CEDIA, also known as the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association, is the primary touch point and international trade association for over 3500 member companies who design, manufacture and install residential electronic systems and technology. The leading association in the home technology industry, is now entering a new age, connecting more than thirty thousand industry professionals, who manufacture and integrate products and appliances of the connected home.
The CEDIA Expo is a major tradeshow held annually in the US, attended by thousands of home technology professionals and more than 500 exhibitors, including leading brands, companies and organizations involved in the industry. With the move to San Diego, CEDIA 2017 saw strong growth in attendance, with more than 20,000 home tech professionals participating in the event. Major exhibiting brands have already committed for the 2018 show.
CEDIA Expo is now owned and operated by Emerald Expositions, a leading operator of business-to-business trade shows in the United States, currently operating more than 55 trade shows, as well as numerous other face-to-face events. CEDIA 2017 saw a significant increase in attendance, and Emerald Expositions is now working in tandem with the CEDIA association and a select group of industry experts to develop new initiatives to benefit both the exhibitors and attendees for CEDIA 2018.
CEDIA 2018 will take place September 4-8, 2018, again at the San Diego Convention Center, and is expected to see a further increase in attendance. As always, the event will feature five days of networking, CEDIA training, brand exposure, and product launches. In addition, Emerald Expositions will launch several key initiatives in 2018 to drive additional value for both exhibitors and attendees.
A Smart Stage will be introduced to host a number of new attendee engagement opportunities. Tech Bites will also launch in 2018 and will give exhibitors the chance to apply for a 3-minute slot to present a new product and/or service in a short elevator pitch. Designed to encourage product innovation, Tech Bites will be a valuable opportunity for both press and attendees to receive concise access to new products hitting the market.
The audience will experience a lively, three-minute presentation from each brand, followed by a three-minute Q & A session fielding questions from the media, influencers and industry pros. A judging panel from different areas of the industry will choose 15 brands who are bringing the latest and most innovative products to the show to participate. TechBites will showcase five (5) brands on each day of the Expo. Each day will feature a unique category:Smart Home — September 6
Home Theater — September 7
Security — September 8
On each of the three days of TechBites, presentation highlights will be shared and live streamed via CEDIA Expo’s Facebook page.
In addition to the already-popular CEDIA Talks, Tech Talks will also utilize the Smart Stage and give attendees a platform to listen to short, powerful talks from industry leaders about current trends, market changes, and other general industry topics. Exhibitors may also utilize the Smart Stage for sponsored content.
TechTalks will dive deep into highly focused topics, including material selection, signal distribution and security technologies. Talks will also tackle broad subjects such as untapped revenue streams, partnerships with interior designers and the connected technologies of the future. Just a few of the TechTalks topics attendees can expect to learn from include:
Fiber vs. Copper Debate: Handling 4K HDR and HDMI 2.1
SDVOE vs. HDBaseT-IP Debate: What is the Future Signal Distribution Protocol
Breaking into the Lucrative Lighting Fixtures Market
Working Effectively with Interior Designers
Breaking Down Smart Home Objection Barriers
Julie Jacobson’s Future Technologies/IoT Panel
Capitalizing on New Home Security Technologies
Jason Knott, editor-in-chief of CE Pro, shares that “CE Pro is excited to be partnering with Emerald Expositions to develop a slate of thought-provoking discussions for the Smart Stage at CEDIA Expo. These sessions will focus on important takeaways that integrators can use to grow their businesses profitably.” Also contributing content will be the Women in Consumer Technology Group, the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) and Parks Associates.
As part of the plans to increase attendance in 2018, Emerald Expositions is leveraging its strong Design and Construction brands to encourage designers, architects, and builders in the residential and hospitality fields to attend CEDIA 2018. “The integrator-designer relationship needs to be a partnership, and we want to help educate builders and remodelers on the critical importance of including the integrator from the onset of a project,” remarks Brian Pagel, SVP of Emerald Expositions and Show Director of CEDIA 2018.
As part of the package put in place by CEDIA and Emerald Expositions, exhibitors and attendees will benefit from a series of services to make attending the convention and expo even easier, like accommodation booking services. “CEDIA Expo has been, and will continue to be, the trailblazer for connected technology within the residential market,” says Brian Pagel, senior vice president, Emerald Expositions. “We are excited by the unique opportunity to elevate and expand the influence of the CEDIA Expo brand within the residential design and build community.”
CEDIA already confirmed that John Penney, Executive Vice President of Consumer Business Development and Strategic Partnerships for 20th Century Fox will deliver the 2018 CEDIA Expo Keynote. Penney’s keynote will focus on how the proliferation of direct-to-consumer services in tandem with the powerful hand of human and machine-based personalization will accelerate change in the content and distribution landscape and bring about business opportunities for integrators.
Penney has spent his career in the entertainment field focusing on digital content. Prior to joining 20th Century Fox, he spent seven years at STARZ and seven years at HBO respectively. Penney’s expertise in this area has been lent to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences where he serves as a Founding Member of the Vision Council: Interactive Media Peer Group. Members of this council are tasked with identifying trends and disruptions, defining and addressing challenges, and recommending solutions for Academy members.
Penney says, “I am hopeful the keynote will deliver a holistic view of the home as a dynamic and evolving environment — one where hardware, software, and services requiring integration come together to provide consumer experiences that are even richer and more compelling.”
“Entertainment projects continue to represent a very large segment of CEDIA work. Getting an inside look at how augmented reality and artificial intelligence will add both value and complexity to the systems CEDIA members design will be an incredible opportunity to prepare for the next wave of innovation in this segment,” adds Dave Pedigo, CEDIA VP of Emerging Technologies.
The 2018 CEDIA Expo Keynote is free for CEDIA Expo attendees and will take place on Wednesday, September 5 at 5:30 p.m. in room 20A at the San Diego Convention Center.
CEDIA Expo will be held Sept. 4-8 at the San Diego Convention Center. The show floor will be open September 6-8.
Registration is now open www.cediaexpo.com/register.
September 4-8
CEDIA 2018
San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA
expo.cedia.net
