ProSource Annual Summit 2022 Features Key Education Initiatives

‘Own It’ Theme Celebrates a Return to Face-to-Face Networking Event With Member-of-the-Year Awards to Be Announced 

SOUTHLAKE, Texas Feb. 16, 2022 ProSource, the largest audio, video, and integration buying group in the United States, announced today highlights of its upcoming annual ProSource Summit 2022 to be held at the brand-new Caesar’s Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas, March 6-9. The four-day event will host members and vendors and is co-located with the BrandSource Summit.

The ProSource Summit’s theme, “Own It,” celebrates a return to the face-to-face networking event focused on the buying group’s investment in education with updates on three proprietary initiatives: ProSource Academy, ProSource University (PSU), and the Lighting Technology Certification (LTC) program.

The ProSource Academy is a three-day in-person basic training for new installers launched in 2021. Held in Richmond, Virginia, the Academy is free for ProSource members to attend and targets new-to-the-industry technicians in their first 30-60 days of employment.

PSU is the industry’s first centralized platform to offer a comprehensive repository housing category-specific training modules, including the ProSource exclusive LTC, new employee onboarding, technician training, sales, operations, project management content, and more. It also offers exclusive access to the entire catalog of CEDIA Education content. ProSource announced earlier this year that free access to PSU for all members has been extended through September 2022. Over 80% of ProSource’s members are signed up for and participating in PSU, with nearly 800 active courses and over 25,000 course completions since its launch in May 2020.

The member-only ProSource LTC program was announced last summer when the online Level 1 Certification went live on PSU. Members who earn the LTC have a strategic advantage to accelerate their growth from the $44 billion U.S. lighting category. To date, 129 students have completed the requisite Level 1 coursework to qualify for the Level 2 training, and 48 individuals have completed the Level 2 hands-on training at the ProSource Lighting Technology Learning Center (LTLC) at the Dallas Market Center.

ProSource will also be announcing the 2021 Member-of-the-Year Awards during the State of the Business presentation at ProSource Summit 2022.

“Create and Establish Exceptional Company Culture,” presented by featured keynote speaker Galen Emanuele. This session will blow the doors off the way leaders approach and drive culture in their organizations. Emanuele translates the elusive, complex topic of “culture” into a fresh, step-by-step approach to build, integrate, and live a culture of your own design. Without question, exceptional culture boosts engagement and performance. What’s missing from the tool belt of many executive teams is simply how to do it with consistency and success. In this session, attendees will learn how to establish clearly defined behaviors and mindsets to transform the way employees show up and perform together every day. Galen also provides a takeaway resource for teams to begin implementing his work immediately. Flat out, this will change the game for installation firms, their teams, and the entire organization.

Featured Summit Topics – Moderators and Panel Participants:

“Leaders as Role Models – Stepping Beyond the Limitations of Management: How to Win the Hearts and Minds of Staff and Customers,” presented by Paul Krismer. Many leaders come to their roles as a function of their expertise in a specific subject matter, but leadership requires more than job-specific skills. Leadership is a way of being. This talk de-emphasizes what we individually know and instead asks us who we are. Krismer is a noted public speaker and trainer. He is the bestselling author of “Whole Person Happiness: How to be Well in Body, Mind and Spirit.” He has a proven track record as an inspirational leader. For 20 years he has served in senior management roles — overseeing hundreds of employees, multimillion-dollar projects, and cheerfully growing future leaders. As a Certified Executive Coach, Krismer is appreciated for his kindhearted yet relentless pursuit of the client’s best life. Helping individuals and entire organizations reach greater success is his trademark promise. 

“Bridging the Lighting Technology Gap With Builders, Designers, Architects, and Electricians” – interactive panel moderated by David Warfel of Light Can Help You. This session will address lighting best practices to build and bridge relationships with builders, designers, architects, and electricians. Hear how integrators landed architects as repeat clients, won over reluctant builders, and smoothed out relationships with electricians — all while growing lighting fixture sales.

Participating panelists include:

  • Alex Blanton, Operations Manager, 46Solutions
  • Troy Dunnington, CEO, LIGHTWORKS
  • Robert Haecker, President and Founder, TRIPhase Technologies
  • Mike Ruetz, Vice President Residential, Fusion Audio + Video
  • Lee Travis, Owner, Wipliance & OBOT Electric

“Creating an Efficient Selling Machine – Selling Smarter” roundtable session moderated by Joel Hernandez, Vice President of Sales at First Priority Audio. In this roundtable session, the group will discuss and share best practices to streamline the sales department into a super-efficient smart selling machine. Born and raised in Miami, Hernandez left for college at the age of 18. After he received an undergraduate degree from the Hotel School at Cornell University, his career in hospitality took a detour. He found his footing as an entrepreneur in 2007 when an unexpected opportunity presented itself. He launched a home technology company in the Miami area and quickly earned the trust of his clients and the industry. As business opportunities grew, so did the need to learn. He returned to school and earned an MBA from the University of Miami in 2011. He joined First Priority Audio, which has grown to a nationally recognized leader in the industry. Hernandez loves consulting homeowners and the design community on how to use technology to wow and enhance home design.

“Scaling for Your Next Million — People, Process, Product,” moderated by Dante Walston. In this roundtable session, the group will discuss and share best practices to scale and grow their businesses, including streamlining the process, aligning product offerings, and utilizing staff to reach the next million. The session will also touch on the topic of “Are you running your business or is your business running you?” Walston is the Co-Founder and CEO of IntegrateU, a consulting company that helps companies in the custom integration industry implement onboarding, development, and engagement processes. He is a highly experienced leader who has demonstrated the ability to lead and develop diverse teams of professionals to new levels of success in a variety of highly competitive industries.

The new venue allows for an expanded expo floor featuring hands-on vendor exhibits, where ProSource Summit 2022 attendees will have the unique opportunity to meet with vendor-partner top executives.

“Peer-to-peer dialogue, ProSource education initiatives, and networking events are a hallmark of the ProSource Summit,” said Dave Workman, CEO and President of ProSource. “The anticipated record attendance of ProSource members and greater than ever vendor participation reflect the pent-up enthusiasm for building relationships that are an investment in the future success of the business.”

Information on becoming a ProSource member is available from Sherry Dantonio, Senior Director of Education and Member Recruitment, at (562) 810-1706 or Sherry.Dantonio@Prosourceinfo.com.

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About ProSource 

ProSource is a cooperative, member-governed, not-for-profit buying group representing 600+ specialty retailers

and custom integrators. With annual sales of more than $6 billion, ProSource is the largest specialty and consumer-electronics merchandising group in the United States, which allows it to negotiate stronger programs with manufacturers, help independent dealers stay relevant to consumers, and keep the specialty A/V channel competitive. For additional information go to www.prosourceinfo.com.

Photo Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g9lfmgdofwx0ilp/ProSource_Summit_Caesars.png?dl=0

Photo Caption: The annual ProSource Summit is set for March 6-9, 2022, at the brand-new Caesar’s Forum Convention Center in Las Vegas.

 

Photo Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h5f965h10vz47xb/ProSource_Summit_Galen_Emanuele.jpg?dl=0

Photo Caption: ProSource Summit Featured Keynote Speaker, Galen Emanuele

 

Photo Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/w4aifnaswimsp1k/ProSource_Summit_Paul-Krismer.jpg?dl=0

Photo Caption: Featured Summit Topics – Presenter, Paul Krismer

 

Photo Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/irf45u8fma4ju5a/ProSource_Summit_David_Warfel.png?dl=0

Photo Caption: Featured Summit Topics – Moderator, David Warfel, Founder and Chief Evangelist, Light Can Help You

 

Photo Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/94uufjpizudjod5/ProSource_Summit_Joel%20Hernandez.png?dl=0

Photo Caption: Featured Summit Topics – Moderator, Joel Hernandez, Vice President of Sales at First Priority Audio

 

Photo Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/dn3wr0prmglp9xn/ProSource_Summit_Dante_Walston.jpg?dl=0

Photo Caption: Featured Summit Topics – Moderator, Dante Walston, Co-Founder and CEO of IntegrateU

 

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