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.”
