By Jim Mayo

Welcome! And thanks for allowing us to share our first edition of Connections with you and your team. 

Communication is a key part of our business together, so we’ve developed this informative newsletter to share stories and articles with our integration channel partners. Please contact me if you have installations to highlight or success stories you’d like to share in future issues. Now let me tell you about the articles in this inaugural issue of Connections.

We have an amazing interview with two interior designers, Toni Sabatino of Toni Sabatino Style and Dawn DeLuca of Dawn DeLuca On Design. Toni is the Manhattan Chapter President of the National Kitchen and Bath Association and one of Manhattan’s top influencers in the residential design world. Dawn is the Program Chair for the association and an acknowledged leader in Living In Place design. We sat down with Toni and Dawn to get their take on The Frame’s “Art Mode” and QLED’s “Ambient Mode” in an interview we call, Technology Meets Design. As Dawn comments in this must-read interview, “Samsung TVs are more than just TVs, they’re works of art. And that’s something every client of mine is interested in.” 

With CEDIA Expo just around the corner, please join us for a tour of our booth and everything we have in store for you, in an article we call CEDIA 2018 Pre-Show.

I was very excited to sit down with our editors and put this article together. Let me just say we will be highlighting some very cool things we want to show you in San Diego, Booth #4420. You won’t regret the time spent in our booth. 

We’re also featuring a special article from our Marketing Team about this fall’s Big Screen TV cross-promotion with ESPN and all things college football. Please have your entire team read this article and familiarize themselves with this national TV rollout. I have to say, in my new role driving CI partner loyalty, this is a great example of how we’re dedicating ourselves to driving business your way. Football. Big Screens. Key messaging to drive customers to your doorstep. It’s got it all!

Finally, don’t miss an informative article about our Samsung Resource Center. From white papers to sales and design spec sheets, this article will give your team a run down on how to navigate and use the Resource Center on a daily basis. Our “Top Tips” are a must-read for every installer and project manager.

Once again, let me welcome you to Connections. Yet another demonstration of our focus on the CI Channel and ongoing 2018 commitment to your specific needs – improved features across our entire QLED line up, improved 5-Star programming, improved dealer profitability, and improved focus on distribution and service-support. I couldn’t be prouder working with a team bringing such change in 2018. And I’m looking forward to our 2019 sales plan, which will double-down our efforts. Thanks for reading.

By Jim Mayo and the Editors

First, we know how important your time is, so we want to assure you that we will have our A-Team of Samsung trainers and product specialists on hand at all times to guide you through the booth. Second, thank you in advance for stopping by and visiting with us. We have tons of technology and products to show you this year. Let’s get started!

Bringing innovation to 2018 CEDIA Expo, Samsung will be unveiling a new TV technology that just has to be seen!

But that’s not all. From a high level looking down on our booth, we will have 12 working stations with breakthrough TVs and solutions to drive your business. There will be many traditional B2B products with CI applications on display. Here are just a few of the highlights:

Break-thru 8K Technology 

Catch up on the latest news from Samsung and this exciting TV technology.

Industry First, Pixel Pitch MicroLED technology 146” state-of-the-art panel design (The Wall)

Make sure your engineers and technology designers schedule booth time to fully understand the technology and to see what’s possible.

New QLED TVs

The very latest on what consumers will be hearing (and asking) about in the months ahead.

Full Array Local Dimming and Ambient Mode

Learn why QLED looks great in brighter daytime living environments.

98” UHD Commercial grade displays with commercial and residential applications

For our dealers who work on commercial projects, or have large signal panel installs in residential settings, this is a must see station in the booth.

Samsung High-End Outdoor TV Technology

One of the hottest categories in today’s market is outdoor entertainment. Come by and see the cutting-edge of Outdoor TV Technology and why Samsung should be your premium solution.

Connected Living demonstrating Bixby Control, Samsung TVs and Home appliances.  

See the breadth of Samsung partner companies in the Connected Living station along with ideas on how integrators can use this burgeoning category to become more important to homeowners.

Gaming TVs and Soundbars

This station will feature our new Samsung Atmos feature, along with Gaming TVs and thin-wall mountable Soundbars. Samsung and Xbox engineers have teamed up to deliver incredible 4K gaming experiences - come by and see for yourself!

The Frame 

The Frame lineup is expanding in 2018 to include a 65” model that will complement the existing 43” and 55” models. Our No Gap wall mount and invisible Cable with Power features really make Samsung a stand out in the TV custom install category.

Please come by and visit us in Booth #4420 to see for yourself how we will be driving business in 2019. Once you see the width and breadth of the line, you’ll be convinced that from 43”to 440”, in every screen size and technology, indoors and outdoors, commercial or residential needs, Samsung should be your display of choice going forward. We’re looking forward to showing off our latest technology and integration solutions – see you in San Diego!

Hey everybody. You all know how passionate people are about college football. And there’s nothing quite like that big game experience on a big screen TV. And that’s why Samsung and ESPN are teaming up to bring the experience of college football to our complete line-up of QLED Big Screen TVs. 

The Samsung ESPN partnership is focused on promoting TVs up to 88 inches. That’s right – 88 inches. Let’s face it, viewing habits are changing. People want bigger and bigger screens. We’re going to drive that conversation and get your customers excited to talk to you about upgrading to Samsung QLED Big Screen TVs.

We’ll kick off the campaign on ESPN College football this summer. The promotion will run right through the playoffs into January 2019. The campaign will capture those moments we all experience - being  “glued” to the big screen on game day. 

These national TV commercials will focus on Samsung QLED TVs as the smart choice for big screen entertainment. QLED TVs are designed to reduce glare. Our extended brightness capabilities cut through afternoon sun, which is critical for daytime college football viewing. 

Finally, we will be socializing the campaign and providing you with assets to use in your own marketing efforts. This campaign will get people excited about getting a new TV and we will have demo material available to run to show just how incredible QLED 4K TVs really are.

We’ll be reaching out post CEDIA Expo with comprehensive details. So, get ready to sell some Samsung QLED Big Screen TVs this fall and winter. We’re driving business your way! 

We had the opportunity to sit down with Toni Sabatino and Dawn DeLuca, two of New York City’s most influential Kitchen and Bath Designers, to get their thoughts on technology, design and Samsung.

Toni Sabatino is an award winning interior designer, cabinetry specialist, furniture designer and spatial planner serving the renovation and new construction market throughout the New York Metropolitan Area, Palm Beach, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando, Vermont and other resort locations. 

Toni currently serves as the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) Manhattan Chapter President, is a member of the Kitchen and Bath Business Editorial Advisory Board and is the designer of the Retro Collection of bath furniture for Baden Haus, SPA. 

Dawn DeLuca, AKBD CLIPP CAPS is a certified award-winning NYC Interior Designer who specializes in kitchen and bath design. She is the NKBA Manhattan Chapter Programs Chair.

As an Ambassador for the Living In Place Institute and a Design Advisor for The Universal Design Project, Dawn is a passionate advocate for the need of Living In Place and Adaptable Design in all remodeled and new build construction. 

Samsung: Thank you for sitting down with us and talking about technology and the interior design process. And, about Samsung TVs.

Toni Sabatino: I love Samsung! When I talk to my clients about design, there is always a moment when TVs come into the conversation. I mean, whether you watch sports or the news or stream content, you’re going to have to decide where the TVs are going to be placed in the space. And so I always start the conversation with, “How big of a TV are you thinking about in the kitchen when you want to catch the morning news with your coffee?” Then I work out where to place it.

And I love Samsung 837 in Manhattan. I just closed three projects based on showing my clients what The Frame is and how it displays art when it’s not being a TV.

Dawn DeLuca: I’m the same way. I own a ton of Samsung TVs personally. Our family has them in both of our homes and what I really like, besides the picture, is the technology. I think of Samsung as the innovation leader. The remotes are intuitive, which is so important when friends stay over and want to watch something in their guest room.

I’m a huge proponent of living-in-place design, so the simpler, more intuitive the technology is – even when we know its amazing – the better it is for my clients. Samsung products are intuitive by design and wonderful for people who are aging and just aren’t going to open a user’s manual to figure out how to work a product. That’s a huge plus for me when I’m asked to make a recommendation.

Samsung: We’re calling this interview, Technology Meets Design. For you, where does technology intersect design in today’s smart home environment?

TS: We’re really just at that point in time when the Technology Designer (TD) needs to be at the table early on in the conversation. Clients bring me in to look at their plans for a new build or a remodel of an existing space. We start with a lifestyle analysis. How will you be living in this environment? Technology is critical to that analysis. What’s available? What’s coming? How is it incorporated into their daily lives? Bringing in a TD at an early point to help us walk through the spec, pre-wire, what networking is required, lighting, shading, all of that. And explain emerging technologies, because these projects don’t happen overnight.

DD: As designers, we need to talk to a client and say, “here is why you need to have this person as part of your team.” We can start the conversation. Over the course of the project, specs might need to be updated as new technology evolves. So we need someone reliable and professional. And service is critical in this space. 

Most interiors designers need to be educated about technology and that’s what a TD can provide. Someone who I trust and can depend on and who can be part of the design team is becoming more critical as the pace of technology accelerates. And I’ll be honest, our NKBA chapter has hundreds of members, but I don’t think there is one technology person involved. And that’s probably not isolated to just our chapter. Now is a golden opportunity for Samsung dealers to sign up to be a part of their local chapter and let people know how cool your stuff is from a design perspective. Get in on our social media campaigns, network within the population. It’s a win-win for everybody. But you must stay committed to the community.

Samsung: Let’s turn the conversation towards our newest technology, specifically The Frame’s “Art Mode” and QLED’s “Ambient Mode”, two great features we’re proud of. Let’s start with Ambient.

TS: Ambient Mode is super cool. There are a ton of projects that have a minimalist look and a clean-line décor. These people are looking for high-performance that disappears into the background. They want performance, but they don’t want to see it. And Ambient is the personification of minimalism when it comes to technology – which is weird to say when you’re talking about a big screen TV!

Look, if I’ve spent a lot of time creating a wall space, whether it’s with paint or fabric, the last thing I want to do is put an 82” big black rectangle on the wall. For that clean look, Ambient can fade into the background until I choose to turn that space into a video presentation. Game changer in my book.

DD: For me, I’ve been in the design world for over 25 years. And I’ve seen just about every trick there is where we try to hide the TV. Mechanized lifters and swivels and TV mounts that just end up being band-aids when it comes to the world of fashionable décor. They just aren’t luxe.

Ambient is where technology meets design in today’s bespoke homes. As Toni mentioned, people don’t want technology, in this case a big screen TV, to be the focal point of the great room. They want their art, their family pictures, the flower arrangements and so on to be what their guests take in when they entertain. And Ambient fulfills that intersection of what I’m going to call blended technology. 

Samsung: Wow! That’s great to hear. Tell us your thoughts on The Frame.

TS: Love it. Love it. Love it. A big design feature is always your art collection. And a lot of art is covered with glass, in order to protect the image. So being able to include a TV (that is basically glass) that’s capable of displaying a work of art when it’s not being a TV is an incredible feature. 

Every one of my clients are interested in larger screen sizes in the kitchen. Whether they want to watch the news with their morning cup of coffee or watch a cooking video as they experiment in the kitchen, a big TV is a must have. And, being able to show them that when it’s not a TV it’s a work of art or your family photos, they just say, “Oh yeah, I want one of those!”

DD: While The Frame has the wonderful gallery of masterpieces you can display, it is also easy to upload your own photography. For some of us, the very best masterpieces of all are our children’s drawings. And family pictures of important life events. Our photographs. It’s how we mark time. The Frame becomes another piece of artwork and a vehicle to share life’s most important moments.

Samsung: Final thoughts?

TS: The design crowd needs more interaction with Technology Designers. I love Samsung in part because the design center, Samsung 837 in Manhattan, is a great source for me to keep up with what’s going on in technology. 

DD: Samsung TVs are more than just TVs, they’re works of art. And that’s something every client of mine is interested in.

And by the way, both of us will be at CEDIA Expo and participating in the Women in Consumer Technology’s TechTalk panel discussing technology and design on Thursday, September 6th from 12:00 to 12:45 PM on the Smart Stage. Please add this to your schedule, we hope to see you there!

The Impact of Technology on Lifestyle Design

Home automation in our intelligent environments has come a long way from the basics of Home Theater. The bold new world of kitchen and bath integration, with cameras to let you see what’s in the fridge while you are at the market, to self-diagnosing appliances that will schedule service for you, to TVs that blend into the wall. What does it all mean?

Panel Host: Toni Sabatino, Owner, Toni Sabatino Style, NKBA Manhattan Chapter President

Panelists:   

Melissa Andresko, Communications Director - Public Relations, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.

Dawn DeLuca, Founder and Principal, Dawn DeLuca On Design

Heather Sidorowicz, Owner, Southtown Audio Video

“Come on in. There’s something for everyone!” That sounds like something a carnival barker would say, right? Well, we think our resource guide and  support material on the dealer Portal is pretty valuable, and there really is something for everyone. From the sales team to the design team to the project manager to the installer. So let us share that with you.

The Resource Center provides hundreds of downloadable documents and assets comprised of product spec sheets, model specific VESA specs, screen size specific 2D and CAD drawings and some other valuable tools you’ll want in your toolkit.

We’d suggest you copy and paste the following URLs and phone numbers onto a thumb drive, along with some other assets we think you’re going to want on the job or by your desk if you need any support from Samsung. We’ll point those out as we go through the Resource Center.

Samsung Custom Integration Resource Center:  www.samsung.com/custominstall

Samsung Tech Support Hotline:  (866) 208-2911

Samsung Dealer Service Hotline: (866) 797-8727 | SamsungB2Bsupport1@sea.samsung.com

Samsung Training Videos:  https://premiumretail.wistia.com/projects/2dqallqv3i

Next up, let us show you how to quickly access the resources we have on the Portal.

Log in to the Portal > click “RESOURCE” button on the black banner > scroll to the “SEE ALL RESOURCES” hot link > click the filter parameter to narrow your search > by model year > by product and series > by resource type.

Our Top Tips

• Save time on your next TV installation. Select the Mechanical Drawing filter under Resource Type to familiarize yourself with the latest specifications.

• Save time on Set Up by downloading to your thumbdrive the latest TV Firmware updates. Select the Firmware Update filter under Resource quicker than any wireless connection. Time saved is money made!

• Upload to your thumbdrive or print out our 2018 CI TV VESA Spec file. This document contains the VESA bolt hole locations and bolt length requirement specs for wall mounting any size Samsung 4K UHD TV.

The Samsung 5-Star Solutions campaign started at CEDIA in 2017. Over the past year Samsung has continued to build on the belief of putting integrators first:

• We’ve enhanced the product support resources, staffed the hotline with folks that understand this business and offered new solutions to resolve issues in the field.
  

• Products have been added to the lineup that address client pain points (big black rectangles transformed into art or information), super large TVs that look exceptional even in brightly lit rooms and a host of other features that we believe your clients will love.

• Samsung has continued to build out partnerships with IP control solution providers, auto calibration capabilities and others to enhance your offerings with Samsung.  

We encourage you to visit our Samsung Custom Integration website to access more of the Samsung 5-Star solutions, especially the Resource Center, with exclusive content including:

• Our national distributor location service

• Informative and educational training videos

• Complete product specification sheets

• Complete product codes, mechanical and CAD drawings