AV Week Activities a huge success

Bob Hadsell (right), Home Theater Market Manager, and Eric Stiening (left) from Experience Technology LLC in Bloomington, Indiana speak to the Building Trades group at New Castle High School

We successfully completed our first AV Week events last Friday.  I personally served as a judge for Ball State University’s annual sales competition.  With over forty young adults competing, I got to witness the future of the sales professional…and I was blown away!  Seven schools competed – Ball State, Purdue, Indiana University, University of Toledo, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, and Louisville.  A Ball State and IU student took top honors.

This competition is different from others in that it gives students one-on-one time with judges after their session.  I personally worked with a senior from Bowling Green.  She was fantastic – energetic and ready to take on the world.  My only real concern…she said “awesome” like many people say “um.”  I know it was a manifestation of her nerves, so I wasn’t overly critical, but she was there to learn.  Many of my fellow judges use this competition as a way to recruit future employees, and she will definitely be a great hire upon graduation.

My co-workers spoke to various classes within our local vocational program at New Castle High School.  Gini Deaton, from our marketing department, spoke to the Graphic Design class.  They were so impressed with her presentation, that they asked her to sit on their advisory committee.  Dave Elliott, our IT Director, spoke to the Computer Operations class.  Dave felt his presentation was a resounding success…no one fell asleep (which is a lot to ask of a group of teenagers)!  Alan Beatty spoke to 40 welding students, 10 machine trades, and an unknown number of pre-engineering students.

And Bob Hadsell, Home Theater Market Manager, asked one of our dealers, Eric Stiening from Experience Technology LLC in Bloomington, Indiana to speak to the Building Trades group.  Eric went all out – bringing in-wall speakers, subwoofers, a mock proposal, a receiver, remote controls…the works.  He blew the kids away!  This class was especially interested in our products because they had incorporated a home theater in the home they built last year and the rehab they are currently working on this year.  Real experience and real professional advice.  A perfect combination.

Thanks again to my Draper volunteers.  I think we did Draper and our industry proud.  And I hope that both Ball State and New Castle High School benefited from our efforts.