CEDIA Expo 2023 has concluded. The largest North American tradeshow for the professional smart home and AV industry came and went with three full days of networking, education and product viewings exciting exhibitors and attendees alike. While we’re waiting for the attendance numbers to roll in, though, there’s still plenty to talk about in the form of AI-powered smart home devices, WFH solutions, resimercial, and lighting.
To keep everyone up to date on all the news and conversation surrounding CEDIA Expo 2023, CE Pro has compiled this definitive hub for the topic.
We’ll be providing plenty of updates as our editors report their own findings and experiences from the show floor, so be sure to check back in—or even just bookmark this page—if you’re keen on keeping up to date with all the happenings at CEDIA Expo 2023.
Until then, from all of us at CE Pro, we look forward to seeing you at next year’s show!
Lutron’s Ben Bard Talks Lighting Trends and Where Integrators Stand to Gain
With a name derived from the Latin word for light, and a legacy with integrators that extends well before current category trends, the name Lutron, both literally and figuratively, is synonymous with lighting. Thankfully for Lutron, that legacy hasn’t led to complacency as the company remains extremely proactive and engaged with the integrator channel. Most recently, the company conducted a study exploring how consumers value lighting in the home, in addition to wrapping up its annual Lutron Excellence awards at CEDIA Expo 2023.
The Future of Digital Lighting & Control
As a custom integrator, lighting is in demand. Effective communication, education and showcasing the value proposition of LED light fixtures in conjunction with integrative control systems are the keys to overcoming challenges and closing sales in this specialized market. Join us as we discuss the future of digital lighting and control with David Warfel from Light Can Help You and Patrick Laidlaw and Mark Moody from AiSPIRE. Register Now!Being so particularly tapped into this category, Ben Bard, Vice President of Lutron, sat down with CE pro to discuss how Lutron has been handling the surge in popularity from integrators, the trends it’s been noticing as lighting becomes more widely adopted, and where integrators can look to continue expanding their lighting business.
TechStarter Winner, AI-Powered Proposal Tool Specifi Enters U.S. Market
A new proposal tool, Specifi IO, with project and business management features made its first U.S. market debut at CEDIA 2023 and won the TechStarter Competition Best Startup award. Based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and released in the UK and Ireland in 2021, Specifi is designed to help AV integrators produce professional proposals and win more business with unique and time savings features.
Per a statement, Specifi was originally developed in 2017 by founder and managing director Matthew Booth for his AV Distribution company’s eCommerce website (Indigo Distribution). The platform allowed Indigo customers to produce professional quotes and installation documents using Indigo’s products. “It was really innovative and saved dealers a lot of time,” Booth says. “Integrators became reliant on the tool and began expressing interest in using it with other brands and suppliers.”
Can the Commercial and Residential Convergence Maintain Momentum?
When I started out in this industry back in 2006, there was a distinct line in the sand between the residential home theater and automation sector and the commercial pro AV and controls realm… and “never the twain shall meet,” as the saying goes.
Well, a couple of years later, when the new construction housing market went belly up, the two distinct industries started to cozy up together. Suddenly, custom integrators who needed projects to stay afloat began to branch out into light commercial — or what we now refer to as “resimercial” — work for clients such as multidwelling units (MDUs), bars & restaurants, mom-and-pop retail shops, small offices, etc.
Security Providers Step Up Sophistication & Streamline Solutions at CEDIA Expo 2023
There are myriad reasons why the smart home and security industries have been converging in recent years, and CEDIA Expo 2023 certainly reflected this growing trend.
During the CEDIA Expo, which took place at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver Sept. 7-9, manufacturers addressing categories such as smart locks, access control, video surveillance and alarm systems exhibited their latest solutions that enable integrators to join or further entrench their companies in residential security.
CEDIA Expo & Commercial Integrator Expo Attendance Clocks in at 13K for Denver Outing
The attendance numbers are in for CEDIA Expo 2023 and inaugural, co-located Commercial Integrator Expo (CIX), and they reflect the optimism and enthusiasm expressed on the busy show floor and conference programs during the event. Overall, the Sept. 7-9 expos, held in Denver, announced 15,541 total combined registrants with a verified attendance of 12,848 industry professionals – a 7.6% increase from last year’s 11,946.
Indeed, the industry appeared to continue its post-pandemic momentum at the Colorado Convention Center following a solid attendance for CEDIA Expo 2022 in Dallas. Show attendees to Denver came from all 50 U.S. states and 21 countries.
CEDIA Expo 2023 Highlights How Far Home Control Ecosystems Have Expanded
One of the big themes of every CEDIA Expo is the ever-expanding reach and advancements of home controls manufacturers’ ecosystems. The major players in home automation have stepped up their games in recent years, heavily increasing functionalities, feature sets, integration capabilities, end-user friendliness and more.
That was on full display at the Colorado Convention Center during CEDIA Expo 2023 in Denver, Sept. 7-9. Home controls exhibitors continued to innovate by showing off myriad ways custom integrators can not only bolster residential projects, but also arm their dealers with the means to crack into light commercial/resimercial markets.
Sonance Unveils Visual Experience Series, Honors 40th Anniversary at CEDIA Expo 2023
Architectural and outdoor audio specialist Sonance commemorated four decades of excellence in the audio and technology industry at CEDIA Expo 2023 in Denver, Sept. 7-9. Celebrating its 40 years in grand style at the event, Sonance and its brands, including James Loudspeaker and IPORT, showcased a whopping 21 products and innovations at this year’s CEDIA Expo.
For integrator attendees, Sonance’s refreshed booth at the Colorado Convention Center featured lots of goodies, building upon the San Clemente, Calif., company’s traditionally appealing blend of solutions and design story. At the top of that list this year was the introduction of Visual Experience Series (VX), including the Sonance VX and James VXQ models.
Lutron Excellence Awards & Hall of Fame Inductee Honor 10 Leading Integrators
Lighting and shading control manufacturer Lutron Electronics has announced the winners of its 2023 Excellence Awards competition and the newest inductee to the Lutron Hall of Fame.
The announcements were made during a special event in Denver on September 7 during CEDIA Expo 2023.
Established in 2003, the Lutron Excellence Awards competition recognizes the world’s best projects that use Lutron lighting and shading controls and Ketra fixtures. Nearly 150 companies have been honored in the past 21 years.
The Integrators & Manufacturers That Took Home CEDIA Smart Home Awards
Custom integration industry association CEDIA has announced the winning integrators and products of the organization’s Smart Home Awards in the Americas region.
The winners, announced during an awards ceremony at last week’s CEDIA Expo, were judged by a panel of EMEA-based integrators, architects and interior designers, including: Angus Murray (New Wave AV), Ben Goff (Cinema Lusso), Chris Morley (Cyberhomes), Geoff Meads (Presto), Owen Maddock (CinemaWorks), Doug King (King Contracting), and Matthew Freeman (Freeman Studio). The product entries were reviewed by a global judging panel including Chris McCormick (McCormick Concepts), Ian Williams (Aspire Audio Video Solutions), Jan Martens (Woelf), Jools Browning (BrownHen Solutions), Ken Irvine (Premier Group), Luke Crutcher (Living Home Tech), Mike Thul (Xssentials), and Paul Bochner (ECNY).
Bob Archer’s CEDIA Expo 2023 Recap: Tradeshow Represents AV Maturation
Other than the travel issues many people from the Midwest and East Coasts experienced during their flights home from Denver and CEDIA Expo 2023, the just concluded trade event wrapped up a stellar week of AV systems and component demonstrations.
What makes the 2023 show interesting despite the fact really no new technologies or format were really demonstrated was the fact that AV companies in attendance flexed their respective engineering muscle. Video manufacturers showed display technologies such as mini-LED, MicroLED, and laser-based projectors with content that included 4K in HDR and SDR.
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