“My goal for the class is for people Giving a Hand
Manufacturers provided some details on their KnowledgeFest trainings so you’ll know which ones are the best fit for your shop
to take away an understanding of what they’re part of, how great the industry is and how much responsibility they have as individuals,” Betts said. “For me it’s an awesome opportunity to speak. In this format, I take it very seriously.” Betts also sees KnowledgeFest as one of the best opportunities for training up-and-coming installers—one of the big- gest issues in the industry. “The number one issue in the indus-
Presenter: Steve Brown, Restyle Development Manager Category: Alpine Restyle Initiative Product: Vehicle specific products for trucks and SUVS, includ- ing the X009-GM 9-inch AVN system and products for use with Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe, Toyota Tundra, Dodge Ram. Background: Alpine conducted research and found that the truck buyer is more apt to keep their vehicle for longer and more apt to spend money. Their lifestyle and reason they own the truck dictate that they’ll want a custom or upgraded solution. Why you should attend: Vehicle specific products are intended to give the specialty retailer the advantage of selling this prod- uct, which is not sold through big box channels. What to expect: Learn about the Restyle initiative and its back- ground, and how the products fit the lifestyle of the customer; check out one of four demo trucks created for the initiative, and 300 retail displays, along with a giveaway at presentation. Bottom line: The Restyle initiative may be Alpine’s biggest investment in marketing in 25 years, according to Steve Brown. More products will be released this coming September and spring 2015.
try is lack of training. There are some manufacturers that don’t offer anything,” he added. “This is new technology, this is where it’s going, but I see installers aren’t taking time out to learn what they need to know. I feel this industry needs a lot of hands-on-training.” As strong as Betts’s opinions are on the state of the indus-
try, arguably equal in intensity are those of renowned audio and acoustical engineer, Dr. Floyd Toole. With a background in research, Dr. Toole worked at the Research Institute of Ottawa, Canada, for 27 years before being hired by Harman to help the company expand its limited understanding of the relation- ship between sound and how it’s processed by human ears. He effectively wrote the book on the subject in 2008 with Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeak- ers and Rooms.
Since this is his first time attending and teaching at Knowl-
Presenter: Ernie Ficklin, Kicker Global Trainer Category: Kicker Vehicle-Specific Solutions (VSS) Product: Kicker VSS is created for makes and models includ- ing Ram, Ford, Chevy, GMC pickup trucks, Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, Chevy Sonic, Camaro and Cruze and Jeep Wrangler. Why you should attend: VSS is manufactured to automotive specifications, making for quick installs, more profit and no need for vehicle modifications. What to expect: Dealers will become more educated on VSS systems. Bottom line: Kicker VSS caters to customers who want big sound without having to give up cargo space.
edgeFest, Dr. Toole, who will be aided by Andy Wehmeyer of Audiofrog, is looking to educate retailers on the complex- ities of getting audio to perform how it should in an in-car environment. “I’ll be teaching the physics of acoustics. Roughly 50 percent of the audio in a vehicle comes from down around your ankles. It’s hard to imagine this kind of sound can be really good,” he said. “I’m there to help any way I can. I’m going to throw out some good ideas and thoughts to get some answers.” In addition to new presenters, there will be three topics that
weren’t previously discussed. Those topics are radar (roundtable discussion), marine fabrication, presented by Jason Kranitz of Kingpin Car & Marine Audio, and accent lighting, presented by Bryan Piper of Bay Area Audio Visions. There will also be dupli- cates of some courses to accommodate all attendees. Check back at
www.knowledgefest.org for the latest updates.
Returning Speakers Have Strong Resolves In addition to repeating for the third year in a row his course on using car shows to gain more business, Bryan Piper is look- ing to enhance the experience for attendees by exploring the new topic of accent lighting. “It was something that came to Bay Area Audio Visions. I
hadn’t done a lot of accent lighting in the past. Here, clients ask for it all the time,” he said. “There are tricks I’ve seen that
20 Mobile Electronics August 2014
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