From the beginning, Marjorie Baumert and her late husband, Al Stiefel, pursued the audio business as a labor of love. For Al, it was the love of audio, but for Marjorie, it was more about her love for Al and wanting to do something together. That “something” turned out to be the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF), which grew to be the largest consumer audio and home entertainment show in the United States for several years. With the show opening for its 16th year and in a new location, the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, Marjorie made time in her busy schedule to tell me a little of the back story of her life with Al, RMAF and what to look forward to at this year’s show in a new venue.
As Marjorie tells their story, Al loved audio and she loved him and they both loved music. Years before RMAF was a glimmer of a possibility for them, Al was an engineer and Marjorie was a technology commercialization specialist for the Solar Energy Research Institute, now the National Renewable Energy Lab, a job that moved her to the Denver area. “I’ve had a very varied background,” she said, “I got bored, so after 3 years I normally changed jobs, went back to school and learned something new.” This is one lady who doesn’t back down from a challenge.
Before retiring, Al owned a commercial sign business in Denver that had 35 employees. Marjorie was the first to decide to retire. “One day I just said, I don’t want to be the nurse, the purse, the bail bondsman and the therapist anymore.” So, Al followed suit and they sold the business, went to China to do some consulting, and came home where she settled into retirement doing volunteer work and having “a lovely time”.
The Audio Business and RMAF
(photo by Carol Clark from Facebook)
Al, however, wasn’t having a lovely time. In fact, Marjorie says he announced that he was bored and asked, “Why don’t I do what I really love?” What he really loved was audio, but they had a couple of false starts trying to figure out how to get into the audio business. At first, they imported products from the Czech Republic, but that didn’t work out because the quality wasn’t what they expected. For example, they imported speakers that were supposed to have solid wood cabinets, but when they arrived and were unpacked Al discovered the cabinets were actually pieced together with wood glue. Then, they decided to import some products from Italy. “The stuff was beautiful,” Marjorie said, “but it didn’t work.” Alan, the engineer then said, “I want to make something,” so he started with a line of cables with their partner, Gordan Maughan.
In the meantime, while trying to figure out how to get into the audio business, they went to CES and the New York Audio Show as exhibitors but were disappointed by these experiences. Marjorie said, “Nobody ever paid attention to us, and they didn’t care if we were listed in the directory, even though we sent in our information on time.” Al agreed and told Marjorie, “We spent all of this money going to these fancy shows. I think I can do a show better.” And, that’s how the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest started.
RMAF and Audio Shows
earlier this year (image from Facebook)
Partnering initially with Ron Welborne of Welborne Labs and with volunteer help from the Colorado Audio Society, RMAF quickly grew to be in the upper echelon of audio shows proving Al’s point that he could do a better show. From the beginning, Marjorie has been there managing the behind-the-scenes details required for such a large event. And, I do mean, behind-the-scenes as she told me that she rarely leaves her office during show hours as she wants to be accessible to put out the small fires and resolve the unexpected details to make the show the best possible experience for exhibitors and attendees.
Since Al’s death in 2009, Marjorie has done an impressive job of leading RMAF. To that end, she attends a lot of audio shows. “If it’s not my show, I like to talk to a lot of the manufacturers and look at their equipment.” Her favorite part of the shows though is learning about new music, and she says one of her greatest joys is to go into a room and have somebody ask, “Marjorie, have you heard of this song?” Usually, she hasn’t heard the song or the artist and would never have known about it if someone hadn’t shared it with her.
What Marjorie Listens To
While we were talking about music, I asked Marjorie what she listens to on her own time. While she says she likes a lot of different genres, what she listens to depends on what she needs at the time. “If I’m really stressed, then I have to put on the soundtrack from my teen years—rock and roll. With that, I can sing out loud, and that’s a really good stress release for me.” She also likes classical and jazz and some of the electronic stuff. And while she says she’s not so much a country-western fan, she does go to Telluride’s Bluegrass festival every couple of years.
Because she does love music and RMAF is after all about playing music, audiophiles should be pleased to know that a portion of the funds from ticket and t-shirt sales at the show is donated to the Swallow Hill Music Association, a local non-profit, to buy music lessons for area children. The rest goes to help needy families in the community.
Looking Forward to RMAF 2019
Marjorie admits that the 2019 show has been particularly challenging with the change in venue and a date change. “I had to leave the other hotel, and I decided that 4 years ago. There was no place to grow and the elevators never worked. We jumped to the Gaylord, and I signed a contract for RMAF before the hotel was even built.”
There are some very good things attendees can look forward to this year. One of the things Marjorie and her team think is interesting and exciting this year is that some YouTube influencers are being added to the press mix. Joe from JOE N TELL, a technology news and lifestyle website, will be live-streaming his RMAF experience with fans in tow, along with Ron Brenay from New Record Day.
“We have a surprising number of new product launches happening at RMAF this year, which is an exciting testament to ingenuity and perseverance in a tough economy,” Marjorie said, noting that tariffs and other economic factors have made 2019 a tough year for some audio manufacturers and importers. “The RMAF team is also super excited to be welcoming 15 brand new exhibitors to the show this year!”
Another new addition is the Industry Summit, which is an educational and networking opportunity for exhibitors. “Exhibitors have been asking for this day for years, and we are finally making it happen with great speakers and chances to set meetings with potential collaborators, give press interviews, or invite A-list clients in for a private listening session.”
We’re looking forward to RMAF, and I’m looking forward to meeting Marjorie in person. Now I know to look in the show office!
