The Retail Doctor Bobb Phipps Headlines Mobile Electronics Association’s KnowledgeFest

September 20, 2019 – – Rockford Fosgate, a vehicle audio manufacturer based in Tempe, Arizona, recently sponsored the Saturday morning keynote speech by Bob Phibbs at the newest edition of KnowledgeFest. The event was hosted by The Mobile Electronics Association (MEA) from the 9th of August to the 11th.

KnowledgeFest is a series of trade shows featuring manufacturer and benefit-provider exhibits. It is curated to provide the best education, training, and networking opportunities for people of all skill levels. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, this latest iteration of the event managed to break records for both attendance and exhibit space.

Held at the Dallas Convention Center, KnowledgeFest hosted more than 2,000 attendees, had 73 exhibitors with over 50 show vehicles, and covered an impressive 110,000 sq. feet of exhibit space. There were over 120 hours of vendor training and educational workshops carried out over the three-day weekend.

Sponsored by car audio manufacturer Rockford Fosgate, the Retail Doctor Bob Phibbs headlined the event and delivered his Saturday morning keynote speech to an enthusiastic, standing-room-only crowd. Phibbs’ topic of the day was titled ‘You Can Compete: How to Stop Getting Your Butt Kicked by Online Competitors.’ The Retail Doctor educated the engaged crowd on ways for traditional brick-and-mortar retailers to compete with online competition and increase their profits by bringing in more customers to their stores.

Theresa Anthony, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Rockford Fosgate, says, “It was an absolute pleasure for us to sponsor Bob Phibbs and put him up on the stage on Saturday. He hasn’t earned the moniker ‘The Retail Doctor’ without cause. He is a man of many talents—an internationally recognized business strategist, customer service expert, sales coach, marketing mentor, and motivational business speaker. He’s written three books about the retail industry. Having him give the keynote speech was a great idea from the beginning, and the audience’s reaction on the day proved that. We at Rockford are just proud to be a part of it all.”

Anthony continues, “We like helping out wherever we can, however we can. Recently, we were also the official audio sponsor of a motorcycle audio event in the City of Sturgis, the 79th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. As a company, we believe that we should use our resources in ways that benefit the community, and our sponsorships are just part of what we’re doing to accomplish this goal.”

While the 25th anniversary of KnowledgeFest was a special occasion, there were also other causes to celebrate the event. For instance, it also marked the first Women of Mobile Electronics networking lunch, which had over 40 women in attendance. It was hosted by MEA CFO Ellen DeLuca, and included a panel presentation moderated by Tech Up for Women founder, Dawn Pratt. Panelists included Rachel Clark from K40, Elizabeth Parks from Parks Associates, and Rockford Fosgate’s own Theresa Anthony.

Chris Cook, President of MEA, adds “Being in Dallas was a great way to celebrate KnowledgeFest’s 25th anniversary. The event performed beyond our expectations. Bob Phibbs’ keynote speech was definitely a highlight and the rest of the event matched the level of quality set by his presentation—especially the Women of Mobile Electronics, which held their first networking lunch to great success. The whole MEA team is already at work to keep that momentum going forward as KnowledgeFest goes coast-to-coast in 2020, with the addition of our fourth event in Orlando. Mobile specialists, both retailers and manufacturers, agree that MEA’s KnowledgeFest is a unique event in that it meets their interests; it delivers education, valuable information, and manufacturer training. That’s not even counting the chance to see the newest innovations in the industry.”

There are no more KnowledgeFest events scheduled for the rest of 2019. However, interested parties need not worry. Cook states that there are four events planned across 2020. The first will take place in Long Beach, California from the 7th to the 9th of February, followed by another in Indianapolis, Indiana from the 27th to the 29th of March, and a third event from the 15th to the 17th of May in Orlando, Florida. The fourth event for 2020 will take place in Dallas, Texas, much like the last KnowledgeFest, from August 21st to the 23rd.

Those who wish to learn more about Rockford Fosgate or the Mobile Electronics Association may find the necessary information on the companies’ respective websites. Both companies also maintain a presence on Facebook, where they share regular updates, photos from past events, and information about upcoming events.

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For more information about Rockford Fosgate, contact the company here:

Rockford Fosgate
Theresa Anthony
480-517-3107
Theresa.anthony@rockfordcorp.com
600 South Rockford Drive
Tempe, Arizona 85281, U.S.A.

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