Top Five Takeaways from the Almo E4 Experience

Alesia Hendley offers her firsthand perspective of a successful day of education, networking and inspiration.

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A highlight reel of Alesia Hendley's first trip to a California-located Almo #E4Experience. Check out everything she experienced, saw and did!

Spring is here and in-person events are back in full effect! There’s a saying that goes, “Spring adds new life and new beauty to all that is.” And that’s exactly what the current state of our industry feels like. It feels like new life is being pumped back into us. That’s especially so now that we’re becoming more comfortable and getting back into the swing of in-person events. With NAB, ISE, cavlo and InfoComm swiftly approaching, there was no better way to kick off trade-show season than with Almo Pro AV’s #E4Experience.

The first stop on the #E4Experience tour was Anaheim, Calif. Speaking as someone who has never been to an E4 outside of Dallas, this trip was completely new territory for me. I was curious to see if there would be any major differences in the event based upon the location being different. But, as soon as I hit the ground floor of the Anaheim Marriott, it was nothing but great vibes — just like always.

Vendor partners were fresh faced and finishing up last-minute setup. Attendees were arriving, and a line quickly started to form at registration. The breakfast was hot and ready, with plenty of coffee and juices to start the day off right. Almo Pro AV once again set the bar high. And, throughout the #E4Experience, organizers and attendees alike maintained great energy and consistent engagement, with plenty of technology, education and networking to fill the day.

Highlights of the Almo E4 Anaheim Experience

What follows are my top five highlights from the #E4experience in Anaheim last week. And be sure to check out the video to give you just a small taste of what you missed if you didn’t come out to Anaheim!

#5: Almo Pro AV Services Team: Did you know that Almo Pro AV offers a handful of professional services? With a proven track record as a leading distributor, Almo Pro AV is helping drive their partners’ business beyond just hardware. The initiative is called AV Outsourcing from Almo, and it’s worth checking out. The basic idea is for Almo Pro AV to give its partners an additional competitive edge…to empower them to capitalize on more opportunities. AV Outsourcing from Almo encompasses programming services, digital signage content-creation services and more. Head over to the AV Outsourcing from Almo website for additional details.

#4: Opening Keynote: The opening keynote was everything that the #E4Experience embodies. The keynote speaker, Gary Kayye, discussed digital transformation, exploring new concepts and solutions within communications. Those in attendance learned about some of the newest technologies — for example, spatial audio — and why they matter as that transformation continues. What’s more, the keynote included callouts of some of the vendors exhibiting at the #E4Experience, highlighting their own strategic evolutions and digital transformation.

The keynote didn’t focus solely on new technology and revolutionary concepts, though. It also spoke to the differences in how various generations prefer to communicate. Those differences are extremely important as our industry considers the redesign of the workplace and how other spaces should look.

There was also a mention of how I like to connect on LinkedIn and actually engage on that platform. It’s true, but it also made the audience chuckle. So, let’s connect!

A Story to Tell

#3: Sharp NEC Display Solutions has a story to tell: We always love learning about the technological evolutions emerging from Sharp NEC Display Solutions, a joint venture bringing together the display expertise of Sharp and NEC. It’s no secret that this kind of union is a huge task that takes quite a bit of time. The news of the joint venture broke in early 2020, so, while at the #E4Experience, I sought to speak to a few members of their team. I wanted to learn what stage the union was in today. I found out that, right now, they’re finalizing some backend necessities and gearing up, together, to continue to provide some of the best solutions in the industry.

When the joint venture began and the teams merged, end users, integrators and other partners gained a slew of digital signage experts, all under one roof. They can provide complete display solutions across commercial verticals. And now that the process of the companies unifying their display solutions businesses is completed, I’m excited to see what they do next. How will they strategically approach the market as one? Can’t wait to find out!

#2: Debunking the Myths of AVoIP: I led an AVoIP-related panel discussion with Almo Pro AV’s Rob Voorhees, HARMAN’s Sean Cameron and Almo Pro AV’s Eric Olson. Honestly, it was one of my favorite moments. It wasn’t only because I was moderating, either; it was because it was truly engaging! The room wasn’t packed, but it was filled with all the right people. Most importantly, everyone in the space was asking questions, as well as replying to the questions that I threw out there. Really, it was more of an open discussion, which all of us on staged loved.

What Are the Myths of AVoIP?

Many might be asking what, exactly, the myths of AVoIP are. Well, during the session, we touched on when you should deploy an AVoIP solution and when you might not have to. We discussed how to design the IT infrastructure of an AVoIP solution. Where do you even start? And, of course, we couldn’t leave out a discussion of utilizing the free tools and services provided throughout our industry.

It’s important for both end users and integrators, as well as manufacturers, to know how we can all partner to provide exceptional experiences. I’m looking forward to taking this show on the road!

#1: Networking Opportunities: I can’t say enough to express the power of networking! If you’re looking to meet end users, integrators, thought leaders, manufacturer partners or anyone else in the AV industry, then the #E4Experience is a must attend. Networking has made the number-one spot on my list once again! I rarely travel to the west coast, and this event provided me (and others) with the opportunity to connect and engage with so many new faces. I met a few guys who had hopped on a plane from northern California just to hang out for the day! The value of networking with industry peers is unmatched, and the #E4Experience is a prime opportunity to do it.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to attend an Almo Pro AV #E4Experience, I have good news: The tour is just getting started! E4 is a pillar of the AV industry, and I encourage you not to miss an opportunity to explore new concepts, engage with industry thought leaders and educate yourself!

The next stop is May 3 in Chicago. You can find full details on upcoming events here. I look forward to meeting all of you there!

For previous articles written by Alesia Hendley, including coverage of previous Almo #E4Experience events, check out Commercial Integrator’s website archives.

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