LOUD Technologies Hosts 200 Reps And Distributors At First-Ever LOUD-A-Palooza Festival Of Learning

... and Celebrates Mackie's 15 Years as Industry Powerhouse

October 8, 2004 - Woodinville, Wash. - The energy was palpable late last month when more than 200 of LOUD Technologies' worldwide sales team descended on the company's headquarters in Woodinville, Wash. for a weekend of product training culminating with a celebration in honor of Mackie's 15th anniversary. And while rep and dealer training is certainly not uncommon, the folks in Woodinville went above and beyond create something truly different for the first ever LOUD-a-Palooza.

"In keeping with the 'festival of learning' theme for the event, we set out to make LOUD-a-Palooza an experience unlike the typical training seminars that our attendees are accustomed to attending," commented LOUD Technologies Director of Marketing Communications Adrian Bell.

Evoking a highly stylized theme best described as 'academia meets vaudeville' the LOUD marketing team converted their massive Woodinville warehouse into a full-service, hands-on training facility that was equal parts entertaining and educational. Bell continued, "As soon as our attendees stepped off their buses onto a red carpet lined with cheering LOUD employees huddled in the drizzly Washington rain, they knew that this was going to be much more than a typical training seminar. And it only got better from there. When they entered the facility, jaws literally dropped as eyes scanned the room, taking in what we had worked so hard to create. The energy level and excitement was incredible and only built as the event kicked off."

Providing hands-on time with products and direct access to product managers was a key educational ingredient in the LOUD-a-Palooza formula. Six classrooms were constructed and filled with Mackie, TAPCO, EAW and EAW Commercial branded products. Both overview and deep-dive technical courses were offered covering a breadth of topics including Mackie Recording products, the Digital X Bus, and the TT24 Digital Live Console, to EAW touring products and the EAW Commercial family.

"As a technical consultant and the one in charge of technical support in Israel, I found the training very useful and educating," commented Ilan Murad of Malilit, a LOUD Technologies distributor in Israel. "We will all benefit from this, socially as well as educationally, as we promote and support the products."

Capping off the third and final night of LOUD-a-Palooza was the equally anticipated Mackie 15-Year Anniversary Party. Fifteen years ago, Mackie burst on to the professional audio scene, setting the benchmark for modern-day compact mixers. Through the years, Mackie has continued to lead the professional audio market by pioneering many technological advancements in numerous product categories including loudspeakers, digital mixing and recording, and even software.

To commemorate these milestones, Mackie held a massive 15-Year Anniversary celebratioin on September 25th, 2004 at Mackie Headquarters in Woodinville. In attendance were hundreds of domestic and international representatives from the entire Mackie family as well as friends from the pro audio industry and fans from all over the world.

The night began with a series of "Honorary Mackoid" awards, presented to valued friends of Mackie by the company's founding father, Greg Mackie.

Then a special one-time only viewing of the Mackie 15-Year Anniversary Video became the highlight of the night (think "Behind the Music," Mackie style). This never-to-be-released 20-minute video brought the crowd to its knees with its re-telling of the Mackie story, candid interviews with Greg and other Mackoids, and more than a good dose of Mackie follies and humor.

A killer set from local funk-soul-rock band Maktub immediately followed the movie. For those still standing, performances by Playboy Mansion percussionist Ravi and Seattle's own DJ Tone rounded out the evening.

When all was said and done, attendees boarded their busses for home with not only a wealth of new product knowledge, but a better understanding of the LOUD Technologies' family of brands, and for some, the dizzying effects of the Mackie's 15-Year Anniversary Party still fresh in their heads.

Byron Stone, LOUD Domestic Sales Representative, BrowneStone LLC.
"We've been talking about this event almost constantly since we left there, and have shared our experience with many people. I truly feel that as a result of the effort put forth by the LOUD team, we are better equipped to represent the Mackie, TAPCO, and EAW products than ever before."

Willem Van Keulen, European Sales Distributor, LOUD Technologies Benelux
"In my opinion this was a very good weekend, and it really makes you want to sell!"

Sebastian Bergeron, Canadian Sales Distributor, SF Marketing
"We feel we now have all the right tools to grow the business in the near future and for a lot more years to come. The clear direction for each product line as well as the new products in the pipeline is all very exciting news for the entire SF team."

Graeme Stevenson, Australian Sales Distributor, Production Audio Services
"By bringing us all together, distributors and employees of LOUD, you have reminded us that business is serious but it can and has to be based on a product, relationships and structure you can believe in and have fun working at."

About LOUD Technologies Inc.
LOUD Technologies Inc. develops professional audio products under the brands Mackie, EAW, EAW Commercial, TAPCO, SIA Software and Acuma Labs. Products from LOUD Technologies' brands can be found in professional and project recording studios, video and broadcast suites, post production facilities, sound reinforcement applications including churches and nightclubs, retail locations and on major musical tours.

Mackie, EAW, and EAW Commercial are registered trademarks of LOUD Technologies Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.