MI Pro

After a successful four years, 2008 sadly marked the end of the DJ Show North, after organiser Paul Arnett observed a drop in enthusiasm among DJs for non-retail events, such as his. It was a great shame for the North to lose its only DJ-focused show, but for the electrical and related product distributor, CPC, it provided a golden opportunity to build some awareness of its steadily increasing presence in the MI market.

Established in 1967, CPC has over 40 years experience of serving a large and diverse customer base. The company stocks more than 100,000 products from over 1,200 manufacturers and adds a mind-boggling 10,000 new lines every year. A growing percentage of this stock includes sound and light equipment and this has recently led to the addition of musical instruments.

Chris Beesley, product manager for AV and installation, explains: “We pretty much cover all markets, but at the moment we’re playing a big role in the sound and light markets and that extends into the musical instrument sector. We stock a reasonable range of budget instruments – we don’t go into the higher-end branded instruments, but we’re starting to import more and more MI products ourselves. This allows us to give music shops cracking deals, from which they can resell at very reasonable prices, give the end-user a great deal and still yield a good margin.”

CPC is a relatively new player in MI distribution and this, combined with its philosophy of spreading thinly across a huge number of markets, has meant that it is still unknown to many potential customers. To remedy this it has decided to host an open day/trade show aimed at the sound and light sector in general, where those who could benefit from its services can find out more about the company and the products it sells. The date is set for the last weekend in July, on which DJ Show North was previously held.

“For us it’s about being better known in the industry,” notes Beesley. “We cross over a very wide range of products, so if we open our doors and let them in, they can come and meet us and find out exactly what we do. The cancellation of the DJ show left a free date as far as Northern MI shows are concerned. We figured that a good proportion of people who would have gone to that show would also have an interest in what we had to offer. So we jumped on the back of that and decided to hold our own show the same weekend – it’s already one that people recognise as having a sound and light show. It seems like the best chance to generate a bit more awareness of CPC in the industry.”

The option of employing an external venue was considered, but CPC decided that the more personal environment of its own offices was preferable. It is important for trade visitors to have a look around and get a feel for how it operates.

As Beesley says, CPC has an enormous site – hundreds of thousands of square feet – so there is ample room to fit everyone in.

Called Sounds and FX Live, the show is to be based around CPC’s new catalogue of the same name, which details the 1,100-plus MI-related products that the firm stocks. The event will bring together 25 manufacturers, showcasing more than 65 brands, many of which are recognised industry heavyweights, such as Kam, Sennhesier, Adam Hall and many more. Exhibitors will be on hand to provide live demonstrations of the latest products and offer expert advice and guidance.

“The open day is designed to let industry people know who we are and what we do,” concludes Beesley. “From the end-user, through education, right up to trade level, where we already have dedicated account managers dealing with music shops all over country. We have a lot to offer MI and this is set to grow.”

CPC’s Sounds and FX Live show takes place on Sunday July 26th at the firm’s offices in Fulwood, Preston. Information and registration can be found at http://cpc.farnell.com.
CPC: 01772 664832