K-Array unveils new products at first Global Distributor Meeting
Published: ASIA
WORLD: K-Array recently held its first Global Distributor Meeting (GDM) in San Piero a Sieve in Florence, Italy. The two-day event was attended by over 80 people, where the company outlined its plans for the coming months, introduced two new products, revealed the brand’s training programme for 2013, and held an awards ceremony.
The manufacturer used the GDM to unveil its new Anakonda speaker and the KRM33 miniaturised monitor, and announced that further details on these new products will be released soon.
K-Array’s Jan, Marcelo, Paolo, Esteban, Dimitry, Alessandro, Christophe, Massimo, Klaus, Eric, Vaino, Michael, Hans-Eric, Laura, Josef, Roger and Ziquian were amongst the manufacturer’s representatives present, as were various distributors that used the GDM to meet for the first time.
‘The meeting represented a chance to meet the distributors, faces were put with names, people got to meet the names behind the company and it was an opportunity to outline the objectives of the coming months,’ said a K-Array spokesperson. ‘Above all, the GDM was a chance to meet, shake hands and strengthen relations.’
R&D director Nicola Pieri and purchasing and manufacturing director Antonio Vanacore spoke about R&D and purchasing and production, respectively, whilst the opening speech focused on the company’s strategy for the future.
In the afternoon, product specialist manager Francesco Maffei discussed the Anakonda and the KRM33 and addressed the importance of training events, outlining the two paths available at K-Array (Certified Operator/Designer and Certified Engineer). He then announced the company’s 2013 training programme, which will visit Hong Kong in April, the US in June and Italy in October.
The GDM also hosted an award ceremony, where Sennheiser Hong Kong was named best distributor, whilst best installation went to Sennheiser Electronic Corporation (US). Meanwhile, best broadcast show went to Sennheiser UK, best live event to Sennheiser Canada, and best exhibition to Gobos do Brasil.
Marketing communication manager Andrea Torelli discussed the importance of communication at K-Array. ‘It is through communication that we raise expectations,’ he said. The day concluded with a presentation from vice president Michel Brouard, who ‘will personally follow the Asian market, a rapidly expanding and promising area for the company’.
On day two, a GDM workshop section saw attendees work in five rooms at different times of the day. The sections comprised a marketing session with Mr Torelli and Chantal Lemieux, a discussion on new products with Francesco Maffei and a software section with Tommaso Selvetti. Service was covered by Daniel Strasserra, and a sales forecast and purchase order procedure event was lead by Cristina Noferini.
One-to-one sessions among various sales contacts from different areas and area dealers and retailers were also held on day two, including sessions with Michel Brouard for East Asia and Oceania, Richard Boveri for central and Southern America, Leo D’Andrea for Russia, Western Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Leo Dani for Europe, United States and Canada.