LEXINGTON, KY–ELAN Home Systems, a leading manufacturer of award-winning Multi-Room audio/video and home automation systems, announced today that Lutron Electronics, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of lighting controls, and Middle Atlantic Products, the leading supplier of professional equipment mounting solutions for residential Installers have signed on as Headline Sponsors for ELAN Tech Week 2008. Tech Week has grown into the ultimate educational source for Home Entertainment / Audio, IP-Based Control, and Luxury Home Theater solutions. The announcement was made by Paul Starkey, ELAN’s Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
This year’s Tech Week has been expanded to include full training from ELAN’s closest partner companies, Sunfire and HomeLogic, as well as Tech Week Sponsors, and has increased training spots by 35% in order to meet attendee demand. Tech Week 2008 will be held from May 13 – 16, 2008, at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington, Kentucky with attendance limited exclusively to a maximum of 300 authorized ELAN, HomeLogic and Sunfire Dealers.
This one-of-a-kind program has been designed specifically to provide three different levels of hands-on and classroom training featuring separate key points of focus pertaining to the individual attendee’s experience level in order to help optimize learning for all. Attendees will also be given the opportunity to preview ELAN’s newest products and provide feedback on them, as well as benefit from direct access to participating VIP partners and the entire ELAN, HomeLogic and Sunfire teams.
As the lead Sponsors of ELAN’s Tech Week, Lutron and Middle Atlantic Products will co-host various events during the four day program with ELAN including the final evening event. In addition, the top Sponsors will present specific product courses and showcase their products integrated with ELAN systems in a dedicated VIP exhibition area. This will provide Installers the opportunity to see how these manufacturers continue to work hand-in-hand with ELAN in order to simplify product integration and their installations. In addition, all Sponsors will have the opportunity to meet with the Dealers, be part of Tech Week marketing efforts, and participate in Installer discussions and activities.
“We are very pleased to welcome Lutron and Middle Atlantic Products back as our VIP Headline Tech Week Sponsors for 2008”, said Paul Starkey. “Tech Week’s ongoing support from these prestigious companies is a testament to the strength of this event and our ongoing dedication to integration partnerships and collaborations. Having these leading folks join us provides exceptional added value for attending Dealers, and allows us to create a powerful, well-rounded program.”
Hands-on, interactive training is one of the primary focuses of Tech Week, and attendees of this year’s event will be able to get down and dirty with 30 fully-loaded racks of ELAN and ELAN Integration Partner products. Installers will also have the opportunity to attend a variety of highly relevant classes whose goals are to directly address the needs and elevate the skill set of today’s Custom Electronic Installer.
“Based on the success of our participation in ELAN’s inaugural Tech Week two years ago as well as our ELAN TRIO Sponsorships, we recognize that these training events present a unique opportunity to interact very closely with some of the country’s top Dealers, Technicians and Programmers which is of the utmost importance to us and our business,” said Jeff Zemanek, Director of Residential Systems Accounts for Lutron. “The ability to share information regarding our new techniques, technologies and insights with this important audience in an up-close and personal manner is invaluable.”
Mike Baker, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Middle Atlantic Products added, “This is such an installer-focused, visionary training event, that we knew we wanted to continue supporting the event as a Headline Sponsor. Tech Week is the ideal platform for us to get our products and technologies in front of three hundred of the finest Dealers in one place, and we are thrilled to once again be included as a top partner. Like ELAN, we recognize the tremendous value of building and nurturing Dealer relationships and providing them with the best training possible.”
Tech Week is one key piece of ELAN’s and sister companies HomeLogic’s and Sunfire’s award-wining and broad spectrum of industry-benchmark training options. Dealers may choose exactly what is best for them from a vast array of multi-faceted options including, but not limited to, ELAN and Sunfire University, weekly national in-field trainings, Lexington twice-monthly Headquarters Training Seminars, trade show trainings, Distribution trainings, and Tech Week. These options combined create a training lineup offering unmatched by any other specialty company in the business. Additionally, all programs offer certification, so that Dealers have the means to be the best they can be with ELAN, sister companies HomeLogic and Sunfire, and close partner companies including Lutron and Middle Atlantic Products. ELAN University alone now leads industry training with over 133,000 courses taken, over 5,200 certifications issued, and over 5,100 students participating.
Registration for ELAN Tech Week is limited to 300 attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees who sign up by February 1st will receive an awesome, top-of-the-line ELAN Tool Bag. Companies that sign up three or more people will receive a free year of tuition at ELAN and Sunfire University for the July 2008 – June 2009 school year for one person or a USB-to-Serial Converter Cable each for those three who have signed-up. The deadline for registration is April 1, 2008.
Tech Week fees are $325 for the conference or $799 for both the conference and hotel accommodations. Both fees include all Tech Week training, seminars, activities, events, materials, promotional items, and most meals. Additional registration information can be found at www.elanhomesystems.com/techweek. For more information about Tech Week, interested parties may call Cindy Haley or Kim Stone-Yonts at 859.422.7175 or 859.422.7135 or email ELAN at techweek@elanhomesystems.com.
About Lutron Electronics:
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, is the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of lighting controls and architectural lighting control systems for residential, commercial, industrial and institutional applications. For additional information, please visit www.lutron.com.
About Middle Atlantic Products:
Middle Atlantic Products, Inc. is headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey and is an ISO 9001:2000-registered leading manufacturer of state-of-the-art steel enclosure systems for a wide range of applications, including the custom residential, commercial audio video installation, security, broadcast, post production, structured cabling and premise wiring markets. For over 25 years the company has been dedicated to the proposition that the enclosure systems is as important as the equipment it protects. Middle Atlantic Products incorporates application-driven engineering into every system it designs in order to meet the individualized requirements of the broadest range of installers. For additional information, please visit www.middleatlantic.com.
About ELAN Home Systems:
ELAN Home Systems is a leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning Multi-Room audio/video and home automation systems. Based in Lexington, KY, the company’s systems were the first to integrate audio, video, phones and third-party products to create a seamless, easy-to-use “whole house” experience. The company’s unique products provide complete lifestyle, feature-rich solutions, yet can be configured to fit the specific needs of every homeowner. ELAN products are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select Dealers and Distributors throughout the United States, Canada and 58 countries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com.
ELAN is a trademark of ELAN Home Systems, LLC, Lexington, KY. VIA! is a registered trademark of ELAN Home Systems, LLC. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Hi-resolution photography for this story includes a color logo and photo here…
ELAN’s Tech Week Logo: http://www.elanhomesystems.com/pressroom/images/elan_tw08_image1.jpg
Tech Week Training Class: http://www.elanhomesystems.com/pressroom/images/elan_tw08_image2.jpg
Press Contacts:
Cat Fowler
ELAN Home Systems
Lexington, KY
t) 859-269-7760 X 161 f) 859-268-2132
e) cfowler@elanhomesystems.com
Steven Style
The Steven Style Group
New York, New York
t)212-465-1290 f) 212-465-1299
e) stevens@stylegroup.com
