ALEXANDRIA, Va.�Radio magazine caught up with Arrakis Systems Sales Manager Ben Palmer, who gave us his perspective on industry trends, as well as a few NAB Show must-dos.�
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How has business been for the company since last year�s NAB Show?�
2014 was an excellent year for us. Sales were up significantly, and we feel it is a combination of having feature-packed products and the right pricing.�
What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trend at the 2015 NAB Show?�
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The latest trend for radio is connectivity. We focused on this with our automation, by giving you the ability to connect to it anywhere. We added Bluetooth to our consoles, to give you the ability to wirelessly connect to your board. Connectivity brings a whole new dimension to your radio studio.�
What new products will your company be showing? Why should attendees visit your booth?
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The ARC-8-Blue is our latest console. It is the ARC-8 with the added Bluetooth functionality. Connect your cell phone, or tablet, to take calls or play audio. We have also added significant updates to all of our automation product. With a significant addition to the family, DHD-Live. A free software that comes with any of our USB enabled ARC series consoles.�
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The Internet has changed the way people do business. Some would say that it has rendered shows such as the NAB obsolete. Is this true?�
The Internet has made a dramatic shift in how business is done for radio. The customer can learn so much more about our product via our website. All that said, NAB is still critical for customers who want to see the product first-hand. There are many groups who are looking to update their automation, consoles and furniture, and they would much prefer to see our product in person. Even though the Internet has given the consumer much more power to learn about our product, there are still many who want to meet with us direct and see what we are showing off.
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We also use NAB as an opportunity to debut new products and to meet with our dealers. There really isn’t a better venue than NAB.
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What�s your favorite thing about the show? Least favorite thing?�
We love to meet with our customers and dealers face to face. It is a completely different experience when you can shake a hand and visit with them. Radio is definitely a relationship-based industry, and we love to see our friends. There’s a handful of customers that come back every year, and we also are able to see quite a bit of new faces.�
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We also enjoy showing off new product that we have been working on all year.�
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The least favorite part would definitely have to be standing up all day. It gets old pretty quick.�
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Do you have any suggestion that would make the show a better experience for exhibitors and/or attendees?�
Be sure to give yourself a lot of time when you visit. Sometimes one day isn’t enough to get a full experience of the show.�
