he emergence of new product categories, professional services, and the growing adoption of AV in targeted applications are three very big reasons why the ProAV industry can expect to see continued growth in 2015, Stampede Presentation Products, Inc. President & COO Kevin Kelly told attendees of the company’s 2014 Vendor Summit last week in Buffalo, New York.
“We are standing at the start of an exciting new chapter in the constantly changing ProAV industry,” Kelly explained. “All of us need to become comfortable with being uncomfortable as we work together to introduce the exciting new product categories and professional services that represent the future of our industry. The old way of doing things isn’t the way that is going to work in the future. Stampede is prepared to show its manufacturer and dealer partners that it has the vision, team, and solutions that will help everyone achieve their growth objectives next year and beyond.”
As the only value added solutions distributor focused 100% on the ProAV market, Stampede is enjoying another record year paced by a 17% growth in revenue and major sales in the K-12 education, government, corporate, hospitality, and rental and staging verticals that are paced by sales of projectors, digital signage, video walls, carts, connectivity, collaboration, unique displays, and document camera solutions. “This year we have shipped more than 975,000 packages, establishing a new weekly record of 37,000 packages and a new monthly record of 144,000 packages — and the year is not yet complete!”
More strategically for the company’s continued success in the future, Stampede added 31 new world-class manufacturers to its portfolio, increased its product management team by 66%, strengthened its marketing team with the appointment of industry veteran Elizabeth Clune, launched a new state-of-the-art website with enhanced vendor and dealer portals, and grew its marketing efforts 200% to a record 6-million unique impressions. The Stampede Big Book of AV Tour, already the ProAV industry’s biggest tour of its kind, got even bigger in 2014 with 13 stops that generated a 29% growth in attendees. The company’s corresponding Big Book of AV product catalog grew to 1136 pages and included six new product categories and 23 new vendors. What’s more, dealer attendance at Stampede University, the industry’s largest online learning resource, grew by 32% and the company increased its available credit lines to dealers by 53%.
Looking to the future, Kelly stressed to attendees that the key to driving sales of traditional AV equipment is to attach them to sales of new product categories that are backed by managed services. “In 2015 camera drones and digital signage content creation software will become true engines of growth that open up new revenue streams for our dealers as they stimulate incremental sales of traditional AV hardware.
“Every camera drone sale to a real estate company, first responder agency, film and television production house, and school district is going to inevitably generate sales of displays, storage devices, editing solutions, and connectivity tools,” Kelly emphasized. “The introduction of easy-to-use cloud based content creation software tools are going to enable dealers to sell more digital signage solutions to more customers than ever before. And the introduction of design, spec, and installation professional services; service and support agreements; as well as help desks and extended warranties are going to help all of us capture ‘the whole nine yards’ of every job.”
The result of these new product categories and service programs will be realized in more products sold to more unique customers in more vertical markets across more geographic regions than ever before. “Now, more than ever, Stampede is ready to help our dealers remain ahead of the herd with the kind of high value added, high margin system solutions that helps them to profitably grow their businesses,” Kelly concluded. “Stay tuned for what’s to come. We have some very exciting things in development!”
