STILLWATER, OK (08.19.2021) – Citing reasons that relate to the current pandemic, KICKER is announcing its cancellation of exhibiting live next week at MERA’s annual KnowledgeFest in Dallas.
KICKER had planned a booth showcasing product and demo vehicles, and daily product trainings for attendees prior to this morning’s decision.
“From the beginning of this pandemic, (KICKER) has made the health and well-being of our employees and customers the top priority,” said Kevin Campbell, Director of Global Marketing. “Recent sharp upticks in COVID-19 cases have forced us to make this very difficult decision.
“This is regrettable and so unfortunate, however we believe this to be the right decision, particularly when considering events of large gatherings indoors.”
No further details are available at present time. If more information should become available, KICKER will provide it as warranted.
The Sony Car Audio team has recently filled one of its two Account Manager positions with Jacob Gromovsky. Jacob is based in Atlanta, GA, covering the Eastern region.
Jacob’s experience as a sales representative managing accounts and understanding the distribution model will help him in this new role. In addition, building relationships and collaborating with customers is second nature to him from his twenty years of experience in the industry.
Jacob Gromovsky
“Jacob represents what our accounts need in our Eastern territory,” stated Anthony Tozzi, Distribution Sales Manager. “His knowledge and ability to help our distributor accounts and retailers will give our small team a much-needed resource out in the field. We are looking forward to finding someone on the West Coast with similar traits as we look to fill that position as well.”
“Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. Those were Vince Lombardi’s words, and I am looking forward to my commitment making a positive impact on this team,” says Jacob.
ARLINGTON, VA (08.18.2021) – The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has announced that CES 2022 , the world’s most influential technology event, will require in-person attendees to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. CES 2022 will take place in Las Vegas on January 5-8, 2022. For those who may be unable to travel to Las Vegas, CTA will again create a digital event that will run in parallel with the in-person program. Digital audiences will have the opportunity to share the spirit of the in-person event.
“Based on today’s science, we understand vaccines offer us the best hope for stopping the spread of COVID-19,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. “We all play a part in ending the pandemic through encouraging vaccinations and implementing the right safety protocols. We are taking on our responsibility by requiring proof of vaccination to attend CES 2022 in Las Vegas.”
CES logo
CTA is also assessing the acceptance of proof of a positive antibody test as an alternative requirement and will share more details on this later. Safety, security and health are always a priority at CES, and we will follow state and local guidelines and recommendations by the CDC. CTA will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation and will announce additional protocols closer to the show.
In Las Vegas, attendees will experience a host of new technologies from global companies, hear about the future of technology from thought leaders and collaborate face-to-face with other attendees. Some 2000 companies including major brands and start-ups will be in Las Vegas. CES 2022 will feature new categories showcasing how the industry is evolving, including space tech, food tech and NFTs. The show will highlight advancements in AI, AR/VR, gaming and computing, digital health, automotive and transportation, home entertainment, smart home and more. Audiences will hear from industry leaders during live keynotes, including General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert. The CES keynote schedule will be updated regularly as speakers are announced.
Owned and produced by CTA, CES 2022 will convene the tech industry in-person and digitally, Wednesday, Jan. 5 to Saturday, Jan. 8, with Media Days taking place Monday, Jan. 3 to Tuesday, Jan. 4. Global audiences will have access to major brands and startups, as well as the world’s most-influential leaders and industry advocates. For over 50 years, CES has been the global stage for innovation, and CES 2022 will provide an opportunity for companies from around the world, both large and small, to launch products, build brands and form partnerships.
ALISO VIEJO, CA (08.18.2021) – Madison International Speedway in Oregon, Wis., is advocating for racers and fans to join the effort to protect the future of motorsports by hosting SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night on Friday, August 20.
As the title sponsor of the event, the Save Our Racecars initiative and efforts to stop government overreach will be promoted directly to race fans and consumers at the Friday night event. All those in attendance will learn about the threats facing the racing industry, including challenges racetracks have had holding in-person events during the pandemic, current legislative issues, and the future evolution of automobiles.
“The racing industry has endured more challenges in the past year than it has in its entire history, and it’s not going away,” said Gregg McKarns, Madison International Speedway Track Owner. “We’re grateful that PRI is fighting for our rights to race.”
Performance Racing Industry and Madison International Speedway will host the SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night on August 20 to advocate for the worldwide motorsports industry.
SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night represents an established relationship and partnership between Madison International Speedway and Performance Racing Industry (PRI), the organization promoting to Save Our Racecars and advocating for the worldwide motorsports industry. When Dane County prohibited outdoor events from taking place last summer, Madison International Speedway leaned on PRI’s lobbying efforts to secure approval for hosting a limited number of events. SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night is the latest initiative between PRI and Madison International Speedway.
The August 20 event features three division races that include vehicles that began as street cars before being converted into dedicated race vehicles. As such, the MISfitz, Bandits, and 6shooters series are at risk from the EPA’s National Compliance Initiative, which specifically targets and enforces against aftermarket companies that produce, market, and install parts for dedicated race cars. To protect the motorsports industry against EPA overreach, the Save Our Racecars campaign is pushing for passage of the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act. The bipartisan bill will clarify that it is legal to convert street vehicles into dedicated race cars, and that businesses can legally produce, market, and install racing products.
“Passing the RPM Act into law is the only way to guarantee the future safety of the racing industry,” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, PRI President. “We need everyone at Madison Speedway to join in the effort. It’s critical we unite to protect our racing rights.”
PRI representatives will be onsite at Madison International Speedway on August 20 to help fans in attendance pledge their support of the RPM Act. In addition, race fans will learn how they can join in a new effort to unify the worldwide racing community. Through PRI Membership, race fans are able to join racers and motorsports businesses in demonstrating their passion, commitment, and support for racing. The inaugural program is a groundbreaking movement that will amplify the industry’s ability to advocate and protect motorsports.
“It is by working together that our industry will survive and thrive,” said Meyer. “There is a lot of uncertainty in the world, but the only way to ensure the future of racing is through a unified voice. We must band together and take action.”
To learn more about the Save Our Racecars initiative, visit SaveOurRaceCars.com. To attend the August 20 SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night event, visit Madison International Speedway’s website MISRacing.com.
MIAMI GARDENS, FL (08.18.2021) – The new DS18 X1 and X2 ultra compact amplifiers will virtually fit into the palm of a hand.
The DS18 X1 is a Class D mono-block amplifier that is rated at 900 Watts peak and features equalizer controls.
The DS18 X2 is a Class D 2 channel amplifier that is rated at 1140 Watts peak with builtin crossover.
Both of these new DS18 Amplifiers are perfect for vehicles with very little room to mount large amplifiers. Though small in size both put out an amazing amount of power.
OWASSO, OK (08.17.2021) – Owasso is a rural town just northeast of Tulsa. Residents in the community like their car audio and there was a big turnout for the 10th Annual Owasso FFA Alumni Custom Car Show at the Owasso High School on Saturday, August 15th. Tulsa-based 12volt retailer Code Zero Customs’ owner Cody Landis saw an opportunity to showcase a major SEMA Show build and set up a booth at the event.
The Code Zero Customs booth featured the SEMA Show bound Lexus ES350 on the right.
“We feel it is very important to showcase our work and connect with consumers in the area. We have had a booth at the FFA Custom Car Show the last 5 years and it has produced positive visibility for our store. There were literally hundreds of cars on the grounds at the high school with a ton of people walking around to check out the cool cars and trucks,” Cody Landis related.
When people walked by the Lexus ES350 trunk the installation came to light.
Code Zero Customs recently completed a big project Lexus ES350 build. That vehicle is a SEMA Show project build for Kyle Alcorn that will be in the NIA Booth at SEMA 2021. The build features a NIA Body Kit plus an extensive custom installation featuring AudioFrog and Audio Control products.
Cody Landis, Dustin Tessier, Daniel Dvorak, Sergio Torres and Andrew Blagg (LtoR) talked shop at the event. Tessier in holding a trophy for his Silverado build that also showcased Code Zero Customs work.
“it’s a tight knit community in the Tulsa area. Code Zero Customs has been open for a little over 6 years. Showing our work at area consumer events is a key factory in our company’s growth. The Lexus ES350 build was in our booth at the Starbird Show at the Tulsa Expo Center in May and it created a lot of excitement for that crowd also,” Landis offered.
Code Zero Customs makes frequent posts showcasing vehicle jobs they have completed.
Concluding, Landis commented, “We look forward to seeing Kyle’s Lexus ES350 build in Vegas at the SEMA Show. We know it will draw a lot of attention to the NIA Booth.”
SEATTLE, WA (08.17.2021) – AudioControl has announced that they will be hosting training seminars in both English and Spanish for attendees at Knowledgefest Dallas, being held at the Dallas Market Center, August 27-29, 2021.
The AudioControl team will be hosting one training seminar per day for English-speaking attendees, covering how to maximize system performance with AudioControl’s all-in-one amplifier solutions (Friday), how to make each system shine using DSP (Saturday), and the many benefits of utilizing the AudioControl DM-RTA—the ultimate test tool (Sunday).
On Saturday evening, AudioControl has assembled stars of the Spanish-speaking car audio community to offer “After Hours with AudioControl en Español,” a hands-on training event done exclusively in Spanish. Numerous subjects will be covered, however the primary focus will be on DSP training, demystifying this powerful technology in order to bring best performance to each system.
“These educational tracks are valuable for our dealer partners and enable both sales and installation teams to design and deliver best-performing systems to their customers,” stated Chris Bennett, National Sales Director – Mobile at AudioControl. “We are very grateful to draw from our talented and diverse community to offer critical programs in both English and Spanish.”
Additional Spanish-speaking presenters will be offering training seminars on a broad range of subjects at Knowledgefest Dallas.
KNOWLEDGEFEST DALLAS TRAINING SCHEDULE (see full event schedule HERE)
Friday, August 27th – 3:00-4:00pm Room C146 AudioControl Amplifiers: The all-in-one solution
Saturday, August 28th – 6:00-7:00pm Room C146 Demystifying the Black Box (DSP) with special guest trainer Dean Beyett of 5 Star Car Stereo
Sunday, August 29th – 10:30-11:30am Room C146 DM-RTA: The Ultimate Audio Test Tool
Saturday, August 28th @ 7:30-9:30pm After Hours with AudioControl en Español
Presented by: Ricardo Rangel – Monster by Rangel, Mexico City, Mexico Fernando Lopez – 5 Star Car Stereo, Clearwater, Florida Roberto Estrada – AudioControl rep for Mexico
VISIT AUDIOCONTROL AT THE 2021 KNOWLEDGEFEST DALLAS, AUGUST 27-29 BOOTH 827
DIAMOND BAR, CA (08.17.2021) – New for this year, the New Products Showcase will be located in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Upper South Hall in booth #31255. In addition, buyers and media can now use the Show app on their mobile device to scan and save products and provide step-by-step directions to the exhibitors that submitted each product.
Entering at least one product in the New Products Showcase puts your latest products in front of thousands of qualified buyers from every segment of the specialty-equipment industry.
Exhibiting at the SEMA Show and entering at least one product in the New Products Showcase puts your latest products in front of thousands of qualified buyers from every segment of the specialty-equipment industry. The best part: the first product you enter is free!
Entry Fees:
The first product entered in one category in the New Products Showcase is FREE! Additional $75 per product category before October 8. After October 8, the cost is $150 per entry. No refunds provided after October 8. Entries submitted on-site will be accepted on a space availability basis.
NOBLE, OK (08.16.2021) – KICKER and more than 150 of the fastest street cars in the country, including high-profile television stars, were onsite at the annual Outlaw Armageddon no-prep drag race in Noble OK at Thunder Valley Raceway Park played host to the event on August 13th and 14th.
A burnout during Thursday trials.
KICKER rolled in with the completely revamped XRV (Xtreme Recreational Vehicle). The 82-foot big rig houses a full showroom of KICKER Audio products in addition to the legendary Boom Room, which returned to life following major upgrades. A larger, louder Boom Room features an enclosure now suspended in a custom steel framework, built to withstand the low-toned torture emanating from a massive 40,000-watt power plant of amps. A dozen KICKER Q-Class L7 15-inch subwoofers, in addition to an array of 11-inch compression-driver, KM-Series Tower Speakers, delivered tons of bass – and fun – to countless racing fans.
The KICKER XRV positioned with the 187 Customs Scout under the awning.
Jeremy Wynn, Events and Promotions Manager, stated “Overall this was a great event. Showing so many people the revamped XRV, seeing cool race cars and hearing racers going down the track was exciting for everyone at Thunder Valley Raceway Track Park in Noble.”
The revamped KICKER XRV features a full showroom displaying a wide selection of Kicker car audio products.
KICKER-equipped vehicles from Discovery Channel’s Street Outlaws’ own Ryan Martin (driver of the Fireball Camaro) and a SEMA Show- quality International SCOUT owned by Shawn Ellington’s (aka “Murder Nova”) 187 Customs (Mustang, OK) were in the KICKER XRV setup area.
The new Boom Room in the KICKER XRV is powered by 40,O00 watts to let all know KICKER is Livin’Loud at events.
More than 12,000 spectators attended the last Outlaw Armageddon. At press time this year’s final attendance had not been tabulated. With nearly $45,000 in prizes at stake in six different classes, several members of Discovery Channel’s Street Outlaws and Street Outlaws: New Orleans attended.
The stands on both sides of the track were filled at Thunder Valley Raceway Park.
Racing celebrities like Big Chief, Daddy Dave, Jeff Lutz, Dominator, Farmtruck and AZN, Deathtrap, Birdman and many more were on hand, raced and signed autographs.
NORFOLK, VA (08.16.2021) – Audio One recently completed a full mobile barber shop installation in a 2008 Ford Econoline.
Mike Kreiselman, the Shop Foreman with Audio One in Norfolk VA, related “We recently sold a full mobile barber shop installation in a 2008 Ford Econoline Bus. The customer supplied all the equipment, including the barber chair, and I had one of my best techs, Adam Dorris, do the installation in the very unique vehicle. Adam is also skilled in residential electrical.”
The Mobile Way Barber Shop Econoline in front of the Audio One Norfolk VA location.
Among the items installed included: 2 12 volt deep cycle batteries, a 5000 Watt power inverter, 4 110 Volt A/C receptacles, 1 light switch, and 5 110 Volt A/C powered lights. Running to each receptacle, light switch, and lights is 14 gauge ROMEX wiring that would be used in a residential wiring job. Adam ran 0 Gauge wiring from the battery under the hood. There is a secondary battery under the steps in the bus but the one under the hood is a better option because it is closest to the alternator and with easier access. 3 fuse holders were used-one under hood, one at the first battery installed and one between the 2 batteries in the rear. Using 3 fuse holders at each section helped protect everything from fire due to a vehicle accident or overload failure.
Adam Dorris gives a big 2 thumbs up after finishing The Mobile Way Barber Shop job.
Kreiselman stated, “The customer was very hesitant to spend the money with us at first because he thought the price was “a little high.” But after a long conversation with him he approved the install because he had heard such good things about our Audio One location in Norfolk and he felt confident that the job would be done properly and professionally.”
The Mobile Way Barber Shop job in progress.
Concluding, Kreiselman offered, “This was definitely one unique job that took us 2 days to do as the customer preferred we to take our time and get it done as cleanly as possible. All in all it turned out great and I couldn’t be happier with Adam’s work! Now we are on to the next unique project!”
Heavy duty inverters and batteries were used on the job.
Bob Mickonis, Regional/General Manager of the four store Audio One store operation, related, “It is always so encouraging to hear consumers in the area are aware of our commitment to do it right. Our staff members, like Mike and Adam, make that happen.”
This article was the result of the Instagram post by theaudioone. The image of The Mobile Way rig caught eyeballs in the 12volt Central Studios. The additional 6 images in the post showed the extend of the work involved. We reached out to Bob and he put us in touch with Mike Kreiselman who supplied the content for this article. Great job Mike.
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