The high-end home-theater
video display manufacturer said it plans to introduce new products and provide
multiple presentations and demo venues at the show, including a booth (No.
3069) on the show floor.
Earlier, the
company had been absent from CEDIA’s roster of exhibiting companies, and it appeared
even to those connected with Runco that its appearance this year would be
limited to an off-site exhibit space.
Under Tuesday’s
formally announced plan, the company said it will conduct daily training
sessions in rooms C-301 and C-302 inside the Georgia World
Congress Center.
“Runco is a
founding member of CEDIA, and we will be at Expo in a big way,” Gerry Perkel,
Planar president, CEO and general manager for Runco, said in a statement.
“There have been many rumors, misinformation and speculation about what Runco
plans to do at Expo, so we want to make it abundantly clear that we will be there
with an arsenal of new products.”
The company said the
new products to be showcased at the venue will reflect “strategic investments
in engineering and design.”
“Our goal has been
to be laser-focused on our dealers when making decisions about where to invest
and focus resources, and the resulting programs have helped our dealers create
incremental revenue during challenging economic conditions,” said Bob Hana,
Runco’s sales and marketing VP. “Our CEDIA Expo plans will continue to be
linked directly to our dealer’s feedback, namely to bring some exciting,
differentiated products to the channel and provide time and space for each
Runco dealer to be trained effectively.”
Runco said its booth
has been redesigned from past years to focus on its dealers.
The booth will be
positioned as a “dealer-exclusive Runco Dealer Red Carpet Lounge,” where the
company will conduct meetings and provide “face time with Runco’s sales team,
tech support, marketing and inside staff, who will take dealers through the new
products, programs and services in detail and help each customize Runco’s
offering to their dealership.”
“CEDIA is an
important partner for Runco,” said Pippa Edelen, Runco’s worldwide director of
marketing. “Together we have created a plan in direct response to our dealers’
feedback. We have realigned resources, invested heavily in our new products,
and have dedicated significant training space so our Runco dealers, who
represent the absolute pinnacle in the custom industry, will have a front-row
seat to see the proof of that realigned focus. We are confident that this plan
will help them achieve immediate sales, and that each of our dealers will leave
CEDIA Expo amped to be part of Team Runco.”
