▁Way man ▁was ▁rec ru ited ▁by ▁R CA ▁to ▁be ▁distrib utor ▁sales man ▁for ▁Southern ▁Wh oles al ers , ▁a ▁six - state ▁R CA ▁distrib utor ▁in ▁Washington , ▁DC . ▁This ▁role ▁eventually ▁expanded ▁to ▁a ▁position ▁as ▁R CA ' s ▁advert ising ▁manager ▁and ▁trade ▁show ▁manager , ▁where ▁he ▁produced ▁semi - ann ual ▁shows ▁for ▁the ▁company ' s ▁ 1 0 0 ▁ret ail ▁accounts . ▁After ▁ten ▁years ▁with ▁R CA , ▁ ▁he ▁became ▁Staff ▁Director ▁for ▁the ▁twelve - member ▁Home ▁Electron ics ▁Section ▁of ▁the ▁Electron ics ▁Indust ry ▁Association . ▁Within ▁a ▁year , ▁the ▁Home ▁Electron ics ▁Section ▁had ▁been ▁renamed ▁Cons umer ▁Product s ▁Division ▁and ▁Way man ▁had ▁grown ▁the ▁trade ▁group ' s ▁membership ▁to ▁ 2 5 . ▁ ▁Cons umer ▁Electron ics ▁Show ▁▁ ▁By ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁trans ist ors ▁were ▁coming ▁in ▁from ▁Japanese ▁manufact ur ers ▁and ▁color ▁TV s ▁had ▁finally ▁sold ▁the ▁first ▁million ▁sets . ▁Way man ▁saw ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁an ▁industry ▁trade ▁show , ▁much ▁like ▁the ▁show ▁radio ▁manufact ur ers ▁had ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁where ▁the ▁middle men ▁and ▁distrib utors ▁could ▁come ▁and ▁see ▁the ▁new ▁products . ▁Way man ▁presented ▁the ▁idea ▁to ▁his ▁Board , ▁but ▁they ▁initially ▁rejected ▁the ▁idea ▁out ▁of ▁fear ▁that ▁Japanese ▁manufact ur ers ▁would