Future Shop powers up with Monster and Beats(TM) by Dr. Dre(TM) to bring Club
Beats(TM) to Canada

In-store transformations and headline music artists to launch this summer at stores nationwide

TORONTO, April 15 /CNW/ - Canadians looking for the ultimate in sound quality and music technology can sing a new tune to Future Shop's partnership with Monster and Beats(TM) by Dr. Dre(TM) to bring Club Beats(TM) to stores this summer. Club Beats provides customers with a backstage pass to the latest and greatest in entertainment technology, with a focus on music and DJ equipment. Displays will be set-up at store locations and will offer customers the chance to discover their inner DJ by playing their favourite tracks using traditional equipment like turntables fused with new technologies such as digital mixing boards, software, laptops and state-of-the-art headphones. Announced at Future Shop's national training conference for hundreds of Product Experts specializing in portable electronics, Club Beats at Future Shop will showcase new in-store destinations intended to teach consumers how to create and individualize their listening experience.

"Our customers have told us that they want superior sound and resources with their music, and the introduction of Club Beats displays in our stores will allow them to trial and encounter the ultimate music experience," said Todd Empey, Vice President of Operations, Future Shop. "It will also become Canada's favourite destination for amazing access to the best in entertainment technology and to the world's top music artists through our exclusive launch events across Canada."

Club Beats at Future Shop will offer a full-service entertainment experience centre for Canadians to interact with the latest in audio, music, entertainment and technology through products like Beats by Dr. Dre headphones and DJ equipment. Staffing every Club Beats will be fully trained Future Shop Product Experts who are music enthusiasts ready to show Canadians a new listening and music creation experience.

"Dre and I are thrilled to be working with Future Shop and to have them become a part of the Beats by Dr. Dre experience," said Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M and Co-Founder of Beats by Dr. Dre. "In addition to the work we're doing in the area of headphones and DJ culture, Beats' mission is to continue to fix a flawed eco-system of digital music. For example, in our work with HP and Beats Audio, we're addressing the fact that 80 per cent of the world's computers are not remotely qualified to be the primary music system that's becoming more common for consumers every day. We look forward to working with Future Shop to bring the sound and emotion that artists hear in the studio to fans."

"Monster really means it when we say 'sound really matters' - it's not just a catchphrase, it reflects our commitment to providing the world's best-quality audio solutions so that people can get more enjoyment from their music," said Noel Lee, Head Monster. "We're thrilled with our new partnership with Future Shop and Beats by Dr. Dre for Club Beats, which gives us a great way to demonstrate to Canadians a true high-performance audio experience while also connecting with their 'inner DJ' through music creation."

Future Shop is launching Club Beats this summer through a number of world-class launch events with top music talent in major cities across Canada. Details will be released as they are fine-tuned.

About Future Shop

With 144 stores across the country and the nation's premier web store (www.futureshop.ca), Burnaby, BC-based Future Shop is Canada's largest retailer and e-tailer of consumer electronics. The company employs more than 10,000 technology enthusiasts, has enabled its website, Futureshop.ca, to deliver unparalleled content about the products it sells. Futureshop.ca also hosts an online community forum and tech blog for technology beginners and tech-savvy experts to exchange ideas, reviews, tips and other consumer electronics information (www.futureshopforums.ca). As a proud corporate citizen, Future Shop has developed solutions to recycle used electronics and is committed to employee volunteerism and supporting non-profits organizations dedicated to transforming local youth into Future Leaders (see www.futureshop.ca/futuregeneration).

About Monster

Monster was founded by Head Monster Noel Lee with a commitment to creating products under the Monster Cable(R) brand to literally "make music sound better." Today, Monster has grown and diversified to become the world's leading manufacturer of connectivity solutions for high-performance audio, video, car audio, computer, console and computer gaming, as well as a leading innovator in the field of iPod(R) and iPhone(TM) accessories and professional audio and sound reinforcement. Additionally, under its Monster Power(R) brand, the company is the leading manufacturer of high-performance AC power line conditioning and protection products for audio/video systems. Explore the world of Monster at www.monstercable.com.

About Beats Electronics LLC

Established in 2006, Beats Electronics is the brainchild of legendary artist and producer Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, who set out to develop a new type of headphone with the capability to reproduce the full spectrum of sound that musical artists and producers hear in professional recording studios. In January of 2008, Dre and Iovine announced a partnership with audio innovator Monster Cable to engineer "Beats by Dr. Dre," the most advanced headphones ever developed. Continuing its mission to improve the quality of the portable audio experience, Beats announced a major partnership with Hewlett-Packard in 2009 to expand the Beats by Dr. Dre family of headphones to include Beats Audio software in the HP ENVY line and a HP ENVY 15 Beats limited edition notebook PC. For more information, please visit http://beatsbydre.com/

For further information: Media contacts: Elliott Chun, Future Shop, [email protected], [phone]; Michael Evans, DBA Public Relations, [email protected], [phone]