education
Installer Education Gets on Track at KnowledgeFest Seminars cover techniques in fabrication, wiring and sound quality
M
ERA KnowledgeFest 2011 was a whirlwind of professional networking, learning and experienc- ing exciting manufacturer product introductions. While there were many opportunities to visit with
manufacturers in their booths, it’s also no secret that one of the big draws to this particular event was the continuing pro- fessional educational opportunities. When you think about it, other professional industries have their venues for keeping their minds and skills sharp in their chosen disciplines and Mobile Electronics Retailers Association again showed that there is a true hunger and need for knowledge in the 12-volt aftermarket community. Installers from all across the U.S. and Canada made the trip to Dallas to attend some of the most informational installation training sessions in years, at least where it could fit the allot- ted session time frame of one-and-half hours. The tracks were packed with just enough information in each session to light a fire under motivated retailers or installers and take two or three key ideas back from a session to implement or clarify their process. The tracks were no different than the very business- focused owner/manager tracks or sales tracks, in some cases having important topics that simply are not available to install- ers in other training venues. If it was on the minds of retailers who offer installation or have dealt with challenges in keeping a well-run shop, chances are it was presented in some form or fashion at KnowledgeFest.
PROFITABLE FABRICATION The installation sessions kicked off on Sunday, Aug. 28, with Bryan Schmitt of Mobile Solutions presenting “Profitable Fabri-
54 Mobile Electronics September | October 2011
cation” to a packed seminar room. Anyone who has attended Mobile Solutions training knows Schmitt rarely presents the same thing twice, so this year was very focused on making more money by saving precious time on those seemingly easy fabrication jobs that tend to get away from you and take much longer than expected. “We really want technicians to take a look at how they’re doing each step in a process and see if they can save time or improve their results along the way,” Schmitt said. Some of the highlights included cosmetic panel inlays, raised panel designs, router techniques and some important upholstery tricks.
1.21 GIGAWATTS Sunday’s installation sessions continued with Jeff Meece of Meece Car Audio and industry veteran Mike Abeita, both of which are MECP Master Installation Technicians, on a topic called “1.21 Gigawatts.” This very technical session presented a very comprehensive overview of power delivery and con-
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