Nationwide Marketing Group brought together members for education, networking with manufacturers, and fun at the annual HTSN (Home Technology Specialists Nationwide) CI Summit in Dallas.
Education was center stage at the HTSN CI Summit in Dallas this month. HTSN members were kept busy with one-on-one meetings with manufacturers, education breakout rooms and presentations from key vendors as well.
Networking is a big part of all Nationwide and HTSN events, and the HTSN CI Summit was no exception. Members were encouraged to meet at least ten new people before the show concluded. “We want our members to get to know each other, to have a sounding board to discuss issues regarding custom integration with someone who understands,” explained HTSN Director Hank Alexander. “It’s important that members meet vendors in person as well. Creating a relationship with your vendors and having direct contact to count on for questions or issues is invaluable.”
Growing the CI Channel
“We are making big push into the CI channel this year,” said Randy Derr, director of distribution and eXchange. “We’ve added new vendors and distributors to grow this channel for our members.” The added A/V distribution partners gives a much needed advantage in this era of supply chain issues. Nationwide has gone from 40 warehouses across the country to more than 200 warehouses to serve their members.
“The eXchange platform has been a great resource for our members, giving them access to new products and fast, on-time delivery,” Derr continued. “eXchange is a perfect example of the types of tools we’re able to provide our members, in part, because of the strong relationships we have within the vendor and distributor community. It’s our goal to provide our retailers support in any way possible, be it through marketing, industry data, web and digital tools, so that they can thrive on their own terms.”
Samsung Experience Center
Attendees of the summit were treated to a visit to the Samsung Experience Center at the Dallas Market Center. Samsung took the group on a tour of the Samsung panels, televisions and smart kitchen appliances. A quick training on the product line for the integrators was offered along with food and drinks before attendees loaded back onto the bus to do some networking with their peers while axe throwing at a local restaurant.
Casino Night
In the Nationwide tradition of combining a good time with altruism, HTSN hosted a casino night that raised more than $10,000 for charity. $5,000 went to a local veteran’s fund to assist homeless and in-need veterans. The other half of the money was donated to the winner’s choice of charity in their hometown.
“The member and vendor response regarding this event has been very positive,” said HTSN Director Hank Alexander. “There have been requests for more dealer roundtables and great feedback from the one-on-one vendor/member meetings.” Alexander and the Nationwide team are already hard at work planning next year’s summit with more educational and networking opportunities and maybe a little fun on the side.
