Strategy in TECH...
Emerald Expositions, owner of the CEDIA Expo taking place this year in Denver from September 6-9, 2023, announced it is bringing back the Launchpad (formerly known as Innovation Alley) to the Expo floor. The Launchpad highlights several new and emerging companies that take advantage of the event to launch new technologies to the industry.
Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE: EEX) (Emerald), also known as Emerald Expositions (Emerald Expo), reported their fiscal 2022 fourth quarter and full-year results on Tuesday. Their results, with strong revenue and income growth, clearly establish that the organization is rebounding from the years of COVID with exhibitors and attendees coming back to their events in force.
About five seconds into our phone call, before I even had a chance to explain myself, AVIXA CEO David Labuskes suddenly burst out: “Oh! I know why you called me!” This reaction caught me off-guard as we’d never spoken before. But when he went on to tell me why he thought I had called him, he was right on the money. It was a clue that he is a deeper thinker than many executives I reach out to, and as we spoke further, that impression only got stronger.
Another surprise was that Labuskes knew me (and Strata-gee) better than I realized…
Emerald Expositions (NYSE: EEX), the national B2B trade show company that owns CEDIA Expo, CE Pro, and Commercial Integrator surprised the industry at the recent CEDIA Expo 2022 by abruptly announcing that next year they will be “co-locating” a show for commercial integrators at the same time and in the same facility. Reaction to this announcement was…to put it mildly…mixed. Is Emerald trying to imitate the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show – an event for both residential and commercial businesses – by launching an ISUS (Integrated Systems United States) event??
Do you wonder why there was a mixed reaction to Emerald’s move? Read on…
Perhaps one of the more surprising events at CEDIA Expo 2022 – at least in my mind – was an event that took place early in the morning on the first official day of the show floor opening. This event, the CEDIA Advocacy Town Hall in which the organization intended to discuss the extent of their political advocacy conducted on behalf of the membership, seemed to me like something unlikely to draw much attention…or attendance.
Boy…was I wrong!
It took a couple of weeks, but Emerald Expositions finally released the attendance figures for CEDIA Expo 2022. According to the exposition company, the attendance of nearly 12,000 “exceeded expectations” – their expectations apparently. But there is no question that it certainly blew away the attendance of just 1,400 folks who visited CEDIA Expo 2021.
It’s a remarkable event when someone can claim a legitimate first. In all my years in this crazy Tech business, those firsts are getting fewer and further between. But Emerald Expositions, owner of the CEDIA Expo trade show can claim a legitimate first that I have never seen before from any show. They gave the cold shoulder to any media organization not named CE Pro.
Usually, shows want good media relations across the board with happy media writing positive stories and building an upbeat buzz about their event. Not Emerald…they are quite satisfied to help just one media outlet to run positive stories about their event…their very own CE Pro.
CEDIA Expo 2022, the integration business trade show owned by Emerald Expositions, wrapped up this past Saturday and relief amongst exhibitors was obvious throughout the venue as integrators actually showed up this year in decent – but certainly not great – numbers. It was a refreshing contrast to the dumpster fire known as CEDIA Expo 2021 – when over 200 exhibitors pulled out of the event because of rising COVID cases and a total of only 1,400 people representing booth staff, agencies, and attendees showed up.
It was a much different picture this year…
Finally, after two years without a real show – absolutely no show in 2020, and a very tiny one in 2021 – the industry comes together again for its one big show of the year – the CEDIA Expo 2022. Although not technically post-COVID, at least the situation is improving to the point where the world is beginning a return to something that approaches normal. And that brings us to now, the relaunching of live in-person events like the CEDIA Expo in Dallas, TX. But what can you expect if you head to Dallas and Expo?
Creston Electronics announced today its plans for the upcoming CEDIA Expo show in Dallas at the end of the month. The company says they will have a big showing for their Crestron Home ecosystem and a “deep roster of new solutions” that integrators are going to want to see.
