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CES 2021: Sony Evolves From Hardware Maker to Experience Creator

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Sony Airpeak drone
Airpeak drone

“Please join us in looking forward as we continue to evolve as a ‘creative entertainment company,'” said Kenichiro Yoshida, Sony Chairman, CEO and President to kick off Sony’s presentation to the media on CES 2021’s press day this past Monday. It was a carefully crafted opening, with words of particular significance that contrasts strongly with previous company characterizations. Sony is changing.

Has the train jumped the tracks? Or has Sony hit the hyper-drive taking us to a new and exciting unexplored planet?

See more from Sony’s press presentation…

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CES 2021 Launches This Week in All-Digital or Virtual Format

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CES 2021 attendee dashboard

See What Tech Exhibitors are Talking About

The Consumer Electronics Show – CES 2021 – opened this week with great fanfare, but no long taxi lines, no crowded booths, and no glitzy hands-on displays. That’s because this year, CES is virtual – or as the CTA (Consumer Technology Association) likes to put it, it is “all digital.”

Can they pull it off?

See more on CES 2021…

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Annual CEDIA State of the Association Report Includes Some Drama

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CEDIA State of the Association opening slide

Nearly 600 Members Leave the Association in 2020

CEDIA held their annual State of the Association report for members today and, as usual, it was a well produced, glitzy affair more bent on selling the organization to all who choose to watch and listen. The Master of Ceremonies was Giles Sutton – no surprise for anyone aware of some of the inside actions taking place at the highly political organization. Sutton is the interim co-CEO of the trade group. But is it a trade group? Or is it something else altogether?

Learn more about what CEDIA said in their Annual Report to members…

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In a New Twist, CEDIA Board Names Not One, But Two Interim Co-CEOs

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cedia logo

CEDIA, the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association, announced earlier this week that it has named Giles Sutton, current Senior Vice President of Member Success and Sales, and Kory Dickerson, current Senior Vice President of Operations, as Interim Co-CEOs, replacing Tabatha O’Connor – the current CEO whose contract is ending in January. The Board of Directors had previously announced that it decided not to extend O’Connor’s contract, but didn’t say why. Ostensibly, the organization is still searching for a more permanent solution, but for now, we get two CEOs instead of one.

See more on this eyebrow raising CEDIA announcement…

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2020 Audio Shows Were a COVID Bust; Here’s the Status of 2021 Shows

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a photo from a past AXPONA audio show

Compiled by Bill Leebens

For the most part, when it comes to audio shows, either trade or consumer, 2020 has been a bust. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, with one exception – the Florida Audio Expo in Tampa, FL in February – all other events were cancelled. So what does that mean for 2021? Guest poster Bill Leebens has compiled a list of top audio shows for 2021 showing their current status…

See today’s status for 2021 shows…

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Theme Song for 2021 Audio Shows? Maybe ‘The Sound of Silence’

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photo from a previous AXPONA

A Bill Leebens Guest Post

We may have been aware of every agonizing second of Plague Year 2020 as they slowly ticked by, but as far as audio shows go—2020 was literally a no-show. In the US, February’s Florida Audio Expo in Tampa was the first and last audio-only show of the year. Since then, show after show has been delayed or cancelled—in several instances, delayed, and THEN cancelled.

What does 2021 Hold for Audio Shows?…

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CEDIA Propel: Member Benefit? Or Quasi-Buying Group?

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Last week, CEDIA announced their CEDIA Propel initiative, said to be a new “Affinity Program” designed to offer members a new kind of benefit. The announcement caught my eye almost immediately because this program is unlike other other affinity program with which I’m familiar. Typically such programs offer members benefits such as special pricing on health insurance or discounts on UPS shipping and the like. In this case, CEDIA is recommending technology brands who offer discount programs to CEDIA members on their products.

To me, this sounded at least a little bit like the kind of service provided by a buying group.

Where is CEDIA heading with Propel?…

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Help Lightning Virtual Support Offers Free 60-Day Trial to CEDIA Members

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photo of Help Lightning merged reality

Help Lightning, a new support solution the company likes to call “virtual expertise,” not only offers a new potential benefit for integrators to increase the amount of safe in-home support for their clients in these COVID-19 times – they also offer CEDIA members a free 60-day try-before-you-buy experience to test it out in your market with your clients. And in the middle of the pandemic, there has never been a better time to look at offering clients a new support solution that adheres to strict safety standards by limiting person-to-person exposure.

Learn more about Help Lighting’s free trial

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Suspicious Changes at CEDIA; CEO O’Connor is Out With No Explanation

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Photo of new CEDIA HQ rendering

This News Follows Other Prominent Departures

The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) announced at the end of last week that Global President and CEO Tabatha O’Connor will “depart” the organization at the end of her contract period in January. The news caught many by surprise and the organization’s announcement gives no clue as to any of the reasons behind this leadership change.

See more on O’Connor’s departure from CEDIA

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Emerald Expo Says CEDIA Expo Virtual Registers 7,600; Claims Virtual Success

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CEDIA Expo Virtual logo

Emerald Expositions announced today that CEDIA Expo Virtual drew 7,600 trade professional registrations for their three day run from September 15-17, 2020. Although this figure is less than half the attendance at the live, in-person version, Emerald considers it a great success as an all-virtual event.

See more on the results for CEDIA Expo Virtual

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