Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM MARCH 2016 74 B U Y I N G G R O U P N E W S NATIONWIDE INTRODUCES NEW EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM AND REINVENTED PRIMETIME! LIVE SESSIONS The new year will bring an increased focus on Nationwide Marketing Group's industry-leading educational platforms. Set to be unveiled at the group's PrimeTime! member conference is the new Nationwide Learning Academy, bringing all of the group's educational initiatives under one identity. This comes on the heels of a record breaking year in which Members earned certifications on more than 160,000 product, selling skills, management and technology video learning programs, making the Nationwide Online Learning Center the industry's most utilized digital learning system. "Education isn't an event at Nationwide, it's a comprehensive process. This increase in alignment between our curricula of live sessions and our vast library of digital learning programs allows these resources to support one another more effectively. For more than fifteen years now, Nationwide has been the industry leader in employee development, technology training and best practices implementation. Our philosophy is that in a competitive marketplace the best team will win, and our commitment is that Nationwide Members will have the best teams," said Jeff Knock, CCO of Nationwide. Mike Whitaker, who coordinates the group's educational efforts, added, "We've spent the past few months gathering and analyzing direct feedback from hundreds of Members representing retail operations of all sizes and in all categories. Based on our Members' requests, and in concert with or existing portfolio of advanced digital assets, we are further aligning our content delivery so that one effort supports the other. The Nationwide Learning Academy is built on a foundation of year-round learning with three primary goals: to inform our Members of the latest products, trends, best practices and strategies for success; to inspire them to innovate and create world- class guest experiences; and to provide our opportunities to interact with one another, drawing on the successes and ideas of their colleagues." Nationwide Learning Academy live sessions, covering topics ranging from Leadership, Marketing, Digital, to Merchandising will replace PrimeTime! University at the show in Orlando. For the unveiling, the group will offer the most comprehensive curriculum of course opportunities to date, with the addition of flexible scheduling and a full slate of sessions presented by industry leaders, content authorities, key vendors, internal professionals and more. Please visit www.nationwideprimetime.com for more information. NEW VENDORS JOIN EXPANDING HTSN GROUP Several vendors have just recently joined HTSN, the premier custom electronics and installation group of Nationwide Marketing Group and HTSA. Three new brands, Atlona, Simple Control and SalezToolz are now vendor partners for the groups' CI independent retailers. The alliance with Atlona showcases Nationwide's continued focus on the push into 4K HDMI extenders, switches and accessories. "We're excited to partner with HTSN and the opportunity they bring in providing Atlona products to their network across the country. HTSN's distribution capabilities means their specialty dealer base can quickly obtain our unique switching and extension products to grow both our businesses," said Ilya Khayn, president & CEO of Atlona. Simple Control brings the ease of home automation, auto-discovery of devices on a network and an extensive library of CE products, making them one of the easiest apps for controlling the connected home. "We're excited to announce our partnership with Home Technology Specialists Nationwide," said Simple Control VP of Sales Keith Pribyl. "With HTSN's specialized dealer network and deep understanding of high-tech products, they are well positioned to help us with the launch of our new and ground-breaking product line." "We continue to build our vendor assortment to provide the best mix for our CI dealers," said Hank Alexander, director of HTSN. "We also want to announce the addition of a new member, HiFi Buys, based out of Atlanta. HTSN will continue to specializes in bringing HiFi Buys and other independent retailers the best CI brands in the business in automation, screens, whole home audio and video distribution, complete theater packages, seating and accessories for custom integration businesses." RO LEARNING ACADEMY NATIONWIDE INFORM, INTERACT, INSPIRE.

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