If you’re looking for an AV integrator or consultant on September 13, 2019, look no further. Chances are they are located at Randall Oaks Golf Club in West Dundee, IL, at the Audio Biz Dealer Appreciation Golf Outing.
Each year Audio Biz hosts an annual golf outing for their valued partners, full of friendly competition, drinks, BBQ, and the occasional mulligan. You’ll also find all the premium manufacturers like Shure, QSC, Listen Technologies, Allen & Heath, Liberty AV, Blizzard, SKB Cases, Link, and more sponsoring holes and giving away swag, gear, and fun prizes.
The invitation reads: Don’t bring a dime. The day is on us. – Audio Biz
Customer Appreciation Maximized
Audio Biz takes care of its customers each and every day, but for one special event, at the end of the summer, they take customer appreciation to a whole new level. When Audio Biz rolls out the red carpet for its customers and consultants on September 13, which marks the 15th anniversary of the annual event, the sole objective for everyone in attendance is having fun and forgetting about business for a few hours. It doesn’t matter if players are good at the game or complete novices. It also doesn’t matter who wins or loses … well, maybe a little bit, if you’d rather not take home the “You Suck” toilet bowl trophy that’s awarded with fanfare to the event’s losing 4-man scramble team.
This is a ‘no business, all fun’ event, says Audio Biz sales manager Beth Mickel. She conceived of the low-key, relaxing, all-expenses paid golf outing in 2004. After getting the green light from the rest of the Audio Biz team, she commenced with her plan to positon Audio Biz as a company that develops meaningful relationships with its clients beyond the boardroom. “People liked the idea of focusing on fun, and the event just kept building momentum,” she says.
Creative Contests and Traveling Trophy
Since the inaugural outing in 2004, the Audio Biz bash has gained a solid reputation as being the “go-to” event of the year, with this year’s attendance reaching 120. “We like to say the entire AV industry shuts down for a day when we host this event,” jokes Travis Brown, Audio Biz sales rep. Audio Biz invites customers and consultants to make a whole day of it, though the 9 a.m. check-in until the hand-off of the traveling trophy to the winning team.
There’s a good mix of golf and goofing off, with contests (some completely non-golf related like darts) held throughout the day. At certain manufacturer-sponsored holes, golfers can square off to see who can drive the ball the farthest, put the ball closest to the pin, or hit the longest putt. A fan favorite is the Shure-sponsored hole, where a special contest involves driving the ball the longest … while wearing oven mitts. Golfers can buy mulligans, and the cash goes into a kitty—typically tallying over $1,000--that’s raffled at the end of the day. Many of the manufacturers in attendance donate gear and gift cards to raffle and receives an impressive bag of swag. Oh, and let’s not forget the open bar. “Even if you don’t golf, you can come and just have fun,” Mickel says.
The day culminates with food, drink, and plenty of reminiscing about shagged balls, poor putts and the general shenanigans that had everyone laughing and marking their calendars for next year’s day of golf and goodwill—all courtesy of Audio Biz.
