[As reported in last issue’s Industry News, Mauro Grange, CEO of the McIntosh Group, departed. Longtime McIntosh President Charlie Randall was named CEO of the group, and Sonus Faber’s CFO was named CEO of Sonus. —-Ed.]
Filippo Fanton Named CEO of Sonus Faber
McIntosh Group is pleased to announce that Filippo Fanton has been named the new CEO of Sonus Faber effective immediately. Fanton has served as the CFO of Sonus Faber for the last eight years and will continue to hold that position as well until further notice.
“Filippo has done an excellent job serving as CFO and I’m looking forward to working with him in his expanded role as CEO of Sonus Faber. Sonus Faber has a bright future under Filippo’s leadership,” said McIntosh Group CEO Charlie Randall in a statement.
“I am honored to lead such a prestigious company as Sonus Faber. I am equally eager to not only preserve but expand its prominent standing in the high-end audio industry in order to provide our customers with the very best Italian handcrafted speakers,” said Fanton.
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[CEDIA, the Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association, is the industry group for custom installers of home entertainment systems and home integration experts. Their annual trade show is considerably smaller and more focused than CES; the 2016 CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis was attended by roughly 18, 750 folks, whereas this years CES drew nearly 170,000. Following this press-release, a story appeared stating that Emerald Expositions, the buyer mentioned below, was itself being sold. That has been neither confirmed nor denied. Ah, business.—Ed.]
CEDIA Show to be Operated by Emerald Expositions
INDIANAPOLIS (January 26, 2017) – CEDIA today announced that it has sold ownership of the CEDIA show to Emerald Expositions, the largest trade show operator in the United States. CEDIA will continue to be deeply involved in the show, working hand-in-hand with Emerald on overall show direction, as well as retaining control and ownership of all educational programming.
“CEDIA first and foremost serves its members, and as home technology continues to proliferate, our members need comprehensive tools, resources, and support to assert their position as the single point of contact for technology in the home. Emerald acquiring and consequently taking over the operational responsibilities of the show will allow CEDIA to reallocate staff to develop programs and initiatives that will drive member success across the board,” said Vin Bruno, CEDIA CEO.
CEDIA Chairman Dennis Erskine adds, “More than half of the CEDIA professional staff spends the majority of their time annually preparing for the show; as the board and CEDIA leadership considered Emerald’s offer, we saw this as an incredible opportunity to concentrate on bolstering the year-round CEDIA member experience.”
Bruno continued, “With the resources we will now have available, CEDIA will seek to address the most important needs of our members: workforce development, education delivered more conveniently to members, consumer awareness, industry outreach, and providing more robust digital tools that will drive business to CEDIA members. At the same time, Emerald will bring considerable expertise, energy and fresh ideas to the show, helping to improve the experience for all participants in the years ahead. The future is bright for CEDIA members and the show.”
David Loechner, President and CEO, Emerald Expositions, said, “We are excited to add the CEDIA show to our portfolio. It is very successful with a rich history, which is a testament to the CEDIA organization and its members. I am confident that the combination of Emerald’s deep experience, professional capabilities, and unrivalled scale in operating trade shows, together with CEDIA’s clear vision, market affinity, and preeminent educational content will propel the show forward for the benefit of the entire industry.”
2017 will be a transitional year operationally as CEDIA will continue to manage many facets of the show, working alongside the Emerald team. Beyond 2017, Emerald will be responsible for all operational aspects of the show excluding educational programming and the CEDIA Awards event. Emerald has deep knowledge of the trade show business as the largest show operator in the United States. They run shows in numerous industry sectors, including gift, home and general merchandise, sports, design, construction and technology.
“CEDIA will continue to be incredibly involved with the direction of the show to ensure that it continues to be our industry’s leading trade event. It won’t lose its character and will continue to be an amazing environment for networking and friendship. Whether an exhibitor or an attendee, your expectations will continue to be not only met, but exceeded,” said Bruno.
CEDIA members will continue to enjoy complimentary access to the show floor, special savings on all CEDIA education and training, and preferential access to hotel blocks based on join date. Exhibiting member companies will continue to enjoy savings on their booth space and accrue priority points for booth selection. The 2017 CEDIA show will take place September 5-9, with the tradeshow floor open September 7-9, in San Diego, with future show locations identified and space booked through 2023.
“The stage has been set for so many exciting opportunities for CEDIA to amplify the support we provide to our members. Our agreement with Emerald lets CEDIA concentrate on our members’ needs, while allowing a professional trade show company to deliver a premier trade show for all attendees,” said Bruno.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
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