News

Sevenoaks Hails Successful Reading Home Cinema Show (22/11/2006)

Many hi-fi and home cinema industry observers regularly question the viability, cost and usefulness of the current headlining national shows. Rare is the event that evades some sort of criticism. The Sevenoaks Sound And Vision Reading Home Cinema Show, however, has proved just such an exception.

Laid on in late October the show was the brainchild of Richard Pasker, owner of the group's Reading franchise. Rather than celebrate the shop's 10th anniversary of successful trading with a coffee morning or suchlike Richard decided he'd put on a free home cinema show for customers, both past, present and future.

Set in the grand surroundings of the Victoria Hall in Reading's Victorian Town Hall the event was attended by a select invited group some of the industry's highest-profile ambassadors: SIM2, Arcam, Loewe, KEF, Pioneer and Spectral.

Naturally the store invited all those on its customer database but pre-show publicity also generated extra interest in the event via online, local radio and printed media, as did leaflet inserts in local newspapers.

Visitors were also tempted by a free prize draw with high value systems from Arcam, Pioneer and KEF on offer. Refreshments included copious amounts of tea, coffee and biscuits along with a complimentary wine-tasting, courtesy of a leading local vintner.

To add extra credibility the event also featured an hour-long home cinema forum for attending visitors. Panel members included Alan Roser (SIM2), Peter Aylett (CEDIA), Jim Catcheside (Pioneer) and John Dawson, with SSAV's Regional Manager Ian Barnett chairing the discussion.

The result was a professionally organized, easily managed but very cost effective show that garnered widespread admiration from those who exhibited: 'This was easily the best dealer-organised event that I've ever attended,' said SIM2's Alan Roser, a view echoed by all his fellow exhibitors.

'It took a little effort to plan and execute,' said SSAV's Richard Pasker, 'but the result was a well-attended show that pleased the local audience, gave valuable exposure to the brands that attended and proved exceedingly cost-effective from our point of view.'

'A purely hi-fi based event simply wouldn't have worked but home cinema is an inclusive form of entertainment that appeals to the whole family.'

'We're so pleased with the way things went that we've already decided to make this an annual event. Next year's show will take place in October once again - timed to avoid clashing with other larger shows - but we're going to expand it and hire an even larger venue, one that will allow more "live" demonstration areas for the invited brands.'

With the model for the show already being examined by several other SSAV franchisees, could this be the beginning of a new trend for 'downsized' but specifically-targeted, retailer-organised Home Cinema shows?

Watch this space...

www.ssav.com