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AWE-some home cinema and the latest smart tech
AWE Expo came back with a bang at the distributor’s Smart Apartment in Epsom, Surrey in March this year (29-31) – the first since 2019. Integrators got the chance to see the latest smart home tech
from leading brands and the unveiling of AWE’s new, fully refitted, wow-factor Reference and Performance home cinemas. Packed with firsts, AWE Expo showcased the Bowers & Wilkins
range of CI and hi-fi loudspeakers, as well as amplification from Rotel – all exclusively available to UK integrators via AWE. Visitors could also experience the first showing of the brand
new 4K and 8K screens for 2022 from LG and Panasonic, and the UK premiere of Sony’s QD-OLED.
Reference Cinema Thanks to a combination of Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond Series architectural loudspeakers and CT series subwoofers, as well as a Marantz processor that feeds into a rack of five Rotel power amplifiers, providing over 4000 watts, the audio in this newly refitted cinema is insanely good. The four-metre wide HDR picture is provided by a choice of
Sony projectors, with the flagship 10,000 lumen and 100 percent DCI-P3 wide colour gamut Sony VPL-GTZ380 Native 4k laser projector as the star attraction.
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www.awe-europe.com
The first AWE Expo since 2019 was a huge success, with more retailers than ever before attending. We report on some of the highlights.
Performance Cinema The Performance Cinema is a superb combination of Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series architectural loudspeakers and in-wall subwoofers, all driven by a single 11-channel Marantz AV Amplifier and sub amps located in the room.
Visitors could also enjoy a demonstration of Epson’s recently launched EH-LS12000B projector, which features a high 2,500,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 4K resolution (8.3 mil pixels on-screen), HDR10+ support, 3LCD and a laser light source. It’s equally adept as a movie projector as it is for gaming, offering 4K resolution at 120 frames per second, along with input lag times below 20ms.
It was our biggest, most popular Expo yet - we attracted more retailers than ever before’
In an exclusive interview, AWE owner and MD, Stuart Tickle, reflects on the success of this year’s Expo and gives us his views on the CI market.
Alert: How was the Expo for AWE. Was it well attended and what kind of customers turned up? Were there many electrical retailers there? Stuart Tickle: We enjoyed an incredibly busy and successful AWE Expo, with a string of sound and vision exclusives at what was our biggest, most popular Expo yet. We attracted more retailers than ever before to the event.
This is testament to a growing appetite from independents who understand that they need to differentiate themselves in the market and recognise that a key way they can do that is by offering a higher level of installation across a broader portfolio of AV products. Retailers see the importance of adding this service element
to their offering and the extra revenue and profit that it can bring to their business. The AWE Expo offered them the chance to look at the
hottest new display technologies, QD-OLED and Mini LED, all-new home cinema solutions, and hi-fi to die for, with brands on show including Sony, Epson and Bowers & Wilkins, a brand for whom AWE is the exclusive distributor in the custom installation market.
50 Associate Insight: AWE
Alert: What’s the climate like in the CI market and what are the key trends? ST: In spite of the economic headwinds, consumers continue to value the entertainment and comfort of their home environment higher than they did pre-pandemic. We’re continuing to see strong demand for the installation of AV products that can create incredible media room and home cinema experiences. Clearly, the rising cost of living is going to affect a
proportion of customers. But higher net worth consumers with disposable income are still investing in their home – it’s still seen as a safe place for that investment. As a result, it’s even more important for independents to
offer the products, services and the added value that comes with a professionally installed audio-visual solution, so that they can meet the demands from this audience who do have money to spend.
Associate Insight: AWE
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