CAI rebrands to represent its members fully trade comment


CAI senior executive Peter Sealey highlights changes to the association’s strapline and looks ahead to next year’s Evolving Connectivity show As Evolving


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have now been at CAI for six months, and have had the pleasure of speaking to many CAI members and other


stakeholders (the most important views coming from CAI members). Recently, whilst reviewing our marketing


strategy, we have decided to change the strapline that is incorporated into our logo. CAI is now known as Association for Audio Visual Professionals. We feel this more accurately recognises and identifies what our members do. Although signal reception and distribution, whether in the form of audio, video or indeed data, remains the best description of what our members do, it doesn’t present this to a wider audience in a user-friendly manner. With most members now undertaking some form of home networking, smart home or home entertainment work, alongside their traditional domestic and commercial installations, we felt this was a much


more accurate description of our members’ areas of expertise than the old strapline. Recently we received several requests from


both retiring members and other interested parties, to be kept informed about the industry we represent, despite them not currently having a commercial interest in it. Consequently, we’re launching CAI Circle membership. This low annual cost membership, will offer the opportunity for anyone with an interest in the signal reception and distribution industry to stay up to date with industry news. Members of CAI Circle will receive our


E-Connect email newsletter, any technical or wider industry bulletins we issue, copies of our biannual journal Feedback, information about and free attendance to our annual show Evolving Connectivity and information about our annual Gala Dinner and Awards evening. CAI Circle members will not be able to use the CAI logo or be currently undertaking any commercial activity within the industry we represent. If you’re interested in becoming a CAI Circle member, please email office@cai. org.uk for full details.


Connectivity has been mentioned, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind readers that next year’s event is on Thursday April 25 2019. The venue remains at the National Conference Centre, National Motorcycle Museum, just off the M42 near Birmingham. We will have a series of seminars from industry experts as in previous years, and have many interesting exhibitors from the signal reception and distribution industry. If you’d like to know more or register to attend our industry's leading annual event, please visit www.evolvingconnectivity.com. The night before Evolving Connectivity


is the very popular CAI annual Gala Dinner and awards evening, held at the Arden Hotel and Leisure Club. Information about the event and the opportunity to buy tickets can also be found at the Evolving Connectivity website. • For more information contact CAI Ltd, Communications House, 41a Market Street, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0PN, call (01923) 803030, visit www.cai.org.uk or email office@cai.org.uk


Sirius celebrate success at annual awards and gala dinner E


Sirius Buying Group awards retailers and suppliers, while raising money for a good cause, at annual trade show and gala dinner SDA Supplier of the Year went to Connect


lectrical appliance and kitchen retail solutions buying group Sirius Buying Group celebrated success


along with its Approved Suppliers and members at its annual awards and gala dinner in September 2018. The finale to its two-day Members Trade Show was the highly anticipated Annual Awards Gala, a prestigious awards night where Sirius recognise industry excellence across the electrical appliance retail sectors.


Held on the evening of September 19 2018,


the Sirius Gala Awards Dinner proved a night of fun and celebration. Providing the buying group with the invaluable opportunity to reward its Approved Suppliers and Members for their service to the industry, the congratulatory night is another way Sirius say thank you for the continued support and investment it receives on both a professional and personal scale. Manufacturer of the Year was awarded to the


Hoover Candy Group, with Liebherr receiving a Highly Commended. Distributor of the Year was awarded to Pik a


Pak/Statesman, with D.A.D./Montpellier receiving a Highly Commended.


December 2018 / January 2019


Distribution. Retailer of the Year (Large) was awarded to Appliance World (NW), with both Harry Garlick and Empire Spares receiving Highly Commended. Retailer of the Year (Medium) was won by


Future Appliances. Representative of the Year was taken home by Glen Dimplex Home Appliances’ Ian Cullen. The Lifetime Achievement award was


presented to Colin Jones of Enterprise 2000. Once the awards came to a close it was


time for the Sirius Buying Group to assist in the contribution to a worthy cause. Sirius commercial director Steve Jones commented: “Every year we ask our members and approved suppliers to elect a charity to support throughout our awards night and this year the commendable nominee was MIND. The charity was put forward by one of our Sirius members Andrew Carke of Abbey Appliances, Evesham who will help raise money by completing the unbelievable challenge of scaling Mount Everest to reach base camp at 19,000 feet! “We take this opportunity to embrace the humanitarian side of business with our peers


and ultimately ‘give back’. The auction was presented by Russ Williams, the MC for the evening where Approved Sirius Suppliers donated a range of exciting products and prizes for the room to bid on and win. “We have amazing support from all of our suppliers for raising money for charity, and we would like to thank them once again. This year, product contributions for Sirius’ charity auction came from leading brands like GDHA, Samsung, Liebherr, Hotpoint, Symphony and Franke to name a few and included two tickets to a Keswick Cookery School Day, through to a 40in Full HD LED Smart TV and masses of leading appliances and unforgettable experience days.” Altogether the fundraising efforts resulted in a phenomenal £11,000 raised for charity.


www.innovativeelectricalretailing.co.uk | 19


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