Apollo isn't the first (
Martin) and certainly wont be the last to step back.
I would not be shocked to learn if this decision from
Martin was driven by their Samsung overlords.
LDI is one thing because that's primarily just the
Martin side of their portfolio, but at InfoComm where Harman has SVSI,
AMX,
Crown, JBL, BSS,
Martin, dbx, AKG, Soundcraft, Lexicon, and Studer -- where was Harman? Instead of having prominent placement on the show floor, Samsung shoved them in a closet off the
main floor where
Martin actually had more lighting fixtures on display than there were any AV products at an AV-centric conference. JBL's been making a resurgence with VTX, but was VTX anywhere to be found on the show floor? Nope, only in the demo rooms, which most of the people attending Infocomm ignore or only attend a couple demo rooms a year. In Samsung's primary booth, they even slapped
AMX in the
face by having a
Crestron touch panel controlling a home cinema
system and a placard thanking their
Crestron home automation partners. When word got out about that, it was like the search for Big
Foot with people scouring the Samsung booth for this elusive marketing faux pas.
Overall it was bizarre and disappointing. I saw a couple reps in there I know but felt so embarrassed for them I couldn't look them in the eye. One in a series of decisions that illustrates Samsung is quietly smothering Harman to death with a pillow. Whatever reason
Martin has for not attending may have less to do with their strategic marketing decisions and more to do with Samsung sucking all of the oxygen out of the room they've shoved their Harman portfolio into.