12-31-2016 -- 2016 has seen its fair share of huge news stories in the 12-volt industry, with all of them available in Mobile Electronics magazine. But none of them topped the readership of the January 2016 issue, which was read over 5,000 times with over 170,000 impressions on the digital edition. In addition to the digital issue, Mobile Electronics magazine mailed out monthly to over 13,000 industry professionals.

The issue featured a preview of CES, Real World Retail: Prestige Car Audio and the number one read story of the issue, Behind the Scenes: Audiofrog. Check out the whole issue HERE or go straight to the Audiofrog feature HERE.

The top honors for the most viewed news on the Mobile Electronics magazine website www.ME-Mag.com was the announcement of the [click title to view] "Mobile Electronics Magazine Announces Industry Awards Top 50" with over 9000 views.

The top product news story for 2016 was [click title to view] "ADS Announces the industry's first VW/AUDI remote start solution with integrated bypass technology at KnowledgeFest" with over 2500 views.

Check out the current "December 2016" issue [HERE].

15 Focused Classes, Expanded Show Floor and Brand-Specific Training Sessions Await Industry Attendees

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – March 3, 2016 – Mobile Electronics, dedicated to the growth and education of retail establishments in its industry, has announced that registration is open for its second annual KnowledgeFest Spring Training tradeshow and conference. The three-day event spans April 8-10 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Attendees can also reserve seats in the series of workshops and training sessions that will comprise the educational part of the event.

KnowledgeFest Spring Training features 15 educational workshops, segmented into three tracks to cover topics related to owners and managers, sales professionals and installation technicians. In addition, more than 50 brands welcome attendees to ask questions and experience the latest gear in the 42,000-square-floor exhibit area, and several hold separate training sessions to familiarize attendees with features and selling tactics of their new-for-2016 products.

"We're very proud of the fact that the instructors for our educational series all come from our industry," said Chris Cook, president of Mobile Electronics. "It not only speaks to their willingness to share their experiences for the benefit of their peers, but also to the respect they've earned as evidenced by the hundreds of professionals who come here every year to learn from them."

KnowledgeFest is the only venue that is solely dedicated to the mobile electronics industry. Through its workshops, exhibit floor and networking events, it serves to provide a meeting ground on which professionals can learn, share ideas and collaborate on solutions to common issues facing the industry.

Bryan Schmitt, president and lead instructor at Mobile Solutions in Tempe, Ariz., has been a presenter at KnowledgeFest spring and summer events for more than eight years.

"I'm pleased to continue to be a part of KnowledgeFest, and as a result, part of the industry community," said Schmitt. "Every year my team and I try to bring something fresh to teach attendees. I look forward to the opportunity to give technicians productive tips to take back to their stores."

Professionals who wish to attend KnowledgeFest Spring Training can register at www.knowledgefest.org/attendees/attendee-registration. Mobile Electronics members may attend at no charge. The fee for non-members is $149.00; however, the fee is waived if the person is invited as a VIP by an exhibiting manufacturer.

Prospective attendees can view and register for available workshop classes, reserve seats and print out a personalized itinerary at http://bit.ly/KFSpring16. Seating may be limited in some workshops, and those with reservations will be given priority access over walk-ins, according to Cook, who also noted that professionals must register to attend KnowledgeFest—in addition to workshop reservations—to participate in workshops and have access to the exhibit floor.

Better Than Yesterday

To break out of a stalling career mindset six years ago, Matt Schaeffer made the conscious choice to challenge himself every day. Today, he stands atop the 12-volt industry as Installer of the Year.  

Words by Ted Goslin
Photos by Tim Causa

Not everyone knows what they want to be when they grow up. Some wander the world in search of a dream job with no particular focus, hoping that some mystical force will guide them into their ideal life. But it doesn’t work that way. Some people never find their calling and wind up taking whatever career path is most convenient. And then there’s Matt Schaeffer.

At the age of 11, Schaeffer received his first four-wheeler and fell in love. Cars became a passion off the bat for the future installer, who learned quickly what his favorite hobby and future career would become.
“I became obsessed with building it, customizing it, making it my own. I even got into making panels and customizing my four-wheeler,” Schaeffer said. “Then when I was in high school I got an Eclipse GSX. Using the mentality I had with my four-wheeler, I customized the GSX with panels, fabricating and installing.”

It was during this time period in the early 2000s that master fabricators like Dave “Fishman” Rivera, Steve Brown and Chris Yato were making the rounds in various magazines, showing off their work to a new generation of 12-volt enthusiasts. The build articles featured things like how to build fiberglass panels, Schaeffer recalled. “I would reverse engineer my parts from those articles to figure out what I wanted to build,” Schaeffer said. “For me, I fell in love with building, making things my own. I built my Eclipse to be a show car on the East Coast. It won Best in Show at the Funk Master Flex show in Daytona. It showed the artistic place where my passion lies and I knew that’s where I wanted to take my career.”

After high school, Schaeffer sought out a school to learn his craft. But instead of heading straight for 12-volt, he started with the basics at the Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in Orlando, Fla., where he received an education in automotive repair. “I learned transmissions, suspension, all the things I wasn’t versed in. As I’m installing something in a car, I’d want to be more versatile and be able to diagnose problems in a car,” Schaeffer said. “I had a lot of fun there and use a lot of what I learned now with wheels, tires, lift kits and performance upgrades. It’s something I hold dear to my heart that’s a nice change of pace from doing custom installs and head units. In my opinion, Universal Technical Institute would be the college for our industry.”

Upon graduating in 2006, Schaeffer attended the Installer Institute, which lasted about two weeks. He then went to a week-long training with his idol, Dave “Fishman” Rivera, called “Fish Camp.” The camp opened his eyes to what is possible with fabrication.
“That was the first time I realized how easy it could be. Fish made it look so easy and effortless,” Schaeffer recalled. “Seeing him layer different pieces together, this piece into that piece, I never realized how easy it could be. I just looked at it and thought, ‘so that is how they do it.’”

Click here for the full article.

4/13/2016 -- It takes time to build a business. First comes the idea, followed by the will to make the vision become reality. Once logistics are determined, the hard work of implementation begins. Any 12-volt retailer can vouch for the difficulty of opening a store, but all successful retailers share the same feeling at the end of the day -- a sense of accomplishment. 

Now in its second year, KnowledgeFest Spring Training has achieved a similar sense of accomplishment, nearly doubling last year's attendee numbers and gaining a confidence from manufacturers and retailers alike. The most common thing I heard while walking the halls of the event was, "this is great." Everyone was in agreement that the event was a success and better in many ways than last year. Considering it's a work in progress, the trade show has proven its worth as a mainstay for the industry, and in some ways, more timely than its counterpart, at least regarding its educational value. 

Taking place at the beginning of April, a time when most companies are planning the year ahead with new product purchases, manufacturers see the event as an opportunity to teach new products and gain new retailers for those products at the event. The centerpiece of the show was the theme of training. Regardless of whether it took place in the seminars, on the show floor, in manufacturer trainings, or at a table in one of the bars of the JW Marriott where attendees hung out after hours to talk over tasty libations, the word was getting out about anything and everything 12-volt related. 

Having only been in this industry for less than three years, I've learned a lot about the products and services offered, but nothing has given me more insight on what 12-volt is all about like its people. When I went to my first KnowledgeFest, I was overwhelmed with the positive, welcoming nature that everyone showed me, an outsider with zero experience. When I asked questions, no matter how rudimentary or naive, they were always answered without judgment by such names as Del Ellis, Bryan Schmitt, John Schwartz and Solomon Daniels, among others. 

The same spirit was represented at the town hall discussion where a panel of five retailers discussed how they got to the top of their game. Matt Schaeffer, last year's Installer of the Year Runner-up, spoke on the importance of how keeping passion at the center of his mindset allowed him to continuously improve his work. Ken Ward of Musicar Northwest delivered some of his signature wisecracks while mentioning how his shop does it different from others to help distinguish itself as a business. 

Overall, whether the comments were made on stage at the town hall, or in one-on-one conversations with individuals, the sentiment was the same: KnowledgeFest Spring Training is a great event and is here to stay. Regardless of whether you choose to go to Dallas or Indianapolis, your attendance is crucial if you hope to one day sit on the stage and tell the story of how you reached the top of your game.