15 New Year's Resolutions as Suggested by Amplivox

This post lists some of Amplivox Sound Systems resolutions for the New Year. Fifteen is a lot, hopefully we can keep most of them!

1. Continue giving back (Click here to see blogs labeled "Amplivox Cares")

2. Keep up on World Events (The Tale of the Chilean Miners and a Brilliant Marketing Move, Earthquake Preparation Drill: US ShakeOut)

3. Keep Learning things new about what I do. To do this I will find great blogs and books to read and good people to learn from. Also going to trade shows (like the Grainger Total MRO Solutions Trade Show) to keep up to date with new products and technologies.

4. Work on Weaknesses, Strengthen Strengths. Doing this well will help you increase productivity. Amplivox strives to continue to produce and develop new innovative digital audio products and integrate new technologies into our lecterns, podiums, and wide range of portable PA systems.

5. Be more prepared for the unexpected. (Using Portable Sound Systems in Emergency Planning)

6. Avoid pitfalls and potential dangers in my industry and try to avoid them: Technology making old people irrelevant, Top 10 Ways to Fry your PA Speakers,

7. Strive to Achieve maximum customer satisfaction by listening and responding in a timely manner.

8. Journal what happens in life. It can be fun to look back and reminisce things you normally would have forgotten if you hadn't written down. It is also a good place to vent and clear you mind.

9. Exercise more/Play more sports. Maybe do a Triathlon (click on the link to read about Amplivox Sound Systems supporting Ironman Triathlons, Amplivox Sound Systems suggested for Sports/Recreation Market)

10. Stay up to date in Politics. With big changes in health care coming our way the next few years, it is important to stay informed with political happenings. (Click on the politician's name to see how they have supported Amplivox: Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, Bob Dold, Mark Kirk)

11. Manage stress well -- Check back to our blog to see tips to live stress free.

12. Be more Environmentally Friendly (Click here to read 7 Tips for Going Green, Amplivox Going Green Efforts)

13. Become a better public speaker. A great way to build confidence in the public speaking arena is to join a local Toastmasters.

14. Be more positive -- "I'd rather be positive about everything and always wrong than be negative about everything and always be right."

15. Follow 1-14! Most resolutions do not get kept. Only 61% last a month, and only 46% after the six month mark.

What are your New Year's Resolutions? Leave a comment!

AmpliVox Vision

Here at AmpliVox we continue to strive for excellence, whether it be through our customer service or quality products. Here is a quick quote from AmpliVox CEO Don Roth:

“Amplivox wants to continue to develop new products, digital audio products, and digital integrated systems. In addition to a controller systems for training and educational environments, we want to fulfill a variety of presentation needs. Amplivox has grown dramatically in the last 3 years, even in the midst of an economic depression. We have been successful and I attribute that to strong belief in customer service support and precise sales applications, a belief that we will meet every challenge of new products, systems, people and environments.”

Amplivox has launched over 25 new products and systems over the last few years. We will continue to develop quality products and provide excellent customer support.

Interesting Links:
Top 10 Reasons Amplivox Beats the Competition
What's New from Amplivox
Amplivox Launches Website made Exclusively for Resellers
Amplified Classrooms
Amplivox Goes Green

7 Easy Tips for Living Green

Green living is about finding a lifestyle which causes no permanent damage to the planet. It's about living in harmony and balance with other living inhabitants of our world. Going green these days may be easier and less expensive than one might think. There are many ways to “live green” but here are some easy and inexpensive tips you might find useful:

- Recycle: The old standard still works. This is a painless and easy way to help the planet. A glass bottle, for example, is said to take 4,000 years to decompose and blend back into the environment. By recycling we eliminate this process completely.

- Use your Dishwasher: Surprisingly, research has shown that using your dishwasher instead of washing your dishes by hand saves energy. A dishwasher uses less water than you would if you washed everything by hand. You should stay away from pre-washing your dishes in the sink, set your dishwasher on the lowest heat level, and avoid using the rinse function and automatic air dry. It may take a little longer to dry but costs you nothing and saves energy.

- Shut Down and Unplug Electronics: Turn off your computer when it’s not in use and use power strips for phones and other electronics so you can turn them all off easily. Making small changes like these in your life will reduce your energy bill.

- Tree-Free Home: Eliminate unwanted trash and save money by investing in cloth napkins. Replace paper towels with cloth towels or napkins, read books, magazines and newspaper from your local library, and reuse paper products where ever possible.

- Buy Only What You Need: Avoid unnecessary waste by purchasing only what you know you’ll use.

- Buy “Green”: Focus on buying appliances that focus on saving energy. Also if possible choose a utility company dedicated to renewable energy. Amplivox Sound Systems  does a great job producing environmentally friendly solid wood lecterns as well as portable sound systems. Click here to see the video on our Environmentally Friendly Packaging Peanuts. Our signature Pinnacle Podium is made from recycled plastics as well.

- Avoid Commercial Cleaning Products: Statistics show that we dump approximately 32 million pounds of harmful toxins down the drain every year. Can you imagine what kind of damage this is doing to the environment? Believe it or not, you can make your own cleaning solution from a mixture of vinegar, salt and baking soda. It is easily absorbed into the environment and it will save you money on all those expensive household cleaners.



A Great Example of Going Green:
ISRAEL: Still reeling from the devastating forest fire that recently ravaged northern Israel, the country is gearing up for Christmas celebrations by showcasing a tree made from recycled bottles. The eco-friendly display in the port city of Haifa was built with 5,480 recycled water bottles donated by locals.


What did we miss? What do you do to help the environment?

Related Links:
YouTube Channel: AmpliVox Sound Systems 
Amplivox Goes Green
Will it Float? AmpliVox Lectern Edition
Amplivox Environmental Efforts
Forbes.com Covers Amplivox Going Green
Amplivox Reintroduces the Greener Pinnacle Multimedia Lectern

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Important Life Lessons: How to Treat your Customers Right

Customer service has always been the cornerstone of any reliable business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in new customers, but if the customers don’t return, your business will not be
profitable for long.

Amplivox Sound Systems CEO Don Roth has this to say:
“Customers are our partners. Just as suppliers are partners, you can’t have a business without satisfied customers. We treat them first class. The value of a customer determines the level of performance of a business. I have always felt from day one that we should focus on integrating marketing, general management, meeting customer needs, understanding their attitudes and goals and how they use products together. We will continue to build products and systems that meet needs.”

Here at Amplivox we try to give customers the best experience we possibly can. Customers can take advantage of one or all of our services. When you call 1-800-267-5486 you will speak to a customer service representative not a recording. Our website also offers live chat and ask a question features, that allow you to get quick responses to questions or concerns you might have.

AmpliVox is proud to support the men and women of the U.S. armed forces. We recently donated one of our pink podiums in support of the fight against breast cancer to the U.S. army in Iraq.

Customer Service Tips:

• Know who is boss
• Be a good listener
• Identify and anticipate needs
• Make customers feel important and appreciated
• Help customers understand your systems
• Appreciate the power of “yes”
• Know how to apologize
• Give more than expected
• Get regular feedback
• Treat employees well

For a more in depth explanation please visit The Ten Commandments of Great Customer Service

Interesting Links:
The Pink Podium Plays Golf
Famous People Having Trouble In Front Of Microphones
A Peak Inside the Amplivox Time Capsule
Potpourri Post

Important Life Lessons: The AmpliVox Business Philosophy

“Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul.” - Niccolo Machiavelli.

To be successful in business and life it’s important to know what can limit you or get in your way of reaching your full potential.

Our CEO Don Roth shares his business expertise and personal life experiences:

“To be successful, you need to be a passionate zealot in what you do. You need to believe fervently in what you do to be successful. Business can’t be done half heartedly, it must be done full out. You need to be prepared. You need to prepare yourself just like athletes do: make sure you have great position, be in great shape, and know the game. The same goes into business.

I spend a lot of time analyzing what I need to do to get better and see how we can improve our team and relationships. There is nothing you can’t do. You will find a way to accomplish your goals. You need to get out of your comfort zone sometimes, you can push yourself to do more than you thought. An example is putting a limit on the number of pushups you can do. If you set the bar at 50 and stop when you get there, you may never know that you can do 100...Business is like a team, the better your team works together, the better the performance will be.”

At Amplivox Sound Systems, we try not to limit ourselves in selling our portable sound systems and sound lecterns. We constantly look for ways to improve ourselves and implement innovative ideas on how to get things done. One way we have done this is through customer service: we now offer Live Chat Customer Service and make sure when you call our 800 number you talk to a real live person.

If you have any questions or wish to contact us, please call (800) 267-5489 or send us a message.

Do you have the Winter Blues? Blog on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Dark gloomy weather slows down the brain. Dreary, dismal days without the sun may do more than dampen our spirits. They might just impact the cognitive skills of those who battle depression. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), more commonly known as winter depression, affects as much as 9.7% (in New Hampshire) to as little as 1.4% (in Florida).

Here are a couple symptoms you may be experiencing and possible treatments.

Symptoms of SAD may consist of:

• Difficulty waking up in the morning
• Tendency to oversleep as well as overeat
• Lack of energy
• Difficulty completing tasks
• Withdrawal from friends, family, and social events
• Morning sickness.

If you are experiencing some of these symptoms there are many different treatments for winter-based SAD:

• Including light therapy
• Medication
• Ionized-air administration
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• The hormone melatonin.

Interesting Facts: In many species, activity is diminished during winter months. Food was scarce during most of human prehistory and it is argued that SAD is an evolved adaptation of a hibernation response in some remote ancestor.

Higher latitudes seem to have a direct relation to cases of SAD. While Florida only experiences about 1.4%, the northern states such as Washington, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and the New England states surpass 9%. Countries such as Finland and other Nordic countries have an estimated 10% or more of their population affected by SAD.

Teacher Feedback on Amplified Classrooms

Recently you many remember seeing our blog post about the benefits of a classroom amplified with a sound system. I started a discussion on Classroom 2.0 (a discussion board for educators) and thought the following quotes were worth sharing:

• Robert said, "Most of the classrooms at my school have them. Most of the teachers prefer them. They usually have 2 mics one for teacher and one to share for students..."
• Joanne said, "We used this in our classroom and the results were amazing. The students behaved better and we were able to directly pinpoint it to the use of the mic/speaker. Cost is definitely an issue, just like anything else. Classrooms with students with special needs are able to get the resources more than a classroom with out students with special needs, but where there is a will there is a way."
• Mitch said, "I have used sound systems for over 30 years. There is actually much greater opportunity to modulate your voice with a sound system than when you are trying to make sure the person in the last row can hear you. Have your teachers (and students) observe comedians, newscasters, and Discovery Channel narrators. With just a little thought and practice, an amplified voice can add a whole new dimension to a presentation."

Recommended Products for Classrooms:

• Roving Rostrum Portable Podium/Sound Lectern
• Compac Infrared PA Audio System
• iPod Portable Sound System
• Digital Audio Travel Partner

Here's our video on the benefits of an amplified classroom if you missed it:

The nice thing about an Amplivox Portable Sound System is that it can be used for a variety of purposes. Some classroom systems are stuck in the classroom permanently: Amplivox systems are portable systems that can be battery-operated and used in a variety of school events: recreation (physical education and sports), school assemblies, teacher meetings, ESL classrooms, and any other setting where you want your voice to be heard loud and clear.

For more information, please visit our website or call us at (800)267-5486.

Related Posts:

-Portable sound systems and lecterns recommended for schools and universities

-How Amplified Speaker Systems in Classrooms Benefit Everyone

-Amplified Classrooms: Proven to Help Education and Loved by Teachers

-School Listening center boom box//Cassette Player and Recorder

Dealer Spotlight: Kiefer Auction Supply

We here at Amplivox Sound Systems sell our quality sound systems and lecterns direct to the consumer and also through many resellers and dealers.

One of our dealers is Kiefer Auction Supply, out of Fergus Falls, MN. Here are some videos they made featuring Amplivox products, specifically the Half-Mile Hailer, the Belt-Blaster Personal PA System, and the Audio Portable Buddy Personal PA System. Thanks for the mention!

Amplivox Congratulates the 2010 Stanley Cup Winning Chicago Blackhawks

At the beginning of this summer, the Chicago Blackhawks NHL team won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961!

The picture to the left is several Amplivox employees celebrating the Blackhawks' historic win in style.

If you didn't know, Amplivox Sound Systems is located in Northbrook, IL, about 30 minutes due north of the city of Chicago.

Below are a couple of pictures showing other ways Chicago celebrated their team:
















Click on the following link to see recommended Professional PA Sound Systems for Sports fans and Recreation Officials.

Everything You Need to Know about the Half-Mile Hailer: Our Long-Range Portable PA System: Videos and Reviews

One of our most popular products at Amplivox is the Half-Mile Hailer Loudspeaker PA System, it can be heard an entire half mile away!

Below is a list of blog posts and other links that will tell you everything you need to know about the Half-Mile Hailer, our popular wide-range portable audio system:

Half-Mile Hailer Product Page PA System Bundle Page

• Meet No Child Left Behind Safety Requirements with Amplivox Hailers


• Customer Half-Mile Hailer Testimony


• Auctioneer's Testimony

• Street Preachers Love the Half-Mile Hailer PA System

• VIDEO: Funny "April Fools Day" Prank with the Half-Mile Hailer

Amplivox Sound Systems also sells a car-mountable version of the Half-Mile Hailer, called the Sound Cruiser Car PA System

Here are some links about the Sound Cruiser:

• Sound Cruiser Used to Honor Fallen Heroes

• Sound Cruiser Supports Local Campaign to Spread Message
• Local Politician Visits Amplivox to show Support for Small Business

Enjoy the following four videos featuring the Half-Mile Hailer and Sound Cruiser!

The Hailer is a great PA Loudspeaker for your outdoor PA system needs. For information regarding the PA System design or if you want to see PA system reviews, please visit Amplivox Portable Sound Systems website or call us at (800)267-5486.

Potpourri Post: Some links you may Enjoy

Periodically, we here at Amplivox want to share some interesting links, videos, and articles with you relating to portable sound systems, social media, current events, or something we thought was cool. If you keep up with our Twitter page, you may notice that some of these are repeats, but they are all links we found to be very interesting.

• King Solomon's Take on Social Media -- This blog post looks into some of the wisdom literature written by King Solomon of the Bible, known as "The Wisest Man who Ever Lived", and applies much of that wisdom to Social media. Really great stuff.
• Review - General Microphone Techniques -- Great page documenting techniques for optimizing the use of microphones
• Ugly Pumpkins are a top seller: One person's trash is another person's treasure
• Clown wins Election in Brazil: And us Americans can sometimes complain that we have clowns running the country...Related blog: Social Media, Mid-Term Elections, and Observations by Amplivox
  
• eHow: How to Choose a Sound System

What are some links that you find interesting? Leave a comment!

Earthquake Preparation Drill: The Great Central US Shake Out

Natural disasters have been a major headline in 2010 with huge earthquakes taking place in both Haiti and Chile. One interesting thing about both of those earthquakes, is that even though the Chilean earthquake was of bigger magnitude, the devastation was much worse in Haiti.

The reason for this is that Chile was a lot more prepared for the earthquake (due in large part to economic reasons). They were more prepared in a many ways including having better infrastructure, builds built to withstand quakes, and emergency planning.

Words cannot describe how tragic the Haitian earthquake was: it killed over 200,000 people. In comparison, even though Chile's earthquake was much stronger, preparation helped limit the fatalities to being in the hundreds instead of hundreds of thousands.

States like Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois (Amplivox Sound Systems is located in Northbrook, IL) lie on a major fault line and are at a greater risk than many realize.

The Great Central U.S. Shake Out's mission is to be as prepared as possible to be prepared for disaster and save lives. A drill will be held on April 28, 2011 at 10:15 AM CDT to prepare for potential disaster.

A scary thing for organizations like schools, corporations, and religious institutions is communicating to panicked people during such emergencies. Directing panicked people in a noisy environment is nearly impossible without a way to extend your voice like using a portable PA system.

Broadcasting emergency instructions by using portable sound systems in your emergency preparation is a great way to direct scared people towards safety.

Click on the following links for more information:

• The Great Central U.S. Shake Out
• Using Portable Sound Systems in Emergency Planning

Related Posts:
-BLOG:The Tale of the Chilean Miners and Brilliant Marketing
-BLOG: Meet No Child Left Behind Safety Requirements with Amplivox Hailers
-BLOG: Everything you need to know about the Half-Mile Hailer Wide-Range PA System
-VIDEO: How to Plan an Evacuation Drill
-VIDEO: How to Plan for an Emergency Situation with Portable Sound Systems
-VIDEO: How to Choose the Right PA System for my size audience?

Receive Updates and Tips on Disaster and Emergency Preparation by Joining Facebook Community!

Blog Preview: Getting to Know Amplivox Employees

This blog is a sneak preview of the soon to come blog entry about Amplivox employees.

Most popular things at Amplivox:

• Sports Team: Chicago Cubs (honorable mention the Stanley Cup Winning Chicago Blackhawks)

• Amplivox Product: The Digital Audio Travel Partner SW915 (Honorable mention: The Audio Portable Buddy S222)

• Time of Year: Autumn

We are working on a series of follow-up blog posts highlighting specific individuals at Amplivox, check back!

Video Demonstrations of Amplivox Lecterns/Podiums

Here are several new videos from the Amplivox Sound Systems Youtube Channel giving a quick video overview several of our popular podiums and lecterns. Enjoy!

Related Posts:
-Amplivox on Youtube
-Lectern vs. Podium: Definition of Both
-EZ Speak Folding Tabletop Lectern: Great Option for Busy Presenters
-Amplivox: Your One Stop Shop for Lecterns and Podiums
-Amplivox Donates Pink Podium to US Army in Iraq
-Amplivox Donates Presidential Plus Lectern to Fresh Start of Illinois
-BLOG: Church Pulpits: Amplivox Podiums and Lecterns Great for Churches
-BLOG:  Multi-Purpose Lecterns And Podiums: Restaurant Hostess Stand, Presentations and Pulpit

The Future is Bright, and Should Include Coffee Pots Wired for Sound

At Amplivox, we daydream from time to time about new products we could put together that would make the lives of our customers easier. As we sit and put our brains to work, we come up with the strangest things. Here are two products we dreamed up for future use. Keep in mind that these products are not in production and are simply daydreamed ideas.

Introducing the Amplivox Coffee Pot/PA System.
This PA system is a great addition to any kitchen where busy mom's and dad's need to get the attention of the entire family for announcements during the hustle and bustle of the morning. This would also be great for announcing dinner and getting the attention of guests when food is prepared. This system comes with 30 watt speakers and the great microphone options that Amplivox has been known for. It has a 'Line Out' option to hook your Ipod or MP3 player and play your favorite music in the kitchen in the morning or while you cook. It also includes an AM/FM radio so you can listen to your favorite station in the morning. It also brews a great pot of coffee with a timer setting so you can set it up at night and wake up in the morning to a fresh pot of coffee. The timer can also be set to the radio so you smell the coffee, hear the radio, and boom you are awake!

Amplivox's "Get on Your Soapbox" Portable Podium
Are you tired of being told to 'get off your soapbox'? Amplivox now makes it possible to get on your soapbox and be heard loud and clear with the 'Get on Your Soapbox' Portable Podium. This podium comes with a soapbox built into the podium. All you have to do is get the soapbox out of its hidden compartment right before you speak and presto...you can speak and stand on your soapbox.

This podium is made of durable plastic and can easily be carried around. It has several wiring options and can even come with a wireless mic. The podium has the same options as all of our other podiums plus the 'soapbox'. It is a taller model to include your height while you are on your soapbox. When you are finished, you simply get off your soapbox and put it back in the hidden compartment until you are ready to jump back on at a later date.

A New Feature for our Hardwood Lecterns: The Laptop/Ipad Hider
This new feature offered by Amplivox hides your laptop or your Ipad inside the top of the lectern. You send us the dimensions of the hole you need and we well craft the top of the lectern just the way you want. No one wants to see your laptop during your presentation and with the Laptop Hider option, they don't have to. The Ipad hider is a nice option too. You can simply drop your Ipad into the lectern and have your Ipad hidden in the top of the lectern. No fumbling with notes, no dropped papers, a simple, organized solution so you can give your best presentation.

Now remember, these are just daydreams and not actual products. You will not find any of these products on our website. However, you will find some of these great products on our website: the Half-Mile Hailer, the Presidential Plus Lectern, and the Mity-Meg Megaphones. To order any of these great products, visit us at Ampli.com.

How to Choose the Right SoundSystem for Your Audience Size

Amplivox Portable Sound Systems has a whole range of sound systems to fit any situation. That may make it hard for someone to find what they are looking for in terms of size. For example, you are not going to need our Half-Mile Hailer Loudspeaker PA to use as a tour guide personal PA system.

In optimal conditions, this guide will show about how many people and how many square feet our sound systems can cover.

Use the graphic on the left as a guide and this video below to help you choose the right size.

• Small-Area Portable PA Sound Systems
• Mid-Range Portable PA Sound Systems
• Large-Area Portable PA Sound Systems
• Wide-Range Portable PA Sound Systems
  

Social Media, Mid-Term Elections and Observations

As the mid-term elections wrap up around the country, one cannot help but notice that social media played some role in the elections. Although a candidates tweets and Facebook posts may or may not have driven up votes for he or she, the fact that candidates and their teams across the county opened Twitter accounts and started Facebook pages shows that candidates realized they needed to get in the social media game.

Being a Chicago based company in the 10th District, we had the privilege of having newly elected Congressman Robert Dold visit the office and warehouse in Northbrook, IL.

An article on Mashable was titled "Did Facebook Popularity Predict Election Results?" was very interesting showing a real correlation to the number of fans to who got elected.

If you didn't know, Amplivox has had some interesting relationships with politicians like Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, Illinois Congressman Mark Kirk and Bob Dold. Click on this link to see how Amplivox is the company of choice for portable sound systems and lecterns to politicians. Below are some videos of Politicians using Amplivox products.

At least one thing can have Bipartisan support!

The EZ Speak Folding Lectern is a Great Option for the Busy Presenter.

If you are a busy executive, making presentation after presentation with no guarantee of what your next lectern will look like, we have your solution at Amplivox Sound Systems. The Amplivox EZ Speak Folding Lectern is a great for you. It is a lightweight portable podium that folds up nicely into a briefcase sized package for easy transport.


The EZ Speak Folding Lectern can come equipped with a 50 Watt sound system capable of handling wired or wireless microphones. The lectern also fits very nicely on our Mulitmedia Cart Base and can become a full height podium quickly. If you order a EZ Speak Folding Lectern with a wired or wireless system in it, we include a great carrying case with wheels and extending handle for easy transport.

For more information on the EZ Speak Folding Lectern, check out the video below:


To order an EZ Speak Folding Lectern or any other of our great products, visit us at Ampli.com.

Make a Good Impression on the First day of Work.

Anytime you have a career change or move to a new job, a new journey begins. We at Amplivox recently had a new member join our team. As he was touring the warehouse and meeting his new co-workers, I began thinking about my first day at Amplivox. I met my new coworkers, my social media teammate Kevin, and learned about Amplivox products. I learned about my responsibilities in a deeper context and began to see how I would fit in on the Amplivox team. It was the beginning to a new chapter in my work experience.

Those experiences were simply the exterior facts of the things I did. What is not mentioned is the interior feelings that everyone goes through in beginning a new job. Some of the same questions I had going into elementary school arose on my first day of work. Will I be liked? Will I like this new place? What will my teacher/boss be like? How will I fit in with my classmates/coworkers? Do I have what it takes to succeed here?

As these questions well up, people begin to react differently. Some are anxious, some are scared, some are quiet, others are calm and collected. However we react, those first days are important in making first impressions on people. Here are a few tips on making a good first impression:

1) Be On Time: Get your new job started on the right foot by being on time.
2) Be Yourself: You could try to act like someone else but that's not why they hired you. Just be yourself.
3) Smile: You have a job in an economy that isn't the hottest right now so be thankful.
4) Dress the part: Appearance is important when making a first impression. If you come overdressed to work on the first day, no worries. It shows you are serious about your work and want to succeed. You will learn what the dress code is.
5) Be Open and Confident: Be honest in your abilities and confident in the reasons they hired you. Coworkers can appreciate a fellow worker who is honest and confident in their abilities. Careful not to come off arrogant in attempts to be confident.
6) Don't be afraid of small talk: Although small talk can get old after a while, when you are meeting new team members it is good to get an idea of what they like and what points of interest you share.
7) Be Positive: No one likes a 'Debbie Downer' as their new coworker. Work hard and bring energy to the team.

These are just a few tips on making a good first impression. If you need to make a good impression with your sound system, check out Ampli.com for all your sound system and presentation needs.

Amplivox Pink Podium Used by US Army in Iraq

One of our Pink Podiums donated to help support the fight against breast cancer was used recently in Baghdad by the US Army. The following excerpt is an excerpt from an article titled: "Pink, the New Army Green"

The Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure" series is the world’s largest and most successful education and fundraising event for breast cancer ever created. The program focuses on celebrating survivors, educating people about breast cancer, and, most importantly, finding a cure...The starting line was complete with motivating music and a pink podium where Dixon gave her opening speech before the walk.

Related Posts:

• Fresh Start of Illinois Fundraiser Event
• Pink Podium in Susan Coman Race for the Cure
  
• Pink Podium Plays Some Golf
  
• Our Going Green Efforts
  
• How Amplified Classrooms Benefit Everyone || Classroom Technology
  

http://www.dvidshub.net/news/59281/pink-new-army-green

What does the name "Amplivox" Mean?

So what does the name Amplivox mean?

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary¹,

• Amplify comes originally from Middle French and means: "to enlarge or expand" and originally was not restricted to the use of sound as it now is (due to radio technology)
• Vox comes from Classic Latin and means: "voice"

Therefore, Ampli-Vox literally means "to enlarge or expand voice."

You are probably one step ahead of us... Amplivox's slogan is "Extend Your Voice" for this very reason. The excellent sound quality our lecterns and sound systems provide allow you to extend your voice so that your message can be heard loud and clear.

¹ http://www.etymonline.com/

Fresh Start Fundraiser Update

Recently, we told you about Amplivox teaming up with Fresh Start of Illinois for their fundraiser. One of our employee's decided to stop by and take a look at how Amplivox was helping their cause.He took some photos and video to share with you. Here is a video highlighting the event. .

For more information on Amplivox Sound Systems products, visit us at Ampli.com

Pink Podium Finds Its Way to Maryland for Komen Race

The Pink Podium made another appearance recently at a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure event in Hunt Valley, Maryland, just outside of Baltimore. The event had more that 28,500 participants and raised over $2.4 million for Breast Cancer Awareness. The Pink Podium was used for the 18th annual event and pictures can been seen here.



Amplivox is proud to help out any Breast Cancer Awareness event by donating a Pinnacle Pink Podium. For more information on the Pink Podium, click here. For more information on any other of our great products, visit us at Ampli.com

Stampede Vendor Summit and Tour Report from Amplivox

At Amplivox, we love visiting with our distributors at events across the country. It gives us a great opportunity to interact with people and other companies in the audio/visual market. Amplivox recently went to the Stampede Vendor Summit in Buffalo, New York. Stampede distributes Amplivox products across the country. The event was held in Buffalo's Asbury Hall, a former church sanctuary turned into a state-of the-art event performance venue.We are thankful for our partnership with Stampede and were very happy to participate in the Summit.

Amplivox also took part in the Big Book of AV Tour 2010 hosted by Stampede at the House of Blues in Chicago, IL. Amplivox was delighted to set up a booth at the event and had a great time. We want to thank Stampede for letting us be a part of these great events. We are looking forward to another Big Book Tour event in Los Angeles,CA later in December. Below you will find pictures and videos from the events. If you are interested in any products you see in the videos, visit us at Ampli.com

Amplivox Green: Our Environmental Efforts Go Above and Beyond

Amplivox Sound Systems prides itself in having high quality products for the best value around. A part of that value is knowing that the production process for your product did not harm the environment. From environment friendly packaging to post consumer materials used in our products we are striving to reduce, reuse and recycle to conserve energy for the future.Our initiative to go green has gotten some great coverage and we wanted to share the news here all in one blog. You'll find all of our Green info and coverage of Amplivox going green here.

We start with our lecterns and podiums. The wood used for our lecterns and podiums is "Forest Friendly" - No trees are cut to produce Amplivox products! Recovered and recycled post-industrial wood residues are used, which helps to stretch forest resources. Composite wood panels made with resins aid timber conservation since they enable wood waste (chips and sawdust) to be used in 5x more construction panels than solid wood or plywood panels. Amplivox wood suppliers have secured the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Mixed Sources accreditation.


Green Cross has certified our raw particleboard panelsas being 100% recycled and recovered wood fiber. We also encourage the local market: All fibers used in Amplivox panels are locally-sourced from post-industrial and post-consumer wood recycling plants. All panels are manufactured locally.

We are also WEEE and RoHS certified. You can find more information on those certifications by clicking on the links.
LEED credits are important too. We have a few of those as well:

• Materials and Resources 4.1 & 4.2:Recycled Content: •7.5% in Canada and 10% in the US –1 credit •15% in Canada and 20% in the US –1 credit
• Materials and Resources 5.1 & 5.2:Regional/Local Materials: % of all project materials are extracted, harvested/recovered and manufactured within a 500-mile radius of site •Minimum of 10% –1 credit •Minimum of 20% -1 credit
• Indoor Environmental Quality 4.4:Low Emission Materials: Materials or laminate adhesives do not contain any additional urea-formaldehyde resins –1 credit
• Indoor Environmental Quality 4.5:Low Emission Materials: Low-emitting Office Furniture Systems and Seating –1 credit

Our packing peanuts are also recycled and cuts down on energy and use of resources.

All of our efforts have been well documented by Forbes.com, Yahoofinance.com, and Morningstar. We appreciate the coverage and glad that these media outlets have recognized the importance of companies going green.

Amplivox has worked hard and continues to strive to help the environment through our production process. If you have any questions regarding our efforts in Going Green, check out the press release. If you are interested in purchasing Amplivox products, check out Ampli.com

Interesting Links:
-7 Easy Tips to Live Green
-Amplivox Sound Systems Lectern and Podium Page
-Amplivox Going Green Detailed Information
-Teacher Feedback on Amplified Classrooms

Amplivox Sound Systems CEO Don Roth Contributes to BuisnessWeek

Amplivox Sound Systems CEO Don Roth recently contributed to the 'Today's Tip' posted on Businessweek's website . The tip is was posted October 8th and dealt with 'Engaging Cause Marketing to Promote Small Business". After Don's fight with prostate cancer, he wanted to aligned the company with breast cancer awareness in a cause marketing campaign. This led to the Pink Podium Promise.

To read the full article click here:

To learn more about the Pink Podium click here:

Amplivox is proud to sponsor any Breast Cancer Awareness event. Click on the link above to find out more about our Pink Podium Promise and how you can get connected.

How Amplified Speaker Systems in Classrooms Benefit Everybody / Technology in Education

A little while back we posted a brief blog entry about how using PA audio systems in classrooms can greatly increase the effectiveness and efficiency of education and in turn improving productivity. We have since made a video describing benefits and how Amplivox can help.

The following groups of students have benefited greatly using amplified classrooms:

• English as Second Language and Bilingual Students (look under Darai Study)
  
• Students learning Phonics
• Students needing Special Education (look under Darai Study)
• Students with Minimal, Severe, Temporary, or Permanent Hearing Loss
• Students with an Auditory Processing Problem
• Students with Down Syndrome

The Institute for Enhanced Classroom Hearing says students with normal hearing can greatly benefit from Amplified Classrooms:

"Even a 'normal' hearing child can miss as much as 1/3 of what teachers say due to poor acoustics... children with 'normal' hearing experienced an increase in test scores across the board [when in amplified classroom]..."

The graphic on the left illustrates just one way how students benefit from amplified classrooms.

What do teachers say?
Teachers are proponents of amplified classrooms not only for their students but for themselves as well. Studies have shown that Amplified Classrooms:
Reduced vocal fatigue
Improved Classroom Management
Greater Mobility

Check out these statistics from teachers:

• 91% of teachers agreed that they needed to raise their voices less often using amplification
• 100% agreed that it is easier to get the attention of the whole class
• 100% agreed (64% strongly agreed) Teachers spend less time managing behavior and more time focusing on the curriculum (Above statistics found on page 7 of this study)
  

Here is a full list of all of the resources we used:

• Institute for Enhanced Classroom Hearing
  
• Effect of Sound Field Amplification on Grade 1 Reading Outcomes
• New York Times Article on Amplified Classrooms (March 2008)
  
• "Many Classrooms have Bad Acoustics that Inhibit Learning" --Ohio State Study (Dec 1999)
• CDC: Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Click on the images below to learn more about our recommended products to amplify your voice and classroom: