4/8/2016 -- Day 1 of KnowledgeFest Spring Training featured a round of trainings with industry notables Bryan Schmitt, Ken Ward and Jason Kranitz. The trainings centered on business-enhancing installation techniques, audio and system sales designs and how to make profitable A-pillars.

Several manufacturer trainings also took place by companies that included K40 electronics, Focal and Kenwood, among others. 

The day ended with a networking event at restuarant, High Velocity at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. It featured retailers from across the country setting up meetings with manufacturers for the remainder of the event. 

Day 2 will feature the opening of the show floor, more workshops, trainings and the town hall panel presentation. For more information, visit www.kfest.me. 

Mobile Electronics March Issue, 3-1-2016 -- Everything starts small. Children grow into adults. Small seeds blossom into giant redwood trees. And small businesses that wish to learn and improve come together to form internationally recognized trade shows. SEMA, for example, started in 1963 with a group of small automotive manufacturers who supplied performance equipment for early hot rods. After 40 years, it became what it is: an industry giant, featuring thousands of companies and hundreds of show cars, all having joined over time, despite several name changes and makeovers to the event over the years.

KnowledgeFest, now in its 23rd year, has grown and changed in similar ways with a name change (formerly referred to by many retailers as MERA), growing attendance from both manufacturers and retailers, adding activities (like the Industry Awards) and changing venues over the years. Now, held in Dallas at a luxurious hotel and including more seminars and events than ever before, it's outgrown being just an annual event.

After last year's highly successful first-time effort, KnowledgeFest Spring Training is back to offer an alternative for some and an expansion for others looking to improve their businesses. Located at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, this year's show will emphasize more focused seminars and product trainings from the biggest names in 12-volt. The event has more exhibitors, requiring an addition of 7,500 square feet of exhibit space to make room for those new companies. First time manufacturer exhibitors for the event will include JL Audio, Sony, AudioControl, AAMP Global and Accele.

“We are extremely pleased to have these new exhibitors join us at KnowledgeFest Spring Training 2016. Most of them have been supporting our Dallas event for several years,” said Chris Cook, Mobile Electronics Group President in a recent press release. “Their support recognizes this event as the best opportunity to provide quality sales and installation training during the launch of their new products and services introduced earlier this year at CES."

Over 50 brands are scheduled to be featured within 42,000 square feet of exhibit space and 10 meeting rooms at the event. Given the timeliness of the event coinciding with new product releases, dealers can expect trainings on the ins and outs of the newest products from top manufacturers.

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After a well-received but loosely attended first year, KnowledgeFest Spring Training has become a rousing success in its second, shattering its previous attendance and adding more vendors to help train dealers on new products for the coming selling seasons.  

5-1-2016, Mobile Electronics, May 2016 Issue -- Sometimes in life, you need a trial run. You get an idea, try it out and learn from it to improve for next time. Such was the case for KnowledgeFest Spring Training when it was first introduced to the 12-volt industry in April 2015. Since then, the show-runners at Mobile Electronics Group have listened to their audience and made adjustments to craft an experience worthy of the precedent that its namesake event set in Dallas.

In its first year, the event drew around 350 attendees and had a turn-out that was below expectations for its Mobile Electronics show, where industry manufacturers set up booths to mingle with current and future dealers. This year, the three-day event which took place April eighth to April 10 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., drew over 750 retailers and 40 manufacturers. In comparison, KnowledgeFest in Dallas has drawn around 1,000 retailers on average each year.

The event featured three elements for retailers to take part in: educational seminars, taught by various experts in and around the industry, manufacturer trainings and the Mobile Electronics Show, where manufacturers set up booths to showcase the latest products and mingle with attendees. The latter represents what the event has become since its inception—an opportunity for networking between everyone in the industry, to share ideas and help progress the industry as a whole.

"We are extremely pleased with the turnout of the event," said Chris Cook, Mobile Electronics Group president. "We had a steady presence of retailers during exhibit floor hours and workshop attendance was strong. Exhibitors we've spoken to are pleased with the traffic they received, both in their booths and their individual product training workshops. In fact, onsite we received strong commitments from exhibitors to come back to Indy next year."

The seminars and trainings were housed in eight meeting rooms that rotated throughout the show. Attendees received peer-based instruction, tips and advice through 18 workshops segmented for owners and managers, sales professionals and installation technicians.

Exhibitors hosted 40 workshops to focus on brand-specific instruction, with most opening their workshops to prospective and current authorized retailers. On the last day of the event, the exhibit floor hours were moved to the morning and educational workshops finished off the day, resulting in more face time between manufacturers and attendees. 

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Panelists will discuss going beyond average to build a successful, longstanding operation

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – March 25, 2016 (MEDIAWIRE) – The town hall meeting at the upcoming KnowledgeFest Spring Training show and education conference will feature five prominent retailers, discussing how specialist mobile electronics outlets can continue to grow their businesses. "Breaking Through the Retail Ceiling" will focus on the strategies and practices that elevate a business from moderate performance to legitimate success and sustainability. 

The town hall signals the midway point for KnowledgeFest Spring Training, following the first full day of exhibits and education. Its purpose is to present and discuss topics that concern or benefit the industry, led by an informed group of panelists.

"This year, we felt it was important to let retailers speak to retailers," said Chris Cook, Mobile Electronics president. "KnowledgeFest has always thrived as a peer environment, where people in the same profession can network and share ideas. For the town hall, we've selected a group of retailers who have achieved above-average levels of profit, market share and repeat clientele, and all of them are excited to relay their experiences and advice to our attendees."

The 2016 retail panelists are all current or prior recipients of awards from Mobile Electronics. They include:

• Eric Carter of Cartronix in Valparaiso, Ind., multitime Top 50 and Top 12 Retailers award recipient
• Brian Layton of Sound FX in Lewes, Del., a recent Retailer of the Year award recipient and multitime Top 50 Retailer
• Josh Mojica of GNC Customs in Goshen, Ind., a recent Top 12 Retailers award recipient
• Matt Schaeffer of Safe and Sound Mobile Electronics in Manassas, Va., 2015 Installer of the Year runner-up
• Ken Ward of Musicar Northwest in Portland, Ore., previous Retailer of the Year award recipient

KnowledgeFest Spring Training leverages the time of year when new products have begun to ship and retailers are most in need of instruction on product features and specifications as well as selling strategies. The event will be held April 8-10 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind. Professionals who wish to attend can register at www.knowledgefest.org/attendees/attendee-registration. Prospective attendees can view and register for available workshop classes, reserve seats, and print out a personalized itinerary at http://bit.ly/KFSpring16. Find more information on KnowledgeFest Spring Training, travel to the event, and accommodations at www.knowledgefest.org.

Interested in getting free registration for the upcoming KnowledgeFest in Indianapolis? Then here are some questions to help you decide:

What are you doing to help your cause?

In the early 1990s the Internet was just becoming popular and a man with a vision left his job and home in New York to map out his course that would change consumer purchasing forever.

What did the man do after he moved away from New York?

There was a trade show for all “Book Store” owners and he drove himself for this four-day “INDEPENDENT TRADE SHOW” to learn how to become better at what he was planning on doing. Topics included “Selecting Opening Inventory” and “Inventory Management”. In the mean time, his associate was learning other aspects of the business to build one of the most successful teams in US history and with a threadbare budget.

Who was the man and what was the name of his business?

Before I answer you let me ask you this, between who the man is and what the man did to become successful, what’s most important? If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results.


- Tony Robbins

You see you have before an outstanding opportunity to do what the man I am talking about did!
 We have some of the best trainers in the field of car audio coming together to help you to learn to become better at what you are planning on doing!

We have people like Jason Kranitz, Micah Williams, Mike Bartells, Eric Carter, John Schwartz, Ken Ward, Harry Lichtman, Bryan Schmidt and of course yours truly. 
You have manufacturers wanting to invest their time and energy on how to make your facility better and more profitable, and yet you look for or make excuses not to go!

By the way, the man Tony Robbins is talking about above is Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com. 

Based on all the above info, you ask, "Del, what should we do?" 
The answer is, I would beg, borrow or do whatever it takes to get yourself and your staff underneath the teaching of these great leaders in our independent industry which we all love so much and come learn the secrets like Jeff Bezos learned in the early 1990s.

Now, as promised, here's what you do to get your FREE registration: 

1. Go to http://bit.ly/KF4Free.

 2. Fill in your contact information. Be sure to enter your title under 'Registrant Title.' 

3. Under 'Exhibitor Name,' select the vendor you're most excited to see at KnowledgeFest Spring Training. 

4. Under 'Registration Classification,' select 'I am a VIP retailer invited by an exhibitor.' 
 5. Click Registration Confirmation and that's it! You'll receive a confirmation in your email.

We look forward to helping you in Indianapolis at our own Independent Trade Show on April 11th-13th 2015.