Edge Spring Partners Meeting 2023 Recap
EDGE SPRING PARTNERS MEETING 2023 RECAP
Mike Boettcher, president of Edge, Cheryl Walton, Director of Business Development and Patrick Whipkey, vice president of Edge.
Spring is a time for new beginnings and the Edge Spring Partners Meeting! If you could not attend the Edge Spring Partners Meeting this year, you missed out on an unforgettable event! Edge began the year with our flagship event, a time to collaborate and establish new relationships leading to #unparalleledpartnerships. And what better location than in the music city of Nashville, Tennessee - the perfect location with its central proximity and vibrant nightlife.
A highlight of the Spring Partners Meeting was our dinner at The Listening Room, known for showcasing local Nashville bands and popular national acts. In addition to the concert with Emily Shackelton, Michael Logan and Chris DeStefano, the country artists gave Edge members and partners a behind-the-scenes look at how the songs came to life. As songwriters for Carrie Underwood, Carly Pearce and Brett Eldridge, Edge members listened to some of their favorite country award winning music!
More than 80 Edge members and partners joined the meeting for education, networking and collaboration. The following day, Mike Boettcher, the president of Edge, and Dennis Schliske, the chairperson of the Dealer Advisory Council (DAC) welcome new Edge members AV-Tech Media Solutions, IVCi, Radiant Technology, RoomReady and Verta Technologies, as well as new Edge partners Jetbuilt, Lencore, PCM, Salamander Designs, Spaceti and TAMCO.
Sean Wargo, director of market intelligence for AVIXA.
Keynote speakers Sean Wargo, director of market intelligence for AVIXA, and Steve Gaches, head of music business and legal affairs at Endeavor Music Group, provided members with great insights into the AV and music industry. Sean provided us with the latest stats from the AV industry, including tallies for 2022, where the hot sectors of the market are currently, and where they may be soon. Wargo thoroughly covered all questions and concerns from the Edge members. Steve gave an insider's view of the music industry. He talked about how the industry adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic with in-person events being cancelled. Like the AV industry, the music industry had to pivot; some changes were temporary, but others have become permanent. Labor shortages, increased costs and a changing customer base affected both industries. Key takeaways included, live concerts are irreplaceable, AI impacts all industries and music is a universal language everyone can relate to.
Over the three-day meeting, Edge facilitated panels on managed services, member cross-utilization, hybrid workforce management, elite sponsors Q&A and the annual DAC Attack panel.
The managed services panel featured Tina Peters, the vice president of SVT, Todd Hutchins, the chief technology officer of USIS and Doug Freutel, the vice president & visionary of Radiant Technology.
The member cross-utilization panel featured Dennis Schliske, the CEO of VIcom, Lyndi Redfern, the vice president of operations at Stage Front and Joe Winkler, the sales manager at Midwest Computer Products. They focused on how members can work together to maximize their resources and provide the best solutions to their clients.
DAC Attack Q&A Session with NSCA
The hybrid workforce management roundtable discussion turned out to be incredibly interactive and engaging. The key takeaway from this session was that hybrid workforce management is still a hot topic, and many companies are still figuring out how to navigate this area effectively. Attendees left with valuable insights and ideas on tackling this challenge in their companies.
DAC members and Mike Abernathy, director of business resources at NSCA, answered questions from Edge members and partners. Topics covered included the future of Edge, the importance of the membership and the need to share internally who Edge is and how they impact their companies.
Edge Elite Sponsor Panel
The panel of Edge Elite sponsors included Sharp/NEC, Avocor, Exertis Almo, Legrand | AV and Liberty. The panel tackled supply chain, forecasting, projects and cash flow issues. Integrators and partners engaged in open discussions and shared what they wanted to see from each other, what they enjoyed, where they struggled and how they could help one another. The session was enlightening for both sides and gave insights into how the ordering process evolved. The collective knowledge within the Edge group is the most underrated aspect, and these sessions brought light to it.
Attendees were treated to a session on project success stories that featured speakers John Mitton, vice president of Red Thread, Aakash Ravi, chief growth officer of Spaceti, Kevin Miller, president of Coitcom and Tim Hennen, CEO of Digital Labor Solutions. Their shared stories shed light on the new challenges integrators and manufacturers face. The speakers stressed the importance of understanding others' experiences, challenges and thought processes before making judgments. The session was insightful and embodied the essence of #unparalleledpartnerships.
Thank you Edge event sponsors, Sharp/NEC, Avocor, Exertis Almo, Legrand|AV and Liberty. If you missed this year's Edge Spring Partner Meeting, make sure to be on the lookout for next year's dates for an opportunity to collaborate, establish new relationships and create #unparalleledpartnerships. It's an experience you won't want to miss!
We look forward to seeing everyone at the upcoming Edge and industry events, including InfoComm, CEDIA, P2P, E4 Experience, Total-Tech, Edge Fall Integrators Meeting and Edge Elite Retreat. It is encouraged that everyone should attend as many events as possible to stay up to date on industry trends and make valuable connections with others in the industry.
PARTNER AWARDS
Edge partners were recognized as award winners for 2023. Although there were some close calls, these companies were chosen as they represent Edge in a superior fashion.
Peak Partner Award – Sharp/NEC & Legrand | AV
Represents dedication and production of high-quality results.
The Ascender Award – NETGEAR
Represents rookie of the year.
Mountain Mover Award – Shure
Represents best product innovation.
Edge of Distinction Award – Exertis Almo
Represents best customer service.
Unparalleled Partner Award – QSC
Represents all around excellence as an Edge partner.
ATTENDEE COMMENTS
“I plan to ensure our project manager team goes to Edge partners first when in need of labor help and have the sales team look into Spaceti as an added value to our service offering. I will also plan to go over the industry updates with the leadership team.”
“I learned a lot about how the Edge Network has the ability to subcontract within the group. Secondly, I learned how service agreements are sold to end-users by the panel. Lastly, as a manufacturer it was good to get more granularity behind how integrators order in today’s supply chain environment.”
“I am enjoying the Edge partnership and realized I need to do a better job internally about sharing who Edge is and what they bring to the table at my company.”
Watch the Spring Partners Meeting highlights video for a sneak peek of what you missed and check out the Spring Partners Meeting 2023 photo gallery.