For the first time since 2019, CEDIA Expo is open to the global network of residential AV and home technology professionals this year, following its comeback for the American market last year due to travel restrictions. Amy Stoneham talks to Mandy Beckner, vice president of education and training at CEDIA about what’s on offer this year.
AW: After two years of disruption, how important is it that CEDIA Expo lays on such a diverse education conference this year for integrators?
MB: A lot has changed since our community last hit the show floor with some sense of normalcy. The technologies, the location, and even the faces of the industry are different! While CEDIA offers a range of educational programmes online and globally, this CEDIA Expo will be the first time many community members are returning to face-to-face education, and it might even be their first time learning in-person.
As we welcome both industry veterans and first-time attendees to the show, our goal remains the same: offering every attendee a breadth of relevant, stimulating, and valuable learning opportunities to advance their career or business. That means offering courses across a range of experiences to meet each attendee where they are in their journey – from foundational courses to advanced certifications. Attendees can create a customised education plan today with CEDIA’s All-Access Conference Pass.
AW: What are some of the highlights in this year’s programme?
MB: This year’s conference is jam-packed with over 150 educational sessions focused on new technologies, best practices, and the latest developments impacting custom integrators’ business. From end-to-end pathways for CEDIA’s globally recognised certifications, to “Ask the Expert” sessions, to hands-on workshops, we designed a diverse programme to ensure that there’s something for everyone. Everyone will have a different favourite session, but I will call out a few sessions that I think are broadly relevant to our audience.
First, Peter Aylett is going to share takeaways from the recent CEDIA research project, The Integrator of 2027. This is crucial, near-term future of your business stuff. If you’re not retiring next year, you should try to get a seat in this one.
Second, our “Ask the Expert” series is back, covering networking, audio, video, and allied trade partnerships. These are special sessions – free-form, open, and honest conversations with the industry’s leading lights. They’re a great opportunity to get advice on specific technical challenges and to have a guaranteed fascinating conversation with your peers.
Third, we have a timely update on the IoT landscape. In The Platform Playground Revisited, representatives of open and closed standards and wireless mesh and sub-Ghz protocols will come together to discuss platform capabilities and limitations, as well as progress towards interoperability and backwards compatibility.
AW: You have added wellness and lighting tracks this year. Why are these important markets?
MB: We’re always looking at the fastest growing trends and verticals when designing our programmes. The latest CEDIA Integrated Home Market Analysis revealed that lighting and shading is the fastest growing category in the industry. In the same survey, wellness was one of the most-mentioned emerging trends on the horizon. For integrators who are looking to expand their portfolios into new solution areas and create a more personalised, human-centric smart home experience, these courses will offer a valuable foundation.
AW: Can you tell us more about the Advocacy Town Hall?
MB: The volunteers and advocates at CEDIA monitor, track, and lobby on legislation and regulations related to the home technology industry every day, and we’ve found that as smart home technology becomes more intertwined with electrical systems, more integrators are facing conversations around electrical and low-voltage licensing. Low-voltage and PoE technologies, for example, are especially driving legislative defence for the integrator’s role at the state and local levels.
The CEDIA Advocacy Town Hall is a brand-new session this year at CEDIA Expo that focuses on dissecting the legislative and regulatory issues facing the home technology industry. It will guide integrators in understanding their role and how it is challenged by legislative barriers, how CEDIA works to protect CEDIA members, and which tools and resources are available to join the fight for their business’s rights. The Advocacy Town Hall is free to attend and kicks off with breakfast at 7:30am, followed by a presentation at 8:00 and a Q&A and next steps session to follow.
AW: The “Ask the Experts” series has returned this year. What are you expecting to be some of the themes this year for this?
MB: The “Ask the Experts” series will provide attendees with several open forums to ask questions of some of the industry’s leading experts on some of the fastest growing topics in our industry. With panels of leaders in acoustics, video system design, network configuration, business management, and more, there will be no shortage of opportunity to connect and ask real-time questions.
It's hard to say which topics will be the most prominent – so much has changed and we’ll be meeting so many new faces and businesses at the show! I’m expecting that with so many conversations around new products, protocols, and allied trades, there will be many questions around how those new technologies and partnerships best fit into integrators’ existing portfolios and enable business growth. I’d also expect some questions around streaming and entertainment technology, especially following Greg Durkin’s keynote about integrators’ new opportunity in content management.
AW: You have the refresher courses for the ANSI/ISO-accredited certifications available at the show. How important is it that integrators are taking these courses?
MB: The CEDIA CIT and IST certifications have both achieved global accreditation in the past year, so this year’s CEDIA Expo will provide a great opportunity for integrators to earn their titles. New candidates will have the chance to attend face-to-face preparation sessions at the show, so any integrators interested in sitting the exam can attend those prior to the test.
The CIT is a certification that upholds the value and integrity of CEDIA members as a community, representing a technician who is job site ready to perform basic infrastructure wiring for low-voltage technology systems. It also serves as the prerequisite for the IST certification – the ‘gold standard’ for technicians. The IST recognises custom integrators capable of performing the full scope of pre-wire and trim-out, including system testing and troubleshooting. Holding an IST certification indicates that an individual is experienced, competent, and committed to professional development and ethics.
The accredited certifications encompass an opportunity for industry newcomers, allied trades, and advanced technicians to demonstrate their competence and excellence in their trade, and I hope to see members take advantage of our end-to-end certification pathways at the show.