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.
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.
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