As the marketing and events manager for South African distributor Homemation, Cara Gouveia enjoys being surrounded by high-tech audio-visual and home automation equipment.
Cara Gouveia, Marketing and Events Manager at Homemation. Source: Submitted
Gouveia has always been an avid music lover, so when her brother, Homage co-director Daniel McLean, offered her the opportunity to lead the company’s marketing department, the career move was a no-brainer.
“I have always loved music and a good voice. Ever since I was a kid, I used to plug giant speakers into my radio or CD player and turn up the volume to power me up before the school day.
A room for more women
Homage supplies premium audio-visual and automation products to the South African and sub-Saharan markets, including Klipsch, Bowers & Wilkins, Polk Audio, Denon and Control4.
Certainly, the company lends itself to be described as a traditionally male work environment, but the innovation and ever-changing nature of the industry has deepened the appreciation of Gouveia.
“I love learning about all the latest technology and equipment, and even better, I love seeing it in our world-class listening and cinema rooms. The only problem is you’ll never want to listen to music or watch movies any other way! Once you hear this quality sound from our top brands, you won’t be able to hear other low-quality sound.” Appreciating systems is hard.
“We operate on the principle of ‘play hard, play hard,’ which is important to me in the environment we work in.”
She added, “It’s definitely a male-dominated industry, but since technology is the way of the future, more women are getting involved — not so much in the actual sales, but all in the form of female bloggers and influencers. Take an active interest in audio and home automation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPbYgBh6Nlg
Given that women are significant drivers of household purchasing decisions and often play the role of ‘homemaker’, Gouveia says the industry could benefit from a greater female presence.
“With women being such an integral part of home building and interior design, I feel that having more female voices will benefit the industry tremendously.
“Gone are the days when a big floor standing speaker was a black box. Today it is a work of art and enhances the interior design of the room, but before you do your best to disguise it as a cosmetic.”
Back to events after covid
Directing all of Homage’s marketing and event activities, Gouveia has her finger on the pulse of audio-visual equipment and brand trends. Describing her career highlights, she says, “She’s been organizing big launch events with famous musicians and DJs to celebrate music for our presenters and remind them what this industry is all about.
“This was particularly poignant after Covid-19 and the avoidance of large events and celebration of sound and music. We are thrilled to have music back on center stage.
When asked to share her top career tip, Gouveia said, “If the plan isn’t working, change the plan, not the goal.”
