News

Global Presence Alliance fournit une approche simplifiée et cohérente au déploiement de la technologie audiovisuelle et de vidéoconférence au niveau mondial. Composée d’une structure experte de l’industrie, l’Alliance est engagée à adopter une pratique exemplaire pour garantir la meilleure satisfaction au client peu importe l’endroit où il se trouve. L’Alliance proposera une approche de solutions avec fournisseur exclusif à une intégration complète de systèmes audio et vidéo en délivrant une plus grande simplicité à travers son service des opérations centralisé. L’efficacité opérationnelle sera accrue pour les clients avec un interlocuteur unique au niveau mondial pour le design, l’ingénierie, l’intégration et la maintenance permanente de leurs systèmes technologiques.

Global Presence Alliance rassemble la technologie et les services partout dans le monde pour permettre aux nouveaux et actuels clients d’avoir les moyens de créer des stratégies à l’échelle mondiale pour :

Améliorer l’efficacité grâce à des plates-formes technologiques standardisées

Améliorer la communication et aider le travail de coopération à travers la technologie

Mieux utiliser les actifs de l’entreprise

Réduire les coûts au moyen d’accords d’achat au niveau mondial

Faciliter l’extension à d’autres territoires

http://global-presence.org/about# (anglais)

SMARTTM Technologies Products and Services- Awarded Suppliers

Supply products to institutions in: Central I East I North East regions/zones. Find out what region your institution falls under ?

http://www.oecm.ca/sourcing/institutions/contractinfo/smart/smart_suppliers/sharp.html

Le 16 décembre 2011                                                

Personne-ressource AVW-TELAV:  Heidi Welker 905-366-92

 Personne-ressource Sharp’s Contact: Tim St. Louis 403-301-4702

POUR DIFFUSION IMMÉDIATE

Toronto, ON… AVW-TELAV Solutions Audiovisuelles et Sharp's audiovisuel ont le plaisir de vous annoncer la signature d’une entente entre les deux compagnies afin d’échanger les actifs de la division de conception et intégration de systèmes de AVW-TELAV ainsi que certains actifs de la division Videoscope de AVW-TELAV à Sharp's audiovisuel; et échanger les actifs de la division de location et de scénographie de Sharp's audiovisuel ainsi que la division de location et de scénographie de Videoscope à AVW-TELAV.

« Le modèle d’entreprise de AVW-TELAV est principalement basé sur la location, la scénographie événementielle et le secteur des établissements, explique la présidente de AVW-TELAV, Madame Johanne Bélanger. “Le secteur primaire du modèle d’entreprise de Sharp's audiovisuel est basé sur le modèle d’intégration de système, ajoute le Président-directeur général de Sharp’s, monsieur Jeff Faber. Ces deux organisations ont su bâtir des entreprises fructueuses en utilisant ces modèles respectifs. Ceci est donc une décision judicieuse démontrant que l’ensemble des compétences garantira que la clientèle sera desservie de façon optimale par les départements de AVW-TELAV et Sharp's audiovisuel possédant les compétences requises à leurs spécialités respectives.”

L’entière division de conception et intégration de systèmes de AVW-TELAV et Videoscope; incluant les services de soutien technique, la production, et les médias d’enregistrement seront intégrés à Sharp's audiovisuel. La division entière de location et de scénographie de Sharp’s de plus que la division de location et de scénographie de Videoscope seront intégrées à AVW-TELAV. “Ceci touche les compétences fondamentales de chacun des groupes. Ceci signifie aussi que nous ne commercialiserons plus la marque Videoscope” annonce Madame Bélanger.

Ces deux organisations sont des exemples éminents en tant que fournisseur de service à la clientèle mettant l’accent sur l’innovation et la créativité. Ceci est la fondation sur laquelle ont été construites ces organisations respectives. “Nous croyons que cet échange d’actifs apportera des perspectives de croissance pour chacun des secteurs d’activités puisque les modèles d’affaires de chacun des groupes ont des procédés d’affaires et des objectifs de livraisons pour leur clientèle qui sont conformes à leurs champs d’intérêt spécifiques”, explique M. Faber. Et madame Bélanger, d’ajouter : “ces possibilités de croissance se traduisent aussi en de grandes opportunités pour nos clients et employés”.

À propos de AVW-TELAV

AVW-TELAV Solutions audiovisuelles offre une gamme complète de services audiovisuels et de

technologies de présentation à travers l’Amérique du Nord. Ces services comprennent la location d’équipement audiovisuel et informatique, la mise en place d’événements, l’interprétation simultanée, les systèmes numériques dont la gestion des présentations, le système interactif de réponses, la capture d’image et la webdiffusion, ainsi que des systèmes de discussions multi micros, des solutions pour expositions et salons commerciaux, de conférences de presse et de coordination technique dans le cadre de réunions, congrès, événements corporatifs et salons commerciaux. AVW-TELAV est une compagnie de Freeman. Pour plus d’information, visitez le www.avwtelav.com.

À propos de Sharp’s audiovisuel

Sharp's audiovisuel offre une gamme complète de solutions audiovisuelles tout en étant chef de file au niveau du professionnalisme et du service. Ces services incluent : la conception de systèmes d’entreprise, les systèmes d’affichage numériques, la conception et la gestion de contenu, des services de consultation préventes, service après-vente d’ententes de niveau de service “Rapid Care”. Depuis 1923, nous avons établi les normes en tant qu’innovation et service au sein de l’industrie de l’audiovisuel. Aujourd’hui, la force de notre équipe nationale se retrouve dans ses deux-cent-cinquante membres. Les sociétés internationales et nationales, petites et moyennes entreprises, institutions publiques ou gouvernementales, éducateurs et organisations de toutes industries et de toutes tailles, font confiance aux connaissances de Sharp's audiovisuel. Pour plus d’informations, visitez www.sharpsav.com

Sharp's Audio Visual introduces a new Customer Portal

Sharp's Audio Visual introduces a new Customer Portal to better service our customers. The portal will enable our customers to access account information and order ETA's and request service calls among other services. Tim St. Louis, VP Sales and Marketing states, "This unique offering provides an excellent example of how Sharp's Audio Visual strives to increase customer service in a timely manner". Join the Sharp's AV Customer Portal by visiting sharpsav.com. 

Sharp's Audio Visual is featured in the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education Video

Wendy St. Louis, Sharp's Audio Visual Employment Equity Coordinator explains our participation in the MAPLE program (Multicultural Achievement Program for Learning Employers) through Immigrant Services Calgary. The MAPLE program allows an internationally trained professional to work with Sharp's Audio Visual on a three month internship to enable them to receive Canadian workplace experience. Wendy explains how both Sharp's Audio Visual and the intern benefited.

See video 3,4 and 5 for input from Sharp's AV on this important program:

http://www.cfeep2p.com/video3_cfee.html

Sharp's Audio Visual bursary for Mount Royal University's Faculty of Communications

Jeff Faber, President and CEO and Connie McEgan, Senior Account Manager of Sharp's Audio Visual are happy to award a bursary to each of Kasey-Micaela Titchener and Ashley Kendall of Mount Royal University's Faculty of Communications. The Sharp's Audio Visual Bursary is awarded to two full-time students in the second year of the Broadcasting Diploma.

Another Great Moment at Gold Medal Plates

During the Gold Medal Plates celebration, October 29th, 2011, Sharp's Audio Visual Director of HR, Lynne Charney checks out the gold medal won by Canadian pairs Figure Skater, Jamie Sale at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.  Net proceeds from Gold Medal Plates are given to the Canadian Olympic Foundation, which supports athletes and high performance programs. To date, over $5 million has been raised. Sharp's Audio Visual proudly supplier the Audio Visual rentals and event staging for the Gold Medal Plates events across Canada. Visit: http://www.goldmedalplates.com

Sharp's Audio Visual Sponsors Gold Medal Plates again in 2011

Sharp's Audio Visual President and CEO, Jeff Faber, has some fun with Theoren Fleury at the Gold Medal Plates celebration, October 29th, 2011. Net proceeds from Gold Medal Plates are given to the Canadian Olympic Foundation, which supports athletes and high performance programs. To date, over $5 million has been raised. Sharp's Audio Visual is the proud supplier the Audio Visual rentals and event staging for the the Gold Medal Plates events across Canada. Visit: http://www.goldmedalplates.com

Sharp's Audio Visual helps NHL Team with their audio visual needs

Coach Tom Renney was overall happy with the results of this game “I thought it was an entertaining game.” There are not many days of camp before the first pre-season games on Tuesday, but Renney has a plan of sorts for assigning players and that may begin on Monday.

Renney is looking for more from everyone this year.  It’s “Fair to say that in our exit meetings last year and our camp opening meeting the other night they understand internally that there are higher expectations of course and I think they’re smart enough to know that the ramifications of anything less than what you’re able to give isn’t good enough.“

Of course after two 30th place finishes, the Oilers’ demand more from their team. This storied franchise has seen their troubles and struggles since the dynasty days, but these have been all new lows.

The Edmonton oilers are also the proud owners of a new SMART board in the Oilers’ locker room and Renney seems quite happy to have it. “Good we had one in New York, and they’re a great device. I’m already better at it in two days than I was in 7 months in New York. It’s a good device; it’s just more state of the art for us. The guys get more clarity, more precision into what we’re looking for in terms of what they can see and view and assimilate. It’s good technology.

“It really is a good teaching tool because you can freeze the frame, you can highlight, you can illuminate certain players, you can make the trajectory of the player of the puck or where he should have been instead of where he went.  And then the arena diagram itself is something you can draw on and it seems that the white board is something that is going by the wayside in Oilerland, finally.”

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/patch/comments/joey_moss_cup_kicks_of_oilers_pre-season/

http://www.infocor.com/solutions/SMART-Board.asp

Display Technology 

As someone who has been working in the audio visual industry for twenty years, I sometimes get a little weary of the same old question, “What is hot in AV, Tim?” Sometimes I struggle with this one but today I am pretty thrilled to share a couple of items I feel are in fact, pretty hot. 

Every year I see more and more manufacturers enter the audio visual marketplace with their version of touch technology. Although this technology has long had a place with interactive whiteboards in the kindergarten to grade twelve setting, 2011 is the break out year for touch in the business meeting space. Most impressively is the SMART 8070i-MP. This elegant 70 inch commercial grade LCD screen will really make you wonder why you have not been using this all along. It offers precise and intuitive operation on a 1920 x 1080 resolution screen and provides two 15 W speakers for audio support. Even more impressive than this great piece of hardware is the way the user can interface with the software. First off, this product seems like it was made for Windows 7 touch gestures, you can manipulate objects with gestures like zoom, rotate, pan, flick and toss. Not only that, two people can write, erase and manipulate objects simultaneously – the 8070i automatically recognizes what each user is doing and responds accordingly. Whether you have it loaded onto your laptop or using the auto loading SMART Go Wire, SMART’s Meeting Pro software takes your presentation abilities to another level. Meet Pro has been designed with ease of use, effective communication and collaboration in mind. You can write notes over virtually any application or web page, capture them as a screenshot and save everything in a PDF or PPT file. Or you can mark up files in common applications, like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio and OneNote, as well as Adobe Acrobat Pro, and SMART Meeting Pro will insert and save your notes in the original document for immediate distribution. For a further enhanced experience, there is the Premium version of SMART Meeting Pro that will automate data conferencing abilities with SMART Bridgit conferencing software and enable the control of multiple screens in a single meeting room from one computer – just like in your office. Imagine your ability to conference with your branch office in another province with effective collaboration of multiple computer programs, seamlessly increasing productivity and saving travel costs for a positive return on investment in no time.

Outside of the meeting space, your organization and advertisers are trying all kinds of unique ways to grab your attention and captivate you with their message. I recently came across a product that really caught my eye.  The Laser Phosphor Display (LPD) by Prysm is a unique 20” x 15” tile screen that is powered by a patented laser engine and a phosphor panel to create stunning images and at 30W per tile using 75% less power than traditional technologies. Each tile provides brilliant images a 320 x 240 pixels and can be configured into any shape you can imagine. Whether it is a large 13 x 9 tile wall with 4160 x 2160 pixels, the Prysm Digital Mannequin and Kiosk or creating a your own spellbinding inukshuk inspired freeform video display, the Prysm Laser Phosphor Display is sure to captivate.

I hope these new products peak your interest as much as they do mine, we now use the SMART 8070i in almost every one of our meetings and cannot wait to see the Prysm product being used across the country.

Tim St. Louis is the VP Sales and Marketing at Sharp’s Audio Visual, a national audio visual design integrator and rentals and event staging business. Tim can be reached at tim.stlouis@sharpsav.com or through their web site at sharpsav.com. 

Sharp's Audio Visual participates in The Habitat for Humanity build in Cochrane

Sharp's Audio Visual is proud to have participated in The Habitat for Humanity build in Cochrane on Saturday, October 1. We were working on a 5 unit building in Cochrane and after many months of fundraising it was great to finally complete the sponsorship.

The weather co-operated and we accomplished a good amount of work on the site. We were assisted by some people from Canadian Natural Resources Limited, and a couple of independent volunteers, as well as the dedicated build crew from Habitat (about 5 to 6 others).

Habitat for Humanity Calgary is a non-profit organization working for a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. It has been consistently providing affordable housing in Calgary and surrounding areas for the past 20 years, achieving results and making a difference for local families.

Habitat’s homeownership model empowers families by providing a “hand-up, not a hand-out”. Through volunteer labour and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses alongside homeowner (partner) families.

The Sharp's crew consisted of:

• Connie McEgan & Judy Iwacha - paint railings
• James Sealey - load-in drywall
• Karl Desjardins - rework electric wiring that was missing for lighting
• Neil Doran - spray foaming between unit walls in upper roof trussing, regular & fire-rated (more than drinking coffee, as the picture showed)
• Paul & Deb Kummer - isolation & vapour barrier
• Phil Nash - scaffolding & siding
• Tim Farrell - fencing
• Our group was rounded out by Patrick & Doris Brown-Harrison and Don Dombowsky, friends of Karl.

Thanks to all of the Sharpies who contributed many hours and countless dollars to support this wonderful cause.

Sharp's Audio Visual introduces the NanoLumens LED display technology

This unique product is a light weight and flexible version of traditional versions of LED displays. The NanoLumen display is ideal for curved walls, areas of high brightness or where little structural work is desired to mount heavy LED displays. For more information contact sales@sharpsav.com



Sharp's Audio Visual Welcomes Prysm to Our Product Line Up

Sharp's Audio Visual is excited to now offer Prysm display solutions to our customers. Prysm is a unique low power consumption, brilliant display tile product that uses laser phosphor display technology to create exceptional images. As a tile based technology, Prysm can be configured into almost any screen size or shape you can imagine. For more information contact sales@sharpsav.com

Nomination for Supplier of the Year

Sharp's Audio Visual has been nominated for Supplier of the Year with the Greater Edmonton Chapter of Meeting Planners International. The awards banquet will held at the Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe on June 15th, 2011. Congratulations Edmonton and good luck! 

Global Imagination Western Canada Roadshow

Sharp's Audio Visual is excited to welcome Mike Foody, co-founder and CEO of Global Imagination, the maker of the Magic Planet, to Alberta and British Columbia during our Calgary and Vancouver information sessions happening in May.  The Magic Planet is "an innovative and engaging way of teaching people about our world."  It's a unique and dynamic teaching and presentation tool that's being used by educators, museums and corporations around the world.

Click here to see the invitation and details about the Calgary presentation

Click here to see the invitation and details about the Vancouver presentation



Omnivex Corporation, Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and a leading provider of digital signage solutions for enterprise-level customers, announced that for the second consecutive year, Sharp's Audio Visual has been named their Global Value Added Reseller (VAR) for 2010. The award was presented during a congratulatory ceremony hosted at the Omnivex headquarters in Concord, Ontario on Friday April 8. Omnivex recognizes the VAR who has grossed the highest total sales of Omnivex products globally each calendar year. 

In 2010, Sharp’s AV deployed many new Omnivex digital signage systems and expanded networks at existing customer sites. Some of the new wins include the recently constructed Taylor Family Digital Library at the University of Calgary, the Wilfrid Laurier University Student Union, and the Murphy Oil Company’s new headquarters in Calgary. Sharp's AV also expanded the Omnivex powered networks for existing customers including the City of Brampton, District School Board of Niagara, ClubLink Corporation, SAIT and Suncor Energy, to name a few. 

"We are very proud of the success Sharp’s Audio Visual has had representing Omnivex software solutions," said Jeff Collard, President of Omnivex Corporation. "Sharp's AV has extensive knowledge of Omnivex products and the proven ability to integrate our software into complete digital signage solutions," he concluded. Omnivex software solutions are sold and supported globally by a network of knowledgeable and highly experienced Value Added Resellers. The VAR channel is certified to offer local training and technical support and maintains a high level of customer service around the world.

Sharp's Audio Visual focuses on the Canadian market, with offices located in major cities across the nation. "Omnivex software provides our customers with the tools to deliver relevant and timely information to a wide variety of audiences," said Angelo Kosmidis, Director of Digital Signage at Sharp’s Audio Visual. He continued, "We have had great success representing Omnivex digital signage software since 2002 and are pleased to be recognized with this award in consecutive years." Sharp’s Audio Visual’s strengths include Omnivex Certified Technicians and a national team specifically trained in digital signage applications and integration, giving them the ability to offer a full end to end solution.

Sharp's Audio Visual receives Media Matrix Certification

Sharp's Audio Visual is proud to announce that Jim Kuemper, Manager of Design and Estimations has completed his nion Media Matrix System Design certification. Jim Kuemper received his certificate from John Parker of Martech Marketing, the national distributor of Media Matrix in Canada. John Schienbein, Sharp's Audio Visual Director of Design, tells us "MediaMatrix is one of the leading audio, communication and media systems for the professional audio industry. I am thrilled to offer this product to our clients and to have a key member of my team certified."

Reportage sur l'école primaire Dorset sur les ondes de Global News

L’école élémentaire Dorset qui fait partie de la Commission Scolaire Lester B Pearson, est le centre d’attraction dernièrement pour l’utilisation des produits de Smart Technologies et des autres produits technologiques dans leurs salles de classe. Sharp’s Audiovisuel est heureux d’annoncer que nous sommes le fournisseur des équipements de technologie Smart Boards et Smart Tables auprès de la C.S Lester B Pearson. ‘’Il est rafraichissant de voir le niveau d’utilisation de ces technologies conjointement adoptées entre les élèves et les enseignants’’ mentionne Tim St-Louis, V-P des Ventes et du Marketing chez Sharp’s Audiovisuel. Le gouvernement du Québec a annoncé la semaine dernière un budget de plus de 200$ millions spécialement alloué à l’achat de tableaux blanc interactifs Smart Boards. Pour visionner le reportage de Global Television, visitez le : http://bit.ly/i4CgoO

SMART Technologies et Sharp's Audiovisuel se retrouve sur CTV Nouvelles

Dorset élémentaires de Lester B. Pearson School Division a été présenté sur CTVNouvelles de Montréal récemment pour leur utilisation de SMART Technologies dans laclasse. Vous pouvez voir les étudiants qui participent à l'aide d'un tableau SMART ainsique le SMART Board dans cette vidéo exceptionnelle. Sharp's Audio Visual fournit des produits SMART à Lester B. Pearson School Division. «Je suis ravi de voir les résultatspositifs et les commentaires des étudiants dans ce segment de nouvelles. Il est trèsgratifiant." Actions Benoit Lavictoire, Sharp's Audio Visual Manager succursale de Montréal. Pour la voir la vidéo de cette fonctionnalité cliquez sur le lien suivant:: http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110321/mtl_educ_110321/20110321

Sharp's Audio Visual Employee Nominated for the You're Welcome Edmonton Award

Sharp's Audio Visual Employee, Ian Anderson (Event Coordinator, Edmonton Rentals & Event Staging) has been nominated for The You're Welcome Edmonton Award. "We are so proud of this accomplishment," says Ward Baskett, Director of Rentals and Staging. "This is a true honour and demonstrates the passion that Ian has for his customers and the audio visual rentals and staging industry." The You're Welcome Edmonton Awards are designed to recognize employees and volunteers in the service industry who pride themselves in promoting Greater Edmonton through exemplary service, warm hospitality and commitment to excellence. They may be nominated by visitors, local customers, peers and co-workers. Award recipients are honoured annually in May with a formal awards ceremony.

Sharp's Audio Visual Supports the Local Community

For over a year, Sharp's Audio Visual has worked to fund raise on behalf of the YWCA both in Calgary and Banff, Alberta. "Our charity committee has done a tremendous job" shares Sharp's AV President and CEO, Jeff Faber. " They have organized an extraordinary variety of ingenious charitable events. From bottle drives to candy-grams, theme days at our office and a major casino event in June 2010. It was a pleasure to finally make the cheque presentation to our partners at the YWCA" The money raised and the equipment donated will be used to provide much needed audio visual technology at Calgary's Sheriff King Home as well as outfitting six English as a Second Language classrooms at the downtown campus. In addition, many hard working Sharp's employees will be donating their time to the effort of installing this new audio visual equipment for the YWCA on the weekend of February 25th.

Sharp's Audio Visual congratulates Ashley Wray as the very first overall winner of the Sharpie Hall of Fame for 2010

Jeff Faber, President and CEO of Sharp's Audio Visual congratulates Ashley Wray, Purchasing Supervisor, as the very first overall winner of the Sharpie Hall of Fame for 2010. The Hall of Fame was introduced as a way for our employees and customers to recognize outstanding customer service in a timely and meaningful way. Each month worthy candidates are recognized with posts to our web site, with finalists being selected by Sharp's Audio Visual senior management as award winners that receive monthly prizes. Ashley was selected from several outstanding candidates by the Sharp's Leadership Team as the most deserving candidate for 2010. Ashley has won two air tickets anywhere in North America.

Sharp's Audio Visual helps make U of L's Markin Hall a success

Ward Baskett, National Director of Rentals and Staging is pleased to announce that Tom Hanley has joined Sharp's Audio Visual as Manager, Rentals and Staging - Halifax, Nova Scotia. Tom Hanley has seventeen years of experience in audio visual, most recently in Vancouver, BC and Halifax, NS  where he has held various positions including Director of A/V services, Director of Technology Services and Director of Sales. Tom is excited to join Sharp's Audio Visual in our expanding market of Atlantic Canada, and looking forward to building exceptional relationships and delivering extraordinary customer service to our clients.

Sharp's Audio Visual is pleased to announce expansion of Rapid Care

Les Nominés de Décembre 2010

Janet Nash - Calgary

Amanda Watson - Edmonton

November 2010 Nominees:

Brian Jessup - Calgary

Jim Kuemper - Calgary

Ben Owens - Calgary

Johnson Wong - Calgary

Val Fernandez - Calgary

Dmitry Kobylin - Calgary

Beppie Hunt - Calgary

Alex Harvey - Edmonton

Chris Laing - Edmonton

Shanna Bernhard - Calgary

Dennis Sekulic - Calgary

Amanda Watson - Edmonton

Bruce Howells - Calgary

Jason Coker - Calgary

Sam Khosla - Edmonton

Evalyn Mattei - Vancouver

Tim Farrell - Calgary

James Hoopfer - Calgary

Joel Etkin - Vancouver

Tom Bowler - Victoria

Dallas Colvin - Victoria

Jeanette Bowman - Calgary

Judy Iwacha - Calgary

Leanne Ross - Calgary

Kathy DeGiuseppe - Calgary

Sharp's Audio Visual earns certification for Crestron Digital Media (DM)

What Our Installation Customers Are Saying About Sharp's Audio Visual ...

"Thanks Chris!  I just want to take this opportunity to thank you for the outstanding level of service you consistently provide; I made this (rather odd) request to you by phone, and then 10 minutes later you called back with your typical “can do” and helpful manner. I am thoroughly impressed with the incredible professionalism and attention to quality and detail that you have provided throughout the dealings with us. I can’t believe you drew up a diagram so quickly to boot for clarity’s sake, you could have easily handled this differently, but you instead chose the maximum service delivery and impact approach. Thank you!"

University of Calgary

"Mark has been an absolute pleasure to work with this past week.  He consistently goes above and beyond what is asked of him.  He demonstrates such a wealth of knowledge related to our Crestron controllers.  He puts the client's best interest first and foremost.  It is refreshing to work with someone who demonstrates a strong sense of professional ethics and willing to have a good laugh along the way!  I would be more than happy to work with him at any time."

Alberta Wellnet - Government of Alberta

"I wanted you to know that Sharp's Audio Visual came in to install our seven smartboards today and I cannot praise their professionalism enough. The two workers who are here are amazing to work with. They are installing during the day and the interruptions have been minimal. They are respectful and helpful to all of the staff...its nice to share good news sometimes!"

Lester B. Pearson School Board

"Albian Sands in Fort Mcmurray just completed a project in the mine dry area of the new portion of the truck shop.  ECS, who I work for, was the prime contractor and Sharp's Audio Visual was working through us.  Kyle's professional attitude, knowledgeable skills and commitment to safety made this project a 100% success!!!  I look forward to our quarterly maintenence!"

ECS

"Jay Dee was instrumental in completing the project at Talisman Energy in a timely manner.  His sense of professionalism is unmatched.  Combining this with his knowledge base made for a great project.  He was willing to work the extra hours necessary to complete the job.  I will definitely be asking that Jay Dee be apart of my next project with Sharps Audio Visual.

Talisman Energy

"Our company needed a lamp for an over head projector and we were having problems securing one. After an exhausting search via the internet I came across your company and more importantly Beccie who understood my need to acquire the right bulb and the rush that was needed. She was such a delight to deal with and provided the customer service skill I expect of my employees every day. Beccie managed to secure the bulb and have it delivered to my office within 1 > 2 business days. Beccie has represented your company to a very high level of customer satisfaction which has resulted in repeat business and word of mouth. It has been a pleasure and I look forward to business in the future."

Accenture Business Services
 

Oh, your Digital Signage Specialist is so willing to help us at the University of Calgary Library. He is knowledgeable, he works fast and efficiently and there is no doubt that he works hard and well under pressure. I work directly with him and I appreciate the service he has delivered. Great work Chris!!

University of Calgary

"Chris attended a meeting of Training Coordinators with CRA in March of 2011. His presentation was excellent. His is so knowledgeable and ready to share his knowledge. All of our coordinators went back to their offices ready to use, master and/or purchase a Smartboard. Subsequently I have asked Chris questions and importantly he has not made me feel stupid for asking the queston. His responses have always been so timely. Thanks for the great customer service."

Canada Revenue Agency

"Last school year and again this school year, Daryl has been the person who has come out to school to address the problems we have experienced with our new SMART Boards. He has been at the school a number of times. Every time a service request has been made, Daryl came to the school within 24 hours. While here he was very pleasant, helpful and always either solved the problem on the spot or returned later with what was needed to fix the problem. He treated us with respect and was careful to explain issues clearly. He offered helpful hints for ways to address some of the problems ourselves When it was appropriate to do so, Daryl showed us ways to make things work that we did not previously understand how to do. When one of our SMART Boards had significant issues that could not be repaired in house, Daryl was able to do what was necessary to have a new projector put in under our warranty. I feel that Daryl has consistently provided support that went "above and beyond" our expectations to insure that we are satisfied with the service that we received. Please make sure that he knows how pleased we are with the service he has provide us here at Thorncliffe School."

Calgary Board of Education

"I must let you know that you have such a great support team. Although they always perform excellent work, I feel that I need to recognize them for another time. Our Council Chamber holds many high profile meetings and needs alot of maintenance. Every time when issues arise and I cannot resolve them myself, I just need to make one contact call to the Sharp's Audio Visual service department and they will response in a timely manner and get the problem fixed in no time. That also applies to other meeting rooms under our Service Contract as well. Today's service call for the Council Chamber was no exception. Gary was arranged to be onsite in less than an hour to resolve the problem, with a smile. I would like to thank Leanne, Tom, Gary and the Service Team for the great work done with a great attitude. Thank you."

Town of Markham

"I attended your session In October at the ATA Social Studies Conference in Jasper entitled “SMARTBOARD, Notebook and Response in the Social Studies Classroom” and I wanted you to know that my staff and I found your presentation to be of great benefit to us. One of my staff member’s commented to me that of all the in-services that we have attended on Smartboards that yours offered us the most practical and relevant information with regards to tools at our disposal on Notebook to assist us in creating meaningful and interactive lessons in social studies. You walked us through the presentation explaining the technology step by step with humor and wit. You carried on despite the fact that your Smartboard and Senteo system failed to be delivered to the site of our in-service and managed to teach us about this interactive software using your lap top and a projector. Presenting for educators can be daunting as we do look for qualities of good teaching. I want you to know that your presentation skills; your ability to use real life examples to create meaning; your ability to establish rapport; and your ability to actively engage your audience are second to none. Thank you Chris for your contribution to our profession. Through us you are ultimately impacting the youth in Alberta."

Queen Elizabeth High School
 

"Marc and Jason have been great to work with so far. Both are focused on the job but overall safety is key for them. They are polite, honest and respectful and have kept me in the loop with all aspects of the job. They definitely know what they are doing and the rooms will look great once they are done."

Chevron

"I just wanted to let you know how very impressed I was with Val who was training us today.  The document camera training began with a video type conference and spoke mainly about the software that accompanies the camera and how it works. When Val realized what software we had and that most of us were still relatively new to Smart, he very quickly adapted to information that was far more user friendly for us. He was very patient with our lack of vocabulary and knowledge and didn’t once get frustrated when I asked him to start from scratch so I could see all the steps. He let us play with the pens and showed us things and education sites that pertained to our own subjects. Val was so flexible and adaptable - he was great and not too techy. It was awesome. I want to play with the camera now!

Foundations for the Future Charter Academy

"Thanks for the quick response to our SMARTBoard issue.  The guys were here today and were wonderful.  Back up and running!"

Durham Separate School Board

"I can't say enough about the equipment and the system you guys have put in for us.  Our membership is blown away, which makes my life around there very easy!! Thank You!!"

Sharp's Audio Visual appoints new Rentals and Staging Manager to the British Columbia Region

Ward Basket, National Director of Rentals and Staging is pleased to announce that Mike Thomas has been promoted to Manager, Rentals and Event Staging - B.C. Region. Mike Thomas is a seventeen year employee with Sharp's Audio Visual who has grown through the ranks, initial starting with the company as a Rental Technician. Ward Basket informs us, "Mike Thomas is an exceptional representative of our organization. His conscientious demeanor and solid work ethic is infectious. Our customer always have great things to say about Mike."

Sharp's Audio Visual appoints new General Manager to the British Columbia region

Jeff Faber, President and CEO of Sharp's Audio Visual is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Davis to the position of General Manager for the British Columbia region. Ian has spent the past several months as the Vancouver Branch Manager and is a former Director of Customer Support with eBay Canada. Ian brings a well seasoned business acumen to the British Columbia market place and our three offices in Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler. Jeff Faber shares, " We have been impressed with Ian's approach to business since joining our organization earlier this year. I know that he will continue to grow the synergies of the British Columbia offices and will develop on some of his already impressive projects." Ian holds a Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University and a Sales and Marketing Certificate from BCIT.

Sharp's Audio Visual Welcomes Andrea Cobbold to the Project Management Team

Daniel Napier, Director of Installation Sales and Service Operations at Sharp’s Audio Visual is pleased to announce the addition of Andrea Cobbold to the Sharp’s Audio Visual team in the role of Sr. Project Manager. “Andrea comes to Sharp’s Audio Visual with a strong, diverse background in project management. Her expertise and knowledge is a huge win for our organization with many new and exciting projects on the horizon” says Napier.

 Prior to joining Sharp’s Audio Visual, Andrea spent most of her 15 year career with a large military communications systems integrator working on multi-million dollar projects for the Canadian and Australian armed forces, as well as a 4 billion dollar program for the British Army, with projects spanning many years.

 Andrea has her Project Management Professional designation from PMI - the Project Management Institute, and is a registered Professional Engineer with APEGGA - the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Engineering from Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, specializing in Electrical Engineering, with a focus on Computer Communications. Andrea is originally from Ottawa, Ontario.

Sharp's Audio Visual Plays a Key Part at the Banff World Television Festival

The Banff World Television Festival is a must-attend event made up of key industry players with an audience of nearly 2,000 industry insiders. This year the Banff World Television Festival took place on June 13-16, 2010 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and Sharp’s Audio Visual played a huge role in the successful execution of the event. It was a great show, made even greater by the incredible work done by Sharp’s Audio Visual at the Awards Gala on Tuesday evening. Jeff Faber, President and CEO had this to say; “Wow, what an impressive evening. I am absolutely blown away by the high quality, professional event our team put together. As an organization this is an important milestone of group effort and cooperation.” Partnership with BANFF World Television Festival provides unprecedented exposure, visibility and exclusive new business opportunities within the international media community, and Sharp’s Audio Visual wishes to continue this partnership for years to come.

Thursday, June 17,2010

Omnivex Corporation is pleased to confirm that Sharp's Audio Visual is a fully certified reseller of Omnivex Software solutions and the winner of the Omnivex Global Reseller of the Year Award for 2009. Sharp's Audio Visual has been providing Omnivex Software to its customers since 2002 and has enjoyed great success tailoring our software into integrated solutions that meet and exceed their customer's business needs. Sharp's strengths include two certified Omnivex specialists and a national team specifically trained in Digital Signage applications and integration. We are proud to be associated with Sharp's Audio Visual and fully recommend them as a world class provider of integrated digital signage solutions.

Jeff Collard

President,  Omnivex Corporation

Compagnie locale Ayant Hâte de Faire des Dons Communautaires sa Tradition

Samedi 5 juin 2010 à Calgary (AB), à partir de 19h, Sharps Audio Visual présente leur premier évènement annuel de Responsabilité Communautaire en soutient à la YWCA de Calgary, aux Webster Galleries, 812 11^ème Avenue SW.

"L’objectif est simple, fortifier les liens au sein de notre équipe et faire des dons communautaires, tout en s’amusant, bien entendu," dit Jeff Faber, Président-Directeur Général de Sharp’s Audio Visual. "Nous avons de nombreux membres de familles et partenaires d’affaires qui apporterons leur aide; financièrement et en se retroussant les manches,"

La cagnotte du casino amusant et de la nuit de jeux s’élèvera à plus de 20 000 $ de prix, dont un voyage pour deux personnes pour la destination de votre choix parmi les vols Westjet. Les billets sont à 30 $ et comprennent: un délicieux buffet apéritif, des prix de présence, 20 $ en monnaie Casino amusant, une vente aux enchères silencieuse, et plus encore. L’évènement est ouvert à tout public de plus de 18 ans et des billets sont encore disponibles.

La totalité de la collecte de fonds servira à palier aux besoins technologiques de nombreuses salles de classe de la YWCA, ainsi qu’à la technologie de signalisation numérique, grandement nécessaire aux communications avec le personnel et le grand publique. Les salles de classe de la YWCA sont indispensables à l’enseignement de l’Anglais Langue Seconde et à la formation dans les ‘métiers’ professionnels. La signalisation numérique sera utilisée au sein de la YWCA pour communiquer avec le personnel entre leurs bâtiments ainsi que pour annoncer les opportunités de collectes de fonds à venir.

SHARP’S AUDIO VISUAL - 3636 7ème rue SE - 403.255.4123 ou tickets@sharpsav.com

À propos de YWCA:

La YWCA de Calgary se consacre à la rupture des cycles de violence conjugale et de pauvreté, ainsi qu’aux sans-abris. Nous pensons fortement que la bonne santé des femmes et des familles mène à une communauté prospère. La YWCA est un élément crucial pour le tissu socio-économique de Calgary, au service de plus de 15000 femmes, enfants et hommes vulnérables, à elle seule en 2008.

À propos de Sharps Audio Visual:

Sharp's Audio Visual offre une gamme complète de solutions audiovisuelles novatrices, des services et un professionnalisme de qualité supérieure. De la conception et de l’intégration de systèmes à l’échelle des entreprises, aux locations et aux plateformes, personne ne possède plus d’expérience que Sharp’s.  Depuis 1923 ils ont imposé les critères de référence en termes de services et d’innovation dans l’industrie de l’audiovisuel au service d’entreprises internationales, d’établissements publiques, d’éducateurs, d’ONGs et d’organisations dans tous les secteurs de l’industrie.

Dans le cadre de notre initiative VERTE, Sharp's Audio Visual peut désormais recycler vos anciennes lampes de projecteur pour vous. Veuillez, s’il vous plait, les emballer afin qu’elles nous parviennent en bon état. Ceci garantira que notre personnel ne soit pas amené à s’occuper de verre brisé ou de matières dangereuses telles que le mercure. Veuillez nous envoyez vos lampes indésirables à : Sharp's Audio Visual Customer Care: LAMPS FOR RECYCLING  3636 7^ème rue SE Calgary, Alberta T2G2Y8

Notre équipe de direction de Calgary et de Toronto est ravie d’annoncer l’ouverture d’un bureau au Québec. Pour concrétiser cette ouverture, nous compterons sur le concours de Benoit Lavictoire, le nouveau directeur de notre succursale de Montréal et expert de longue date dans le milieu, ainsi que sur celui de Kevin McCoubrey qui assumera les fonctions de gestionnaire de compte. Nous nous estimons privilégiés de voir notre équipe accueillir ces deux hommes de talent pour dynamiser nos efforts d’ailleurs aussi soutenus par Brad Turpin, directeur général, région Est du Canada. Il s’agit d’un pas important pour notre organisation, un pas qui nous rapproche de l’objectif d’étendre nos activités à une échelle véritablement nationale et de nous consacrer à l’offre de solutions audiovisuelles la plus entière qui soit. Nous nous réjouissons de cette évolution, car elle permet à des professionnels chevronnés de l’audiovisuel qui connaissent très bien le marché de se joindre à notre famille. Elle nous permet, de plus, de faire croître nos activités en pénétrant sur ce nouveau territoire progressivement.

Selon Jeff Faber, PDG de l’entreprise, « notre arrivée au Québec fait partie d’un plan étudié de croissance interne qui vise la pénétration de marchés ou l’expansion dans des territoires à fort potentiel commercial. Considérablement optimiste quant à cette croissance, je m’engage à offrir le soutien et les services associés à la marque Sharp’s audiovisuel dans notre marché toujours grandissant. »

Jeff Faber, PDG de Sharp's audiovisuel, est fier d'annoncer la nomination de Tim Yorke au poste de directeur des ventes, Location et mise en scène : "M. Yorke aura pour mandat, et ce, à l'échelle à nationale, de maximiser la pénétration de nos activités dans le marché canadien de la location et de la mise en scène. Il se joint à nous avec une solide expérience en vente de produits technologiques et un sens poussé du service à la clientèle. " En poste à notre siège social de Calgary, M. Yorke pourra être joint par courriel ou par l'intermédiaire du personnel de notre siège social.

Sharp's audiovisuel a récemment terminé la mise en place d'un vaste réseau de tableaux d'affichage numérique dans l'un des centres emblématique du commerce de détail en banlieue de Calgary : le centre commercial Southcentre. L’installation d’éléments d’affichage numérique, fournis par Sharp’s et équipés d’un logiciel Omnivex, ont fait partie de travaux de rénovation ayant coûté 104 millions de dollars. Le réseau sert à divertir les clients, à les orienter dans le centre, à leur présenter de la publicité et à les informer sur les services offerts.

Les écrans ont été stratégiquement fixés aux points d'affluence ainsi qu'aux comptoirs de service à la clientèle. Les éléments d’affichage comprennent des dispositifs à cristaux liquides de 46 po, des écrans tactiles et une grande vidéomosaïque de 3 pi x 3 pi située dans l'aire de restauration. Selon Tim St-Louis, vice-président des ventes et du marketing à Sharp’s, un projet du genre met en relief notre expertise en matière de solutions audiovisuelles intégrées spécialement adaptées aux grands espaces intérieurs achalandés.

"La direction de Southcentre s’est rendu compte qu’il lui fallait mettre à jour et améliorer l'actuel logiciel de gestion du contenu des éléments d'affichage », renchérit M. St-Louis. « Elle a fait appel à nous pour concevoir un programme intégré destiné à informer, à divertir et à tenir lieu de vitrine publicitaire servant à promouvoir soldes et spéciaux. Nous sommes très satisfaits du résultat final et les détaillants du centre disposent à présent d'un outil publicitaire puissant pouvant être utilisé pour proposer des produits à valeur ajoutée aux quelque 6,5 millions de clients qui se rendent annuellement au centre. D’un point de vue esthétique, les dispositifs d'affichage à contraste élevé rehaussent les lieux nouvellement réaménagés en y ajoutant une touche raffinée. "

Les éléments d’affichage numérique sont contrôlés depuis un seul endroit par un logiciel Omnivex. Comptant plus de 200 magasins et points de service différents, le Southcentre figure parmi les plus grands centres commerciaux de Calgary. La circulation des clients a toujours constitué une priorité pour la direction du centre. Nous avons donc installé des écrans d’orientation pour aider la clientèle à s'y retrouver dans près d’un million de pieds carrés d’espace commercial.

Rénové et doté d’éléments d’affichage numérique, le Southcentre confirme son rang dans le palmarès des meilleurs endroits où magasiner à Calgary. On projette par ailleurs d'étendre le système d'affichage numérique à d’autres secteurs du centre commercial et d'explorer d’autres moyens de promouvoir les détaillants et les autres groupes concernés qui occupent des espaces commerciaux.

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Sharp’s audiovisuel détient dorénavant une certification de Polycom inc., leader mondial dans la fabrication d’équipement pour téléprésence et vidéoconférence. Cette certification permet à Sharp’s audiovisuel de tirer profit de la Polycom Architected Telepresence Experience^MC (Polycom ATX) 300, une nouvelle gamme de solutions immersives ultra-adaptables. Il s’agit en fait d’une technologie évoluée grâce à laquelle une organisation peut personnaliser ses solutions de téléprésence selon l’application précise et les contraintes d'espace. "Voilà une solution qui permet à nos clients de faire la véritable expérience tant recherchée de la téléprésence à un prix qui rend son utilisation considérablement plus abordable,"  affirme Tim St-Louis, vice-président des ventes et du marketing à Sharp's audiovisuel. Conçus pour assurer flexibilité et personnalisation, les systèmes Polycom ATX offrent des solutions de téléprésence immersive hautement intégrées qui ne font aucun compromis sur la qualité ni de l'image, ni du son, ni du contenu afin de garantir une collaboration face à face efficace.

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Sharp’s Audio Visual is pleased to announce the addition of Chris Hale as a Digital Signage Specialist for Western Canada. Chris has worked with Sharp’s for two years, most recently in the ICT department. “Chris has a great understanding of ICT, a real passion for audio visual technology and a desire to provide comprehensive solutions,” says Angelo Kosmidis, Director of Digital Signage. Chris will be working from Sharp’s Audio Visual’s head office in Calgary and will be focused on markets west of Manitoba. For more information Sharp’s AV Digital Signage division

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Sharp's Audio Visual is pleased to announce that Vanessa Cassie has joined the Sharp’s team as our Alberta-based Educational Consultant. Vanessa joins Sharp’s with five years of teaching and classroom technology experience at the Foothills School Division. Vanessa will be focused on partnering with Alberta School Divisions to maximize the impact of their educational technology investments.

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Congratulations to Sharp's Audio Visual in receiving its certification of recognition — a program awarded to employers who go beyond the legal requirements of the Workers' Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation — by the Alberta Construction Association and the Alberta government. Sharp's is the first AV company in Canada to receive this recognition and plans to take the initiative nationwide.

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Calgary – Sharp's Audio Visual distributed Broadcasting Scholarships at Mount Royal College today. These are the first Scholarships distributed by Sharp's Audio Visual to Mount Royal College and part of an annual Scholarship program the company has established with the College.

Scholarship recipients included Christine Bonetti, Graeme Judd and Jill Raffard. The Scholarships were awarded at the Centre for Communication Studies Scholarship Awards Presentation Ceremony.

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Calgary – Sharp's Audio Visual announced today that it has achieved the highest level of certification from the renowned International Communications Industries Association (ICIA). The Gold Certified Audio Visual Solutions Provider (CAVSP) designation is the highest certification standard provided by the ICIA, the industry's premier trade association. Sharp's Audio Visual is the only Gold level commercial systems integrator in Canada.

(For full release please contact your Sharp's Audio Visual representative)

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Calgary -- Sharp's Audio Visual President, Jeff Faber and John Garner, Regional Sales Manager, NEC Visual Systems, present Irene Lewis, President of SAIT Polytechnic, with the fourth installment of their five year contribution to SAIT Polytechnic. The group also officially opened the newly named Sharp's Audio Visual Training Room (MA109) in Heritage Hall on the SAIT Polytechnic campus.

(For full release please contact your Sharp's Audio Visual representative)

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Calgary -- Jeff Faber, President & Chief Executive Officer and Connie McEgan, Senior Account Manager present the Sharp's Audio Visual Systems Integration Broadcasting Scholarships to Philip Harrison, Jennifer Howe and Andrea Marston at the recent Centre for Communication Studies Scholarship Awards Presentation Ceremony at Mount Royal College.

The scholarship is eligible to all full-time students at Mount Royal College in their second year of the Broadcasting Diploma program who have completed and demonstrated academic proficiency in Commercial Writing Production in Radio.

Sharp's Audio Visual and Mount Royal College have been audio visual partners for many years and on many projects. The organizations have equipped Mount Royal College students, staff and faculty with audio visual solutions that improve communication and ultimately bring value to the student experience.

Since 1980, Sharp's Audio Visual has been Western Canada's leading audio visual systems integrator. Headquartered in Calgary, with branch locations in Edmonton, Lethbridge and Vancouver, Sharp's Audio Visual provides best in class presentation products and systems integration services in addition to video conferencing to business, government, retail and religious markets. Sharp's Audio Visual has created effective and powerful presentation environments across Canada from small meeting rooms to corporate boardrooms, from classrooms to lecture halls, from retail stores to international airports.

Media contact – Jeff Faber, 403.255.4123.

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Calgary -- Sharp's Audio Visual Systems Integration has completed major audio visual systems at Mount Royal College's new Centre for Continuous Learning. On Sept. 8, 2006, exactly 95 years after Mount Royal College first opened its doors, the institution officially opened a new technologically and environmentally advanced facility that will lead it into the future.

Today is really a celebration of a collaboration involving Mount Royal and its post-secondary partners, government, business and the many individual supporters in the community who have committed their time and resources to create access to new educational opportunities," Mount Royal President Dave Marshall told guests at the official ceremony held in the main hall of the Centre for Continuous Learning.

Sharp's Audio Visual contributed to this historic occasion with the completion of 12 integrated classrooms in the Centre as well as the presentation system in the Ross Glen Hall. Students will be engaged by the most current NEC NP presentation technology in both the classrooms and 5 separate projection screens in the Ross Glen Hall.

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Calgary -- Sharp's Audio Visual has added the BARCO line of presentation products to their best in breed products. As the demand for high quality, high brightness projectors with strong feature sets such as networkability and embedded servers grew, Sharp's Audio Visual began looking to the marketplace for the one line that would meet their client's needs. BARCO was the clear choice with a long history as the recognized leader in high end corporate audio visual, medical imaging, entertainment and security and defense display products. BARCO represents the best in projection, display monitors, projection cubes, LED solutions and Image Processing. To learn more please go to www.barco.com.

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Sharp's Audio Visual is proud to announce their ongoing support of SAIT Polytechnic through their annual corporate sponsorship. Jeff Faber, CEO and President of Sharp's Audio Visual states: "It is strategic partnerships such as the one Sharp's Audio Visual shares with SAIT Polytechnic that enables both of our organizations to be leaders in the Canadian Marketplace." Jeff Faber, Tim St. Louis VP Sales and Connie McEgan Senior Account Manager presented SAIT President, Irene Lewis with a monetary sponsorship on June 28, 2007.

[ Related Images: Handshake, Group ]

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Sharp's Audio Visual is pleased to announce the annual award of a monetary scholarship to three deserving Broadcasting students at Mount Royal College. Full time students in the second year of the Broadcasting diploma program who have completed Radio Commercial Writing were eligible for this years award. These students also met the criterion of demonstrating academic proficiency in COMM 1202 - Radio Commercial Writing. Sharp's Audio Visual congratulates: Jessica Belbin, Brian McCune and Joseph McDaid in their accomplishments and their receipt of this scholarship.

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Mitsubishi's line of high-performance, DLP™ Display Wall products have been specifically designed for demanding, heavy-use applications such as mission critical 24/7 Command and Control, Public Information, Digital Signage and a wide variety of Entertainment solutions. Each model packs the most versatile array of innovative, performance enhancing features available today in a compact, fully modular design that can be tiled to create a virtually seamless display wall image with consistently outstanding colour and brightness uniformity.

To learn more please go to http://www.mitsubishielectric.ca/displaywall/

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Sharp's Audio Visual is pleased to announce the appointment of Anna Testa as their new Health and Safety Officer. Anna brings with her an extensive background that includes over 3 years experience in the Health and Safety field.

Anna has all three key certifications from the Workers Compensation Board, as well as the Health and Safety Administrator Certificate from the Alberta Construction Safety Association. Anna has also achieved 22 other health and safety related certifications in order to attain the Certificate of Recognition (COR) for her previous employer in 2006.

Jeff Faber President and CEO of Sharp's Audio Visual states, “It is our goal at Sharp's Audio Visual to ensure a healthy and safe work environment for all of our employees, clients and the general public. We will continue to strive to develop and build safe practices to better our industry, and strongly believe that achieving our COR certification will ensure these goals are reached and maintained.”

Please join us in welcoming Anna Testa to the Sharp's Audio Visual team of valued employees. If you have any questions about our Health and Safety program, please feel free to contact Anna at 403.255.4123.

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Sharp's Audio Visual Systems Integration is pleased to announce the appointment of Kerry Comiskey to the position of Education Sales Specialist, based out of the Richmond Hill Ontario branch. In this newly created role within the sales department, Kerry will provide exceptional support to clients within the K-12 segment.

Kerry joins us after a long tenure as a Principal with the York Catholic School Board, and as a SMART Master Certified Trainer with thirty one years in education, Kerry will be focused solely on this market vertical.

“Sharp's Audio Visual remains committed to building strong relationships with our clients, ensuring that we have the skills that will support our growth,” says Tim St. Louis, VP of Sales and Marketing. “Kerry’s experience in the education sector will be a great asset to Sharp's Audio Visual as we believe his expertise matches well with the company’s evolving needs”.

Please join us in welcoming Kerry Comiskey to the Sharp's Audio Visual team of valued employees. If you have any questions in regards to educational technologies to support your classroom, please feel free to contact Kerry at 905.737.1940. Kerry Comiskey - B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed.

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SAITVIEW, SAIT’s digital signage network, has garnered awards in two prestigious international competitions.

SAITVIEW received a bronze award in Creative Use of Technology and New Media in the 2008 International Awards announced by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education on May 22. One gold, three silver and SAITVIEW’s bronze were the only honours bestowed in this category from among 52 entries.

In March, execution of the campus-wide broadcast network earned Omnivex Corporation a bronze medal in the annual POPAI international digital signage contest. The competition recognizes innovative and effective marketing. Winners were announced at The Global Association for Marketing at-Retail’s Annual Awards Gala held in Chicago.

The award acknowledges Omnivex’s work in delivering the application used by SAITVIEW to provide real-time unique content to digital displays located on all of SAIT’s campuses in Calgary. POPAI also commended SAITVIEW’s process of generating content from contributors across campus, and the platform’s capacity to identify and troubleshoot hardware issues automatically.

“Our vision for SAITVIEW was to better inform, connect and celebrate learners through a medium that resonates with them,” says Guy Mallabone, SAIT Vice President External Relations. “This award acknowledges the excellent technical support we received in executing our plan.”

Mallabone also cited Sharp's Audio Visual as well as SAIT’s Information Systems, Centre for Instructional Technology and Development, and Facilities Management departments for providing technical support vital to the success of SAITVIEW.

Last fall, when students were surveyed on sources of information about SAIT resources and activities, 81 per cent ranked SAITVIEW as the “best” or “better than most.”

Recent expansion of SAITVIEW has stretched the network to 26 large screen plasma or LCD monitors in 18 high pedestrian traffic areas. SAITVIEW is also the default channel in SAIT residence rooms.

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The audio visual landscape in Canada has changed with an announcement that two industry stalwarts are joining forces under one audio visual banner. Apex AVSI and Sharp's Audio Visual Services have merged under the name, Sharp's Audio Visual.

Jeff Faber, the new President and Chief Executive Officer of Sharp's, says the merged entity provides a true one-source solution for clients. “Sharp's has consistently been Canada's leader in offering the broadest geographic base of audio visual services,” Faber says. “Apex AVSI has been the leader in innovative thinking for audio visual integration, combined with vertical expertise in business, education and government. Together, we'll offer the strongest audio visual package in Canada.”

The audio visual industry has undergone significant change in recent years and more changes are occurring as technologies converge and customer needs evolve. In addition, Canada's telecommunication giants have attempted entrance into the market space in search of new revenue streams.

“Customers are scrutinizing their audio visual investments to improve education results and reduce their carbon footprint,” Faber says. “They also want to improve safety performance and intelligently engage employees for higher levels of productivity and efficiency.” Apex and Sharp's are merging their organizations to better serve customers in this changing arena. The new Sharp's will offer customers a stronger range of product choice from the industry's tier one manufacturers.

Faber says a larger commitment to research and development will generate more advanced system design with an ability to create even larger custom spaces with more precision and benefits. “And the new Sharp's will have the tools to offer a true one-source service and product solution – from rentals and staging to products and system design – for customers in Canada.”

Faber joined Apex in 1985 and worked his way through the organization to become President and CEO of Apex in 2003. Joining Faber at the executive table will be Tim St. Louis, Vice President, Sales and Marketing; Andrew Searby, Chief Financial Officer; James Sealy, Vice President Operations, Kelly Nelson, Director of Strategic Change and Dave Glass, Director of Sales. Gregg Nelson, currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Sharp's Audio Visual Services, becomes Executive Chairman.

Late in 2008, the company will move into a newly renovated 25,000 square foot Canadian Head Office and Audio Visual Demonstration Centre. The Demonstration Centre will showcase the latest in audio visual integration, providing organizations with the strategies to maximize their audio visual investments and 'see it first.' In addition to being the centerpiece of the Sharp's Canadian operations, the Head Office will also provide video conferencing, meeting rental spaces and a staff training facility.

Media Contact: Tim St. Louis, 403.255.4123



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Lynne Charney has joined our Executive team as Director, Human Resources to focus on our greatest asset – our employees. Lynne brings more than 25 years of HR experience to her position as an experienced manager with expertise in Human Resources and Project Delivery.

Her expertise in People Development, Policy Development, Issue Resolution and her hands on knowledge of Benefits, Compensation programs, Employment Law Legislation, Recruitment and Performance Evaluation has supported Lynne’s successful career in the Human Resources field. Her diverse background includes a progressive HR career in a multitude of sectors including manufacturing, health, education, oil service, legal, not for profit and food/retail.

Lynne has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Waterloo and is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP).

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Saskatoon – Sharp's Audio Visual is pleased to announce that Brian Agren has joined our team as Account Manager Education Specialist for Saskatchewan. Brian has spent the past eight years as a teacher with the Saskatoon Public Board of Education focusing his time working in Community schools. Brian Is currently taking his final class to obtain his Masters in Educational Administration; this will to add to his existing Bachelor of Education and his Double Honors Degree in Arts. Brian is interested in integrating current technology into the classroom and to make learning more fun for the kids while meeting curriculum objectives. Brian is also recognized as a top sales performer, having earned a number of sales records at previous employers. Brian is looking forward to using these skills to help address the educational and audio-visual needs of Saskatchewan.

Scholarship recipients included Christine Bonetti, Graeme Judd and Jill Raffard. The Scholarships were awarded at the Centre for Communication Studies Scholarship Awards Presentation Ceremony.

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CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Sharp's Audio Visual has been named the winner of NSCA’s 2009 Excellence in Business Award for Marketing Strategies.

Jeff Faber, President & CEO of Sharp's Audio Visual says "inspiring clients to new standards of productivity and communication is part of our mission at Sharp's Audio Visual. This award validates our mission and is icing on the cake for the employees of Sharp's Audio Visual and a reflection of their teamwork and commitment to their profession. To be recognized by your peers is significant and carries a responsibility to do even more in our industry and for our clients."

Sharp's, along with four other distinguished systems integrators, were chosen based on their implementation of creative, visionary strategy and successful business models.

Sharp's Audio Visual’s marketing program includes national television commercials in addition to extensive online activity. The company's three 15 second television spots champion the company's primary market positions: Solutions for the Future; Solutions that are Global; and Solutions with Impact. The spots air on a variety of programs including local evening news, top 10 television shows and the Super Bowl.

"NSCA is pleased to present Sharp's with the Marketing Strategies award based on its innovative approach to advertising," said Chuck Wilson, NSCA executive director. "The commercial electronic systems industry has been under the consumer radar for some time, but Sharp's is bringing it to the forefront and should see great return on its investment."

Systems integrators who showed exemplary and successful business strategies were selected to receive the Excellence in Business Awards from self or peer-nominated applications.

About NSCA The National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA) is the leading not-for-profit association for the commercial electronic systems industry. With more than 2,500 member companies worldwide, the NSCA is an important advocate for systems contractors/integrators, product manufacturers, consultants, sales representatives, architects, specifying engineers and other allied professionals. NSCA is dedicated to serving contractor members and all channel stakeholders through education, advocacy, outreach and member services. NSCA University offers a variety of courses on topics such as project management, business, sales, design and technical knowledge. Courses are delivered through a variety of methods including conferences, regional training programs, online learning and webinars. NSCA works in conjunction with a variety of industry partners to provide relevant and meaningful education and certification programs. It also provides leading industry research and market intelligence, insurance solutions, the industry’s most comprehensive manual of practice, Essentials of Systems Integration™ and other business tools. For more information, visit www.nsca.org.

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VANCOUVER, BC – The Vancouver Island Advanced Technology Centre (VIATeC) has selected Sharp's Audio Visual as a finalist in its 2009 Technology Awards, Sharp's is up for an award in the “Employee/Team of the Year” category which recognizes an individual or a team in the technology sector who ‘demonstrates outstanding initiative and service delivery, and has had a significant impact on the company for which they work.'

VIATeC is the conduit that connects people, knowledge and resources to grow a successful technology sector in Greater Victoria. VIATeC was founded in 1989 to promote and enhance the development of the local advanced technology industry. With only a handful of known technology companies, the ambitious mandate to facilitate the development of Greater Victoria as a global centre of excellence for advanced technology was set.

“This is an important acknowledgement for Sharp's,” says Tim St. Louis, Vice-president, Sales & Marketing. “The Island is a major centre of advanced technology development and commercialization in the province and we're honoured to be considered among the top technology firms in the Greater Victoria area.”

Since VIATeC's inception the Greater Victoria tech sector has grown to over 900 known technology companies, employing more than 13,000 people and generating in excess of $1.7 billion in annual revenues. The growth of this sector has outpaced the provincial average making Greater Victoria the second largest tech sector in BC and technology the #1 private industry in Greater Victoria.

VIATeC is intended to be the first place that people contact for information or assistance related to advanced technology in Greater Victoria. VIATeC's membership, which currently stands at over 300 annually elects VIATeC's Board of Directors, which in turn provides guidance to the Executive Director.

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Halifax -- We are pleased to announce that with the addition of a new Halifax location, Sharp's Audio Visual has become Canada's only coast to coast professional audio visual provider. Our new Branch Manager, Pierre Versteege has joined Sharp's AV with twenty years of audio visual industry experience in Nova Scotia. Tim St. Louis, VP of Sales Marketing shares, "Pierre is a highly motivated Branch Manager with a tenacious appetite for audio visual technology and sales. We are fortunate to have him on our team. The addition of this office will enable Sharp's Audio Visual to better service our clients that need service on a national scope."

View complete Halifax Location contact information.

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Sharp's Audio Visual is pleased to announce the Trademark Certification of its after sales service level agreement, Rapid Care. Tim St. Louis, VP Sales and Marketing explains, "Sharp's Audio Visual recognizes the essential nature that audio visual systems play in our clients' day to day business. With appropriate preventative maintenance and guaranteed response times, Sharp's is able to reduce down time to an absolute minimum." To learn more about the Rapid Care program, click here.

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Jeff Faber, President and CEO Sharp’s Audio Visual, announces, "Sharp’s Audio Visual has earned the designation of Certificate of Recognition (COR) from the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) and Alberta Employment and Immigration. This designation was the culmination of many months of dedication from our Health and Safety Officer, Anna Testa, and the entire Sharp’s team. I am very proud of their achievement." The COR accreditation is an audited process that ensures Sharp’s Audio Visual has achieved and will maintain high levels of occupational health and safety through a specific program and ongoing evaluation. Mr. Faber adds, "This accreditation continues to demonstrate to our clients our dedication to their needs and the audio visual industry in general." For a copy of Sharp’s Audio Visual’s Certificate of Recognition contact sales by email

.

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Sharp’s Audio Visual brings industry leaders as well as business and education peers together to share top quality insights for Digital Signage Symposium 2009. Interested parties from across Canada are welcome to join renown speakers such as Gary Kayye CTS, Founder of rAVe Publications; Lyle Bunn, Principal and Strategic Architect, Bunn Co.; as well as influential leaders from the Telus Convention Centre, SAIT Polytechnic, Victoria Conference Centre, Babcock and Wilcox Company, York University, NEC Display and Omnivex. This event will be held in Vancouver, October 1st; Victoria, October 2nd; Calgary, October 15th; and Toronto, October 21, 2009. Space is limited for these single day events so please contact your local Sharp’s Audio Visual branch or email sales

for more information or

RSVP by email

.

Vancouver 604.877.1400; Victoria 250.385.3458; Calgary 403.255.4123; Toronto 905.737.1940.
Sponsored by SMART Technologies, Omnivex Digital Signage Software and NEC Display.


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Sharp’s audiovisuel détient dorénavant une certification de Polycom inc., leader mondial dans la fabrication d’équipement pour téléprésence et vidéoconférence. Cette certification permet à Sharp’s audiovisuel de tirer profit de la Polycom Architected Telepresence Experience^MC (Polycom ATX) 300, une nouvelle gamme de solutions immersives ultra-adaptables. Il s’agit en fait d’une technologie évoluée grâce à laquelle une organisation peut personnaliser ses solutions de téléprésence selon l’application précise et les contraintes d'espace. "Voilà une solution qui permet à nos clients de faire la véritable expérience tant recherchée de la téléprésence à un prix qui rend son utilisation considérablement plus abordable,"  affirme Tim St-Louis, vice-président des ventes et du marketing à Sharp's audiovisuel. Conçus pour assurer flexibilité et personnalisation, les systèmes Polycom ATX offrent des solutions de téléprésence immersive hautement intégrées qui ne font aucun compromis sur la qualité ni de l'image, ni du son, ni du contenu afin de garantir une collaboration face à face efficace.

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Que signifie pour nous la durabilité de l'environnement? D'abord, nous croyons qu'elle part de l’individu, qui se doit de laisser germer et de cultiver un sens de la responsabilité; qui doit se sentir fier de ses réalisations et de ses contributions. La durabilité de l'environnement, elle croît en dotant les équipes des moyens d'assumer et de défendre de nouvelles façons de faire les choses et d'amener les standards d’excellence à de nouveaux sommets. On en trouve les racines dans toutes sortes d’initiatives : mesures pro-environnement destinées à inciter tant notre personnel que les clients à consommer moins et solutions permettant à nos clients d'en faire plus.