[Adimike]

Hi, all,

This is my first post. My name is Adrian Hickman, I am secretary of the IDEA Board of Trustees. IDEA is the Independent Dealers of Entertainment Association, which is the independent video retailer wing of EMA. I am also the General Manager of TLA Video in Philly.

I'll point you first to a column by Jennifer Netherby in Video Business in her current blog THE DOWN LOW, titled WHERE'S THE HI-DEF?

ADMIN EDIT: Here is the link.


She gets it, and makes a fine case for the opportunity that you and the HTF attendees missed, along with the studios, at EMA. While you are rejoicing in your partying and your goodie bags, and your studio updates and your free BluRay players [Forgive me for asking, but why do you need another BluRay or HD-DVD player. Is not your reason for being exactly the early adoption of these formats?]. Someone in another thread mentions that they didn't want to bother the EMA folks. Why not? That is the reason we are there, to interact with other attendees, and to go home enthused and energized.

I read HTF and the Bits and TVshowsonDVD. However, while you were enjoying your excursion, and with free admission to the show to boot, hundreds of independent video retailers were right next door to your meetings, side by side in the Titian and Bellini ballrooms, dying for the chance to interact, and discussing both formats, the introduction of revenue sharing BluRay through Rentak, talking new release and catalog stocking in both Hi-Def formats, sales and rentals, the developement of indieNET, which is an internet backbone to allow any retialer to rent by mail and download to burn, etc. AND they paid for admission to the show as well.

We would have welcomed the chance to interact with your group, and bring a true value beyond tchokes to the show. The retailers at the IndieEXPO have vast amounts of experience in this business, and know we can always learn more.

However, for whatever purpose, you were at our show, yet you were as distant as the East Coast for the week. While many indie retailers had all access passes that cost over $450.00, all access was not actually that, with your soiree under the EMA auspices not included, or even listed in the show guides. I talked with a couple of you in the exhibit hall, but would have liked to have had more interaction.

You don't know what a missed opportunity this would have been to advance the formats. The studios fought the video rental market with the BETAMAX case, and were proven wrong when video retailers launched VHS to amazing rental and sales volume, and gave Hollywood a goldmine. It happened again with DVD, even though Warren Lieberfarb and Warners tried their damndest to discourage rental, and DVD became another amazing cash cow. LaserDisc never achieved a meaningful level of rental success, and it is now just a memory.

The indie video retailers are one again a crucial part of the key to these format launches and their success: we see the regular, non-early adopter everyday, and they come to us becuase they trust us to entertain them, and to inform them when it is time to upgrade.

Yet, for whatever reason, most of you chose goodie bags and photo-ops to true advancement and advocacy for the hi-def future. If you read the above mentioned article, you will see that the hi-def camps were practically the only segment to almost completely ignore the attendees in favor of 75 already-adopters. And, as blogging journalists, I've got to have more doubt about your opinions, because a reporter should never accept free goods from a subject they are covering. How do I know for certain that an endorsement or positive review is not based on a little spiff? I know that is reaching, but that will enter some poeples minds.

I still have a lot of respect for all of you, but it would have been so much better for all if you had joined us, instead of remaining separate. An opportunity unfilled is an opportunity lost.

IDEA has a new concept in October aboard the Carnival Fascination called IndieEXPO At Sea 2007. This will be a intense workshop/seminar event that will included some of the video industries best minds, and is strongly focused on the business, and not on the glitz. You would be amazed at what YOU could learn as well as teach us. We will master and thrive in whatever the future holds, but it would be so much easier with all of you participating instead of sequesting by yourselves.

Adrian

[Adam Gregorich]

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comhttp://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/ /><st1:City w:st=<st1:place w:st="on">Adrian-
You bring up some good points. I will try to address them. Before I do, I will say that your comments really should be directed towards the staff of the sponsoring sites (including this one) and EMA, not our members who attended. We had an agenda set for them and they followed it.

I read the article you mentioned while I was still at the show and Jennifer makes some excellent points. I have no idea why both HD formats met with us exclusively. I can tell you that we worked very hard over an extended period to get them there to meet with us. I can also tell you that our members let them know that they were doing a poor job of training the front line retailers who interact with and educate the consumers.

This was our first show (and hopefully your feelings won't make it our last). Neither those of us who organized it, nor our attendees has any idea what to expect. I can assure you that you were not being intentionally snubbed by us. The reason our members didn't really want to "bother" a lot of people at the show is because they recognized that they were there are enthusiasts, and you were there to conduct business, and they didn't want to interfere with that. I can only speculate that the reason we weren't in the show schedule was that our schedule wasn't locked down until a week before the show. I did see our events posted in the daily schedule in one of the two daily magazines (can't remember which).

Quote:

Yet, for whatever reason, most of you chose goodie bags and photo-ops to true advancement and advocacy for the hi-def future

While I have agreed with you up to this point I think this and similar statements you made are very unfair. Most of our members who attended advocate for a hi-def future on a daily basis through this and other forums. I understand that that you are frustrated at being slighted by the HD camps, but you don't need to take that out on our members who attended. You might not be aware of this, but we have a long term relationship with most of the studios, and every 3 or 4 years they invite us out to LA to see what they are doing. EMA was aware of this and decided to include us this year instead of us going out to LA. Additionally it was our 10th anniversary, so that is why the studios pulled out all the stops. While it is true that we got into the show for free, our members paid their way there like everyone else. Like I said earlier, if you have any criticism it should be directed to the staff, and not the members who attended.

It is important to know that we the staff and our members have the utmost respect for independent retailers. We have all been to the big box stores and know that most of the sales reps there don't know a thing, or more importantly, know the wrong things and are sources of misinformation, while the independent retailers try hard to stay on top of things, educate and build relationships with their customers.

I appreciate the invitation to our members to join your EXPO. I have no doubt that there is a lot our members can teach each other.

While I didn't agree with everything you posted, I do appreciate your candor, and I am going to send you a PM with my contact information. Please contact me off line so we can work together to not have any lost opportunities next year (assuming we are invited again). In addition we can explore ways to communicate and build relationships between our groups using this forum. Since we missed the boat (no pun intended) at EMA, maybe we can assist you in getting some HD format presence on your cruise.</st1:place></st1:City>
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<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Thanks,
Adam Gregorich
Home Theater Forum
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[Adam Gregorich]

Since this is a conversation that should happen with staff/owners I am closing this thread.