Inland Audio Visual Celebrates 75 Years By Mary Savage
Interfacing Society
F
rom your morning elevator ride to ordering your favourite coffee at the drive-thru, we rely on electronic “message boards” to keep us informed – with everything. They keep score of the game, they illuminate roadways and they keep businesses connected via meetings and presentations. And when it comes to effective communication, it has to be seamless in today’s global marketplace. Whether you’re hosting a seminar or an AGM, a ‘do-over’ is not an option – you only have one opportunity to convey your message with efficiency. “The AV industry is all around us, but people don’t usually recognize it,” says James Werbowski, co-owner, Inland Audio Visual. “We are surrounded by some form of media and electronic signage all the time. The signage communicates with the public to inform, educate, guide, train and advertise, and we put together the products that help people and businesses communicate.” Throughout Western Canada and for 75 years, Inland AV has played an integral role working behind the scenes to help companies deliver their message – effectively and professionally. They have evolved as the go-to company for electronic interfacing of seminars, webcasts, videoconferencing and staged events. From small to large businesses and industries that span all sectors, Inland AV delivers the electronic expertise to help your company communicate more effectively. The company was originally founded in 1937 in Winnipeg, Manitoba as Inland Broadcasting. Some 30 years later, they hired Ed Werbowski to reorganize the structure. Given his entrepreneurial spirit, Ed purchased the business in 1973 and it has remained a family-run operation for almost 40 years. Ed’s two sons, Kim and James, started working for Inland AV when they were teenagers – while most of their peers had paper routes. “We had our first taste of commerce via quality control when a shipment of record players and cassette recorders arrived at the warehouse,” recalls Kim, co-owner. “We would unpack
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them and test them. We did this for a couple of years – making about 25 cents a box!” In 1973, Saskatoon was their first expansion, followed by Regina in 1979. “The Regina expansion was the result of a phone call from a customer in the hospitality industry,” remembers Kim. “We provided their AV services and three decades later, that customer still calls us when they have AV requirements.” During the late 1970s, Kim joined the business full time and he looked after the rental division, largely to help customers in the hospitality industry, which gradually opened up other rental markets in Saskatchewan and Alberta. In 1981, James joined the company and became responsible for the sales department. “We eventually expanded on the heels of the rental business to offer sales and service throughout our offices in Saskatchewan and Alberta,” adds James. Ten years later, they opened an office in Calgary, followed by Edmonton. Many of the early expansions started as a one-man shop, but within a few years each branch grew to become a fullservice AV provider.
Inland AV | 75 years
Congratulations Inland Audio Visual on your 75th Anniversary!
708 8th Avenue SW, Calgary Tel: 403 263 7600 • Fax: 403 237 6127 Toll Free 1 800 661 8684 • www.ramadacalgary.com • 201 Guest Rooms , Restaurant , Lounge and Underground Parking • Event Planning and Catering • Conference Facilities with full AV needs professionally supplied by Inland Audio-Visual for over 20 years! Gala Event With 400’ Surround Screen
AMX would like to congratulate Inland AV on their 75th anniversary.
237 Labrosse suite 200, Pointe-Claire QC Canada H9R 1A3 Tel: 514-695-4883 • Fax: 514-695-5243 • info@amx.ca amx.ca
Today, Inland AV has over 100 professionals who help companies communicate effectively, along with 43 hospitality venue partners and an impressive corporate following throughout the Prairie provinces. Tim Wiest is the branch manager in Regina, Ralph Niekamp manages the Saskatoon operation, Jonathan Duquette heads up the Calgary branch and Ben Mejia manages the Edmonton office. “We added a division to work in conjunction with videoconferencing and it’s our Managed Services department,” explains James. “We house elaborate video switching equipment so we can manage the end users videoconferencing equipment. It includes everything from scheduling meetings and checking equipment to servicing equipment remotely.” Likewise, Inland AV can help customers maximize remote communications. “We can bridge many sites through our Managed Services department. For example, a company will have a videoconferencing site, but they are only able to talk to one or two sites,” says James. “We have the equipment and expertise to transmit to multiple sites. It’s a big pipeline of bandwidth and it provides a lot of opportunities to expand into video and webcam services.” As Kim notes, the relationship with their suppliers is key to staying ahead of current technology. “Our suppliers are an important aspect when making decisions: they impact the equipment we purchase and following trends in the marketplace,” he says. “The electronic industry changes quarterly and that’s an exciting part of our business, but you’ve also got to be careful. All of our rental equipment is state-of-the-art and right now, 3D video mapping is new – it’s an area we are excited about,” adds Kim. “Since
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Congratulations to Inland AV celebrating 75 years of success.
we’ve been in the business a long time, we have a sense of what the market is looking for and the right products to invest in.” When it comes to communications, Inland AV has been observing industry trends for decades. “We are seeing larger displays and more live events in Alberta,” notes Kim. In Saskatchewan, Gesture Technology is starting to emerge and may factor into the evolution of technology and events in the future. “Most people don’t understand audiovisual, it’s unassuming, but it’s a very vibrant industry. People don’t realize what goes on behind the scenes in order to deliver a flawless presentation. The client provides the content and we bring it life,” adds James. “You only have one chance to deliver a great presentation, so if the lights or teleprompter don’t work or the scripts are not on cue, there are going to be problems. We can’t stress enough the importance of doing a rehearsal – it makes a huge difference,” asserts Kim. Looking back, both Kim and James agree their father was an exceptional businessman. “Given Ed’s entrepreneurial spirit and moving forward, our plan is to continually provide the marketplace with leading-edge products and services into the next decade,” adds Kim. “Ed looked at the overall business opportunities, he surrounded himself with good people and built a very successful business that we have continued to grow.” As Inland Audio Visual celebrates their 75th anniversary, they would like to take a moment to thank all of their customers, suppliers, business partners and employees who have contributed to their success.
Inland AV Calgary 700-58th Ave SE Bay 1 Calgary, AB T2H 2E2 403.252.7726 or 800.495.6006 Email: calgary@inlandAV.ca
Inland AV Saskatoon 21-1738 Quebec Ave Saskatoon, SK S7K 1V9 306.664.8622 or 800.925.6006 Email: saskatoon@inlandAV.ca
Inland AV Edmonton 100, 17893-106A Ave Edmonton, AB T5S 1V8 780.423.4833 or 800.587.4004 Email: edmonton@inlandAV.ca
Inland AV Winnipeg 422 Lucas Ave Box 102, Group 200, RR2 Winnipeg, MB R3C 2E6 204.786.6521 or 800.933.6006 Email: winnipeg@inlandAV.ca
Inland AV Regina 2501 7th Ave Regina, SK S4R 1C7 306.525.8726 or 800.743.8008 Email: regina@inlandAV.ca
www.inlandAV.ca
A Bright Idea From Hitachi. Take advantage our new Portable Projector Bundle Promotion and receive an additional lamp with purchase!
Portable Series Projectors Feature: Full connectivity including HDMI • Network Control, Maintenance and Security • Optional Wireless • 5.1 lbs Bundle promotion is good through March 31, 2013. No quantity limit. Contact Inland AV for more details and purchasing.
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*Specificatons vary by model. Please visit www.epson.com/ProZ for more information. Epson is a registered trademark and Epson Exceed Your Vision is a registeredlogomark of Seiko Epson Corporation. Copyright 2011 Epson America, Inc.
Gigantic Performance.
Congratulations to Inland AV on your 75th year in business
Without Epson’s Edge Blending technology, projection walls are just prehistoric. Introducing the new Pro Z Series from Epson, with built-in Edge Blending technology, a generous brightness offering up to 10,000 lumens*, and up to WUXGA resolution*. The new Pro Z also supports HD-SDI connectivity*, split-screen functionality, and comes in a black case option, to further blend in with darker venues. To learn more, go to www.epson.com/ProZ or call 1-888-475-8050.
Inland Audio Visual and Sharp Electronics of Canada have developed a great relationship that spans over 35 years. We have worked together as technology evolved from cassette recorders, CRT’s to today’s interactive Aquos Board.
www.sharp.ca
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