New York — Stampede made a stop on its Big Book AV Tour at the Hotel Pennsylvania, here, this morning, with around 25 suppliers and visits from 150 to 200 custom installers for the pro and consumer market, as well as retailers.
Kevin Kelly, president/COO, said all the stops on the tour are all about the same size. “We have 5 sales areas in the U.S. and three in Canada, and we hold two in each area per year — one in the spring and one in the fall.”
The installers and retailers that attend tour events are “buying customers, not prospects,” which makes it a draw for manufacturers, especially when “the sole focus is on A/V-related products,” Kelly said.
The tour began a few years ago to highlight the “Big Book,” which has the yellow and black colors of the Yellow Pages since, first and foremost, “it is a reference tool.”
In fact, dealers can buy up to 20 to 25 copies and put in their own name, address and contact information, and use it during a sales presentation. “An installer or retailer may have some products on display,” Kelly said, “But to show the scope of everything they can offer, they can page through the ‘Big Book’ with the customer to give them an idea about products and brands.”
The tour also brought the “Big Book” to life, Kelly noted, by “having manufacturers meet retailers and installers, get to know each other, and get our customers to know suppliers products and how they can create profitable opportunities.”
The Spring 2013 Tour resumes on May 16 in Charlotte, N.C.
