editor’s forum
When Your Clique Doesn’t Click We all know this is a shrinking industry. So why make things worse by dividing what’s left?
egas it isn’t – and that’s a good thing; fewer distrac- tions. Despite the charms of Dallas, we’re here with purpose. Each of us has taken the time to separate ourselves from our businesses and live- lihoods to come here with the mission of bringing back knowledge, connections, advice or techniques. We need this stuff to get better and stay competitive. This is a pretty simple explanation of why you go to
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KnowledgeFest, isn’t it? We’re pretty lucky to have a conference solely dedicated to us, unlike the dilution of a consumer electronics show or the indifference of an automotive aftermarket show. It’s a concentrated but comfortable venue that doesn’t require us to walk miles of aisles and talk to people who have nothing to do with what we do. Every person you meet shares your experience on some level. In some respects, you can say the same about some of our industry organizations: MESA, 12-Volt Insiders, In Car Experts, MECP, and even MERA. And there are a lot more. These groups go the extra step to recognize and celebrate the diversity within our small industry and tailor their efforts to sup- port operations of different sizes, incomes and customer groups. But what happens when a group becomes too exclusive? How does it affect our industry when a group excludes potential members because of their associ- ation with another group, or tells its members not to support the actions of, or attend functions of other groups? And worse, what happens when its members and partners listen? From an organizer’s perspective, I get it. They want to keep
SOLOMON DANIELS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
dream into something that will support your family. And it takes courage to realize that, no matter your level of success, you need to take advantage of every opportunity to learn more. Here’s something we all need to remember: regardless of what group we join, when 9:00 a.m. comes on Monday morning and the doors open, those Facebook friends and group execs aren’t in your store, or even in your neighborhood. It’s just you and your customers. You have an obligation and a responsibility to learn all you can—from any rele- vant source available—so that you can take care of your customers. The same thing goes for vendors: Your customer base is larger than a single group. So why would you limit your opportunities based on what someone else tells you to do? KnowledgeFest, a show started by a retailer, is now owned by MERA, and so is Mobile Electronics magazine. Yet, the acquisition of these entities did
Mobile Electronics and KnowledgeFest support all industry members, vendors and organizations. We believe that each group has something unique to offer participants in our industry.
the focus of their members and partners on their organization. They want them to buy into the products and services they offer to support the group’s initiatives. They see other groups as com- petition for the time and money that members and partners make available to enhance their businesses. But I’m not talking to the organizers. I’m talking to the thousands of dreamers. Car audio has never been an infra- structure-based industry in which kids go to school to learn the trade and dream of being a car stereo retailer. Instead, it’s about entrepreneurial individuals who made up their minds to take a chance on something that friends and family no doubt thought was a waste of time and talent. It takes strength and will to turn a
8 Mobile Electronics August 2014
not change their respective charters. Mobile Electronics did not become the magazine solely for MERA members, and neither did KnowledgeFest. To that end, Mobile Electronics and KnowledgeFest support all industry members, vendors and organizations. We believe that each group has something unique to offer participants in our industry. But we also believe that none of our industry’s organizations is an end-all, be-all, regardless of what it says in their marketing brochure. Diversity within our industry is
great. But exclusion within that diversity just doesn’t make sense. We are too small for that. KnowledgeFest is the one venue per year where we can all come together and learn, individually and collectively. As I said last year, you can’t put a price on that. And I’ll add this for this year: no one loyalty to any group or organiza- tion is worth losing the chance to interface with your industry. So remember the strength, will and courage that got you here, and use it to realize every opportunity to get you to the next level. Mobile Electronics gives you that opportunity all year. But KnowledgeFest is here only once. As an industry par- ticipant, I wholeheartedly support, endorse, recommend and promote KnowledgeFest to anyone who has a dream to be the best they can be in this industry. I hope you don’t miss this opportunity.
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