What’s Azione — and Why Should You Care?
How Azione membership keeps Balaklava ahead of the curve
Balaklava loves giving you the best of the best. We always focus on learning as much as we can about the tech that best fits your needs. Here’s what we do on a consistent basis because this doesn’t happen by chance:
- Ongoing training. We’re not too cool for school. Some of Balaklava’s employees’ most recent instruction include Savant’s energy management solutions, Q-SYS (a cloud-managed software-driven platform), and RTI. Don’t fret if these names mean nothing to you. We design, build, set up, operate, and maintain your system—so you don’t need to worry about any of those monikers or what the heck they’re doing behind the scenes.
- SHOWin’ up. Attending events, shows, and meetings. In February’s blog, you learned about our findings at the ISE (Integrated Systems Europe). We learn the latest trends, meet with industry experts, and question the efficiency of what-you-call-gizmos.
- Membership in associations such as CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association), the Mega Group (for 25 years!), and most recently, Azione Unlimited. Traditionally, these have operated as buying groups or Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), in which companies band together to purchase in bulk.
But wait. Please don’t get stuck on the part about discounted products.
Because these groups are much, much more.
We’re super proud of how we constantly seek out knowledge to better ourselves and your experience and so we’re a little like a toddler with a mud pie who desperately wants to share.
Specifically, about Azione Unlimited.
Azi…what?
First things first. Azione isn’t just a GPO. It’s serious when it states, “We’re more than a consumer electronics buying group.” Azione is a membership association—and one that benefits Balaklava, and in turn you, to a great extent.
Earlier this month, Nicole Riddle, Director of Membership, and Patrick McCarthy, Executive Director, met with us online to answer questions about why our membership in Azione matters to you. Here’s what they had to say:
- Powerhouse punches. Riddle explains that “we have access to vendors and decision-makers”.
Why struggle with a problem or issue when questions can be directed straight to the source? Balaklava no longer needs to wait in what feels like a 4-hour holding pattern with a company’s ticket desk when Azione has the who’s-who on speed dial. “We are a resource hub,” she adds.
For you, this means challenges solved quickly, efficiently, and often before they interfere with your life. We get the answers we need to serve you.
- Sharpening skills. “Our goal is making companies smarter,” explains McCarthy.
“The best integrators aren't just talented; they're constantly getting better. Azione exists to make sure our members have the knowledge, the connections, and the peers to do exactly that.”
- Hobnobbin’. You’ve all heard about Networking. You’ve likely benefited from it in some way or other.
Think back to when you desperately wanted to check Oasis’ reunion tour off your bucket list, but Toronto tickets sold out in less time than it took to track down their album in your attic. Thankfully, your community network panned out. A friend of your mother’s hairdresser’s neighbour had two tickets she no longer needed and voilà… you teased your hair as high as you did in the 90s and busted a move to Wonderwall.
Connections and communication with people in-the-know are, in fact, priceless.
“Clients hire an integrator. They don't always realize they're getting the community behind them too,” asserts McCarthy.
Talking shop with fellow dealers may not be your idea of a relaxed night out, but for integrators intent on bettering themselves and equipping their teams with how-to, these networking matchups are critical to being in the know.
- Speaking of the power of community. We’re talking about more than the ability to chew the fat. We mean caring, committed, and kind individuals that are as benevolent as they are fun to hang out with.
Azione members are constantly performing amazing acts of generosity. At the Phoenix event in April, the group of 350 integrators raised $150,000 in an evening for the Brynn Wheeler Foundation, which assists children with cancer and their families. The group also put together care packages containing toys, games, and clothing for the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
Impressive or what?
“Our members just showed up for something bigger than themselves, the same way they show up for each other. That’s who this community is. We talk a lot about the fact that we’re not a buying group that happens to have community. We are a community that happens to have buying power. Phoenix didn’t illustrate that. Our members did,” affirms McCarthy.
So, want a slice of that mud pie?
We've still got some. And we still want to dole it out. Because, thanks to Azione, it's filled with expertise, problem-solving resources, training opportunities, and a network of people who genuinely want to help one another succeed. With membership in Azione, Balaklava continues to be a key player in the integration industry.
Which means we all benefit. And you get the very best.
