from the President
Over Two Decades of Educating The past informs the present. As we move into the future, let’s take a look back at twenty-five years of KnowledgeFest™. Celebrating 25 years of service to the industry, the Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) is proud to continue the important mission of those who came before. KnowledgeFest began with the premise of 12-volt retailers helping other 12-volt retailers. In 1992, a manufacturers’ representative from the Midwest, Randy Strunk of Creative Sales & Marketing, organized a meeting between three retailers. The objective was to convince them to upgrade their stores. Joe Cavanaugh, of Stereo West in Omaha, Nebraska, shared his idea for integrating a “WOW factor” into store design.
Looking Back at the Beginning of KnowledgeFest As a response to known issues in our industry, the founders held a meeting to understand the need and how best to address it. As a result, one of the Kansas retailers made major changes to the interior of his store, as well as marketing changes, and held his first-ever private sale for preferred customers. The overwhelming success of the sale, coupled with changes in the store, prompted Strunk to arrange for other retailers in Missouri and Kansas to visit this retailer’s store in February 1993. Over 20 retailers attended this networking meeting, the first of its kind. Over the next few months, other meetings for networking and the sharing of information were organized. All of them met with increasing success. Finally, in 1994, the first “KnowledgeFest” was held at a Lake of the Ozarks resort in Missouri. Over 150 independent mobile electronics specialists attended this, the first major industry event held specifically for 12-volt retailers. By 1996, over 300 people were in attendance. The event’s primary purpose was to educate and train retailers, especially installers on installation techniques, and to provide a place for networking and the exchange of ideas and best practices in business. The events became so successful that many retailers in the area closed their stores and brought all their employees. Success and growth of the event continued over the years, including the addition of a trade show floor where manufacturers’ products could be exhibited. A membership association, the Mobile Electronics Retailers Association known as MERA, was created to serve the mobile electronics specialists and support the KnowledgeFest event. As retailers looked for new business opportunities to expand their product mix and complement 12-volt electronics, other product categories for vehicle enhancement were added to MERA’s focus and the association changed its name to the Mobile Enhancement Retailers Association. The Future of KnowledgeFest in Flux Then, in 2009, things took an unfortunate turn: the event was cancelled due to waning support brought about by a tough
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economy and its impact on the retail marketplace. After considering several options, the association and the event were eventually sold to the owner of InstallerNet who chose to make an investment into the organization to restart the KnowledgeFest event and redefine MERA as simply MEA. That new association’s membership is now vertically integrated to include those who make, sell and install the product. To enhance communication and support MEA and KnowledgeFest, an established trade publication, Mobile Electronics® magazine, was added. Other media holdings, including Hotwire and websites were also added.
The Rebirth of An Industry Tradition One date will live on in my mind: October 10, 2010 (10/10/10). It was my first KnowledgeFest as president of the organization. Expectations were high. The industry needed continued education and organized vendor training to invigorate growth. The event launched in a new location, as well—Dallas, Texas. The Dallas event launched with 33 exhibitors and over 500 attendees. The rest is history! Established for Our Future The MEA mission is to educate, inform and empower the industry. Our primary focus is help you grow your business. Our educational events are designed to provide you with the latest information to help you advance your business. MEA is the only association dedicated to the specialty retailer channel. Our industry is filled with passionate people who have a strong desire to learn from one another. KnowledgeFest was born from the desire to make our industry better and to have that shared knowledge translate into an awesome experience for the consumer. It’s become the destination for new products and new technology shaping the 12-volt industry. KnowledgeFest is now coast-to-coast with events in Indianapolis, Ind.; Long Beach, Calif.; Dallas, Texas; and beginning in 2020, Orlando, Fla. Don’t Miss It! Hearing success stories from retailers drives us to expand opportunities for learning. That’s why we made the decision to have more KnowledgeFest events. Having multiple events opens opportunities for every employee of a specialty retailer to connect with others, learn new things and network with both new and existing vendors. Don’t miss our celebration at the Dallas event starting August 9th. Make an investment in yourself and your business to learn, connect and grow both professionally and personally. I hope to see you there!
