Auburn Hills, Mich. (April. 29, 2019) -- Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. - As part of the company’s mission to strengthen its investment in the 12-Volt independent retail channel, Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. has committed to a Diamond ULTRA Partnership with the Mobile Electronics® Association (MEA) for 2019 – 2020. As the facilitator to a growing network of retailers, manufacturers, and service providers of automotive aftermarket technology products, the MEA provides educational resources and networking opportunities that directly support the independent mobile electronics specialist channel.

The Diamond ULTRA partnership will increase Alpine's presence at MEA-sponsored KnowledgeFest events, a key event for 12-Volt independent retailers. Moving forward, Alpine will have priority access to event space selection as well as a larger booth space for demo vehicles and product displays. The company will also gain hours for event training sessions to create more face time with 12-Volt retailers, as well as an elevated brand presence in events and Mobile Electronics Magazine marketing to all MEA dealer and audience members. The next KnowledgeFest event is August 9 – 11 at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

Since 2018, Alpine has continued to help the 12-Volt independent retail industry grow their Alpine business through the addition of seven new Brand Specialist positions who service 12-Volt independent retailers with products, sales, and marketing support.

Additionally, Alpine created the "X-Perience" event, a pop-up event facilitated by Brand Specialists and exclusively held at Authorized Alpine retailers. X-Perience events feature Alpine-branded demo vehicles that showcase the Alpine Halo9 iLX-309 9-inch AV Receiver with a complete X-Series sound system. At the event, attendees can take advantage of event-only promotions and free giveaways, all with the intent to drive sales, increase shop awareness, and ultimately foot traffic to the 12-Volt retailer stores. Alpine anticipates a total of 200 events in 2019.

Stay updated on Alpine's investment in the 12-Volt industry by subscribing to the monthly Mobile Electronics Magazine that features insights from MEA KnowledgeFest events and product information from the automotive aftermarket industry. You can also find the latest Alpine events schedule and product release news on the Mobile Electronics website and social media.

Theme for annual show and conference in Dallas focuses on keeping up with advancing technology, consumer patterns.

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS., June 27, 2016 (MEDIAWIRE) — The Mobile Electronics Association® (MEA) announced the theme for its 2016 KnowledgeFest® trade show and conference, scheduled for August 20-22, 2016 at the Hilton Anatole Resort & Convention Center in Dallas. "SHIFT" will be depicted on all show signs and artwork, signifying a call for industry professionals to take their expertise, drive and professionalism to a higher level.

The KnowledgeFest theme is chosen annually by MEA staff after carefully evaluating changing trends that directly affect the mobile electronics community. This year, the focus has been on evolving safety and driver assistance products and technologies.

"Carmakers are using significant advertising budget to promote safety features on new vehicles, and almost all of the available OEM options have aftermarket counterparts," said Chris Cook, MEA president. "Retailers can take advantage of a new profit center in which consumer value has been stoked high by OEM messaging."

The media is also heavily covering autonomous vehicle technology and how cars will make decisions based on input from vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) networks. The potential changes to the driving experience hold future opportunity for retailers and installation technicians. 

Celebrating its 20th year, KnowledgeFest will employ its own shift as well. The educational component of the conference will undergo a change from individual classes to three-class courses. Each course is intended to enhance the educational experience with graduated lessons from class to class, as well as a broader view of how the chosen curriculum works within the store structure.  Attendees who complete each course will receive wall certificates marking their achievement.

The "SHIFT" theme is visualized by a classic car gear shifter that also includes a button, presumably to employ nitrous oxide, which propels a vehicle faster by increasing the amount of oxygen available for combustion.  

“The shifter and its nitrous button are the perfect representation of how we need to keep up with opportunities that come from evolution in the vehicle space," concluded Cook. "Shifting gives us more headroom to be able to react to changing market conditions. Then we hit the button and put all of our resources into overdrive."

Registration for KnowledgeFest 2016 is currently open, and attendees will be able to select and reserve space in education courses in the coming weeks. For more information, please visit knowledgefest.org.  

About the Mobile Electronics Association®

The Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) strives to grow the mobile electronics industry by supporting its retailers, salespeople, technicians and manufacturers with integrated services built around the group’s 1100-plus members, its Mobile Electronics® magazine, KnowledgeFest® tradeshows, Partnership Program, point-of-sale system and data products. Through these offerings, Mobile Electronics delivers education, networking avenues, business and marketing resources, and promotes partnership between retailers and manufacturers to increase sales and profits. For more information, contact MEA at 85 Flagship Dr., Suite F, North Andover, MA 01845, telephone: 800-949-6372, or visit join-mea.com.

Mobile electronics retailers to be presented with radar detector and laser jammer category insights and business opportunities, K40 product explanations, and prize drawings

January 17, 2017, Elgin, IL – K40 Electronics, (http://www.k40.com) announced it will be attending the 2017 Mobile Electronics Expo & Training being held February 17-18 at the Vancouver Convention Center in Vancouver, British Columbia.

K40 Is Easy to Talk To

Promoting a “We’re Easy to Talk To” theme during the Expo, K40 representatives will be in DLC Distributors booth #8 discussing the opportunity and business impact the radar detector/laser jammer product category offers retailers as well as why K40 Electronics should be considered as a category vendor partner.

Daily Prize Drawing

To help retailers experience K40 product performance first-hand, K40 representatives will be conducting daily drawings for a K40 RLS2 Portable Radar and Laser Detector valued at US$399.95 MSRP.

“This will be our first appearance at Mobile Expo and we’re excited to introduce the K40 brand,” said Rachel Clark, K40’s National Sales Director. “Once retailers get to know K40’s products, profits, and people, we’re confident they will see the value in establishing a partnership.”

STILLWATER, USA – KICKER® watched some of its 24 authorized installers, retailers and sales professionals from the “Top 50” list earn a spot in this year’s “Top 12 Finalists” for the 2020 Industry Awards, as determined by the Mobile Electronics Association (MEA).

According to the MEA press release, some of the award categories are decided solely on industry votes. The final awards will be announced at the Mobile Electronics Industry Awards celebration during the virtual KnowledgeFest trade show and conference Dec. 4-6.

Winners at this stage also qualify as semifinalists for the top honors of Retailer-of-the-Year, Installer-of-the-Year and Sales Pro-of-the-Year.

The complete list of winners is posted at the official Industry Awards website, meindustryawards.com.

Top 12 KICKER Retailer finalists:

Mobile Toys – College Station, TX

Absolute Electronix – Rockville, MD

Car-Tunes – Greenville, MS

Showtime Audio – Chicago, IL

Top 5 KICKER Sales Professionals finalist:

Jim Skaggs – Mobile Toys Inc. – College Station, TX

Top 12 KICKER Installer finalists:

Justin Kush – Mobile Toys Inc. – College Station, TX

Matt Vowell – Mobile Toys Inc. – College Station, TX

Dean Beyett – Five Star Car Stereo – Clearwater, FL

Dalton Trainer – Car-Tunes, Inc. – Greenville, MS

KICKER Performance Audio products, a division of Stillwater Designs and Audio, Inc.®, are available for the mobile and home audio aftermarket at authorized retailers worldwide, and also as Original Equipment for boat and automobile manufacturers. Consumers seeking more information on KICKER or Livin’ Loud® may call the Consumer Information Line at 1-800-256-5425 or visit the brand website at www.kicker.com. Consumers can follow KICKER socially at Facebook.com/kickeraudio, Twitter.com/kickeraudio, Instagram.com/kickeraudio, or Pinterest.com/kickeraudio, and use the hashtags #kickeraudio and #livinloud.

STILLWATER, USA – KICKER congratulates its recent winners from the 2020 Mobile Electronics Association Industry Awards, announced in December during the virtual KnowledgeFest tradeshow. KICKER long-time authorized dealer Car-Tunes, Inc. (Greenville, Miss.), earned top honor for retailers – 2020 Retailer-of-the-Year, while Justin Kush from Mobile Toys (College Station, Texas) was named the Installer-of-the-Year. Additionally, other KICKER retailers and associates performed well in several categories.

“Kim (Trainer, owner of Car-Tunes) and her team are very motivated, very forward-thinking,” said Lori Boyer, KICKER Southeastern Region Sales Manager. “The standard they hold themselves to is very high on every aspect of their business, whether it’s the customer service, sales or the install side. They are a fantastic shop.”

Car-Tunes has been a KICKER dealer for more than 15 years. The shop and its four employees pride themselves on attention to detail and their ability to communicate with care and genuine interest, both in-store and online. The company also believes in an active training schedule for every employee, with consistent education for leadership, installers and sales.

“We are so humbled and grateful for this honor, words cannot fully express how very much this means to us,” said Trainer. “We try to stay to connected with the industry as a whole. It’s important for all of us to continue to learn from each other. Even after more than 20 years in the industry, sometimes we learn something new that we can apply in our business. It keeps everyone engaged and motivated.”

Kush, from the successful Mobile Toys shop, beat out several talented and well deserving installers to be names the year’s best.

“Justin reflects the definition of what a manufacturer wants out if its retailers – in design, fabrication, and sound,” said Brad Ganz, KICKER Central Region Sales Manager.

“He pushes the limits of imagination to make reality,” said Pete Daley, Marketing Pros (Conroe, Texas) sales representative. “He is a hidden gem in this industry.”

Other KICKER colleagues fared well in the final tally. Mobile Toys earned runner-up in the Retailer category and also won the Customer Choice Award. Dean Beyett of Five Star Car Stereo (Clearwater, Fla.) took runner-up in the Installer category. Top Rep Firm went to Marketing Pros, Inc.

KICKER Performance Audio products, a division of Stillwater Designs and Audio, Inc.®, are available for the mobile and home audio aftermarket at authorized retailers worldwide, and also as Original Equipment for boat and automobile manufacturers. Consumers seeking more information on KICKER or Livin’ Loud® may call the Consumer Information Line at 1-800-256-5425 or visit the brand website at www.kicker.com. Consumers can follow KICKER socially at Facebook.com/kickeraudio, Twitter.com/kickeraudio, Instagram.com/kickeraudio, or Pinterest.com/kickeraudio, and use the hashtags #kickeraudio and #livinloud.

Establishes KnowledgeFest™ as The Premier Event for the Mobile Electronics Industry

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – August 24, 2018 – The Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) today announced final figures for its recently completed KnowledgeFest® in Dallas. Following a successful first-time event in Long Beach, California and a record-setting fourth-year event in Indianapolis, Indiana year-over-year growth for all KnowledgeFest events in 2018 continues. Dallas was another record-setting event for MEA with year-over-year growth in attendees and exhibitors:

• More than 1,729 attendees, including 1,217 retailer and distributor attendees: 1,115 retailers and 103 distributors;
• 60 Exhibitors occupying 90,000 square feet of exhibit space;
• 48 Hours of educational workshops; and
• 78 Hours of manufacturer training

For 2018, to accommodate the event’s growth, the show floor moved to a bigger Hall C in the Dallas Convention Center, where it again will be held in 2019. Growth came from new product categories such as driver assistance and safety products—both categories offering installing dealers new revenue opportunities. New tech companies are finding the KnowledgeFest show floor and available training time an affordable way to bring their products to market with the mobile specialist.

“Over the last several years we’ve watched KnowledgeFest evolve to the point where, this year in Dallas, we’ve seen the mobile electronics industry make KnowledgeFest their own,” stated Chris Cook, president of MEA. “Looking at our show floor, I was struck by the number of pure 12-volt companies exhibiting—more than the North Hall. Attendees, eager to learn, packed our education and training sessions. Dallas establishes KnowledgeFest as the premier event for our industry. I believe we’ve created the optimum venue and experience to achieve our exhibitors’ and attendees’ goals.”

KnowledgeFest is three regional trade-only events covering the eastern, central and western US and Canada. KnowledgeFest combines a tradeshow floor with educational programming and training for dealers. KnowledgeFests are the only industry events dedicated to the mobile specialist, the installing dealer. For more information and to register to attend, go to www.knowledgefest.org. For exhibitor sales, contact Kerry Moyer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

2019 KnowledgeFest Dates:

• Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California, February 23-25, 2019
• Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, March 15-17, 2019
• Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas, August 9-11, 2019

Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) is a trade association comprised of installing dealers and product vendors dedicated to serving the needs of the mobile electronics specialist industry. MEA owns and produces KnowledgeFest®, regional trade-only industry events in Long Beach, Indianapolis and Dallas that combine educational programming and vendor training with a trade show floor. MEA owns and publishes the monthly Mobile Electronics® magazine, which is the industry’s #1 resource, as well as other digital media, including websites and the industry’s e-newsletter Hotwire. MEA provides software and data-driven services to vendors and retailers.

KnowledgeFest Indy Brings the Experience East

Another Record-Setting Event

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – March 29, 2018 – The Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) announced attendance for its March 16-18 KnowledgeFest® event in Indianapolis, Indiana. Following a successful first-time event in Long Beach, California earlier in March, KnowledgeFest Indy, now in its fourth year, was another record-setting event with year-over-year growth for all KnowledgeFest events continuing in 2018.

Held in the Indiana Convention Center, KnowledgeFest Indy 2018 attracted more than 950 attendees, including more than 630 dealers, a thirty percent increase over 2017. KnowledgeFest Indy is the only industry event dedicated to the mobile electronics specialist, the installing dealer. And, KnowledgeFest is the only mobile electronics tradeshow east of the Mississippi; attracting dealers from more than ten surrounding states, as well as the east coast, “near east” cities like Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo and Rochester, and Canadian cities like Toronto and Ottawa.

Forty-five exhibitors packed a sold-out trade show floor. KnowledgeFest is unique in that it combines a tradeshow floor with educational programming and training for dealers. Indy featured sixty hours of manufacturer training and thirty hours of educational sessions focused on management, sales and installation. Billed as “Spring Training”, KnowledgeFest Indy is scheduled to allow dealers to get training on new products just coming to market and to kick-off the spring season.

“Indianapolis has become a great venue for us, our attendees and exhibitors. We continue to attract manufacturers from the specialty sector of our industry who don’t exhibit at other trade shows and who want to get their products and new technologies in front of our audience of mobile specialists, the installing dealers,” said Chris Cook, MEA president. “The opportunity for manufacturers to train dealers adds value to manufacturers and the dealers overall KnowledgeFest experience. Having Davis Distribution’s presence in Indy has helped drive attendance from nearby markets, and I thank them. As a Massachusetts-based business, we continue to focus on driving attendance from the northeast, New York City and Philadelphia. These dealers aren’t going to Vegas, so we need to communicate that KnowledgeFest Indy is accessible to them, inexpensive to attend, and a high-value experience.”  

KnowledgeFest is three regional events covering the eastern (Indianapolis), central (Dallas) and western (Long Beach) US and Canada. The next 2018 KnowledgeFest takes place in Dallas from August 17-19. For more information go to www.knowledgefest.org.

About the Mobile Electronics Association

Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) is a trade association comprised of installing dealers and product vendors dedicated to serving the needs of the mobile electronics specialist industry. MEA owns and produces KnowledgeFest®, events in Long Beach, Indianapolis and Dallas that combine educational programming and vendor training with a trade show floor. MEA owns and publishes the monthly Mobile Electronics® magazine, which is the industry’s #1 resource, as well as other digital media, including websites and the industry’s e-newsletter Hotwire. MEA provides software and data-driven services to vendors and retailers.

KnowledgeFest Set to Achieve

Theme for 2018-2019 trade shows and conferences announced

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS., June 11, 2018 — The Mobile Electronics Association™ (MEA) announced “Achieve” as the theme for its 2018-2019 KnowledgeFest™, a series of three trade shows and conferences. KnowledgeFest is the premier education and networking event for the mobile electronics industry. Each year a theme is selected to represent the events and to support both the attendee and exhibitor in their quest for learning. "Achieve" will be depicted on all show signs and artwork; signifying a call for industry professionals—whether installers, sales, or owners—to take their expertise, drive and professionalism to a higher level.

“After carefully evaluating the changing trends that directly affect the mobile electronics community, we chose ‘Achieve,’” said Chris Cook, MEA president. “That one word defines it: ‘To successfully bring about or reach a desired objective, level, or result by effort, skill and courage.’ What must you learn to be proficient in your profession? If you are ready to achieve success and want to make sure you have done everything in your power to ensure it, take the next step and register for an upcoming KnowledgeFest.”

The first KnowledgeFest of the of the 2018-2019 series takes place August 17-19 in Dallas at the Dallas Convention Center and Omni Dallas Hotel. 2019 events include Long Beach February 22-24 and Indianapolis March 16-18.

This year’s KnowledgeFest Dallas is growing with more manufacturer trainings and more exhibitors, including new exhibitors from growth categories such as power sports, connected car, and driver assistance and safety. The expanded show floor gives attendees the opportunity to see and hear new product and consider new business opportunities.

Registration for KnowledgeFest Dallas 2018 is open to all mobile electronics retail industry professionals and technicians. Attendees will be able to select and reserve space in education and training courses in the coming days. For more information and to register online, please visit knowledgefest.org.

About the Mobile Electronics Association

Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) is a trade association comprised of installing dealers and product vendors dedicated to serving the needs of the mobile electronics specialist industry. MEA owns and produces KnowledgeFest™, events in Long Beach, Indianapolis and Dallas that combine educational programming and vendor training with a trade show floor. MEA owns and publishes the monthly Mobile Electronics® magazine, which is the industry’s #1 resource, as well as other digital media, including websites and the industry’s e-newsletter Hotwire. MEA provides software and data-driven services to vendors and retailers.

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – March 21, 2019 – The Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) today announced last weekend’s KnowledgeFest™ Indianapolis event had a strong showing from both retailers and manufacturers.

In its fifth year, the 2019 event held at the downtown Indiana Convention Center boasted a sold-out show floor with 50 exhibitors and 60,000 square feet of exhibit space. There was a strong showing of new exhibitors from new companies. New product categories offered new business opportunities for retailers, while the wide-open market with Indianapolis at its center presented exhibiting manufacturers with an opportunity for business development. Most key companies from the 12-volt specialty industry had a presence.

“We had great turn-out from dealers for Friday’s ‘Beer & Business” kick-off,” said Chris Cook, MEA president. “Exhibitors reported strong traffic over all three days of the event. Even before the close, many expressed they were extremely satisfied with the event. After onsite space selection, we left Indy with strong booth sales for next March’s Indy KnowledgeFest. We’re coming back! My message to 12-volt manufacturers is this: ‘If you weren’t in Indy this year, be there next year! Don’t write-off this market.”

With 20% year-over-year growth in Indy over the past five years, MEA reported attendance totaling more than 1000 with more than 775 retailer and distributor attendees.

“MEA thanks Davis Distribution for its awesome support of our Indy event,” said Cook. “Working with their manufacturer partners, all did an exceptional job helping to drive retailer attendance and business.”

KnowledgeFest 2019 concludes with its Dallas event: August 9-11 at the Dallas Convention Center.

2020 KnowledgeFest Dates:

• Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California, February 7-9, 2020
• Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, March 27-29, 2020
• NEW for 2020! Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida, May 15-17, 2020
• Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas, August 21-23, 2020

About KnowledgeFest

KnowledgeFest is now coast to coast. Its four regional trade-only events cover the eastern, southeastern, central and western US and Canada. KnowledgeFest combines a tradeshow floor with educational programming and training for dealers. KnowledgeFests are the only industry events dedicated to the mobile specialist, the installing dealer. For more information and to register to attend, go to www.knowledgefest.org. For exhibitor sales, contact Kerry Moyer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.." style="color: #000000;">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About the Mobile Electronics Association

Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) is a trade association comprised of installing dealers and product vendors dedicated to serving the needs of the mobile electronics specialist industry. MEA owns and produces KnowledgeFest®, regional trade-only industry events that combine educational programming and vendor training with a trade show floor. MEA owns and publishes the monthly Mobile Electronics® magazine, which is the industry’s #1 resource, as well as other digital media, including websites and the industry’s e-newsletter Hotwire. MEA provides software and data-driven services to vendors and retailers.

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – March 11, 2019 – The Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) today announced KnowledgeFest™, in its second year at the Long Beach Convention Center, marked another success:

• Attendance grew to more than 1500 attendees, including more than 900 retailer and 100 distributer attendees;
• The number of exhibitors increased to 53; occupying more than 70,000 square feet of exhibit space;
• 30 Hours of educational workshops; and
• A record-setting 68 hours of manufacturer trainings.

“Attendance-wise, this year in Long Beach our audience of mobile specialists was on par with last August’s KnowledgeFest Dallas, which is our long-standing flagship event now in its tenth year,” stated Chris Cook, MEA president. “This year’s increase in the number of exhibitors maxed-out the Long Beach show floor in its present configuration. We have room to expand for next year, and we’re planning some interesting new things to take advantage of that space.”

This weekend, March 15-17, KnowledgeFest sets its sights on Indianapolis. The Friday through Sunday event at the Indiana Convention Center brings its industry-recognized educational and training program and trade show floor to the Indy marketplace.

“2019 marks our fifth year in Indy. Yet, some in our industry still sell the Indy market short,” according to Cook. “KnowledgeFest Indy continues to grow with year-over-year growth. Attendee pre-registration is up more than 30 percent this year. Indy covers the market east of the Mississippi: the east coast and near east—cities, such as Pittsburgh and Cleveland. It's dealers from these markets who don’t show up for CES but are coming to Indy. There are manufacturers who recognize the value. After several expansions, our 2019 show floor is sold out.”

Kicking-off Indy, after a full day of educational sessions and manufacturer trainings, the show floor opens Friday at 4 PM for “Beer & Business”. This business-first event provides dealers and vendors with a relaxed setting to meet, see first-hand new products and do some business.

KnowledgeFest 2019 concludes with its Dallas event: August 9-11 at the Dallas Convention Center.

2020 KnowledgeFest Dates:

• Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California, February 7-9, 2020
• Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, March 27-29, 2020
• NEW for 2020! Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida, May 15-17, 2020
• Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas, August 21-23, 2020

About KnowledgeFest

KnowledgeFest is now coast to coast. Its four regional trade-only events cover the eastern, southeastern, central and western US and Canada. KnowledgeFest combines a tradeshow floor with educational programming and training for dealers. KnowledgeFests are the only industry events dedicated to the mobile specialist, the installing dealer. For more information and to register to attend, go to www.knowledgefest.org. For exhibitor sales, contact Kerry Moyer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.." style="color: #000000;">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About the Mobile Electronics Association

Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) is a trade association comprised of installing dealers and product vendors dedicated to serving the needs of the mobile electronics specialist industry. MEA owns and produces KnowledgeFest®, regional trade-only industry events that combine educational programming and vendor training with a trade show floor. MEA owns and publishes the monthly Mobile Electronics® magazine, which is the industry’s #1 resource, as well as other digital media, including websites and the industry’s e-newsletter Hotwire. MEA provides software and data-driven services to vendors and retailers.

Read the Article: