A GUEST POST by Robert Archer
The past couple of years there’s been a lot said about the value and effectiveness of CEDIA Expo. While some of the criticisms may be valid, it does not mean that industry professionals should skip the event because its usefulness has passed.
Here are my thoughts on some of the powerful, but intangible, benefits of attending our industry’s most important trade show.
See Bob Archer’s thoughts on the intangible benefits of CEDIA Expo…
It seems that some have forgotten recent times. Just five years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people yearned for the days when they could walk the show floor of their favorite trade event. Now here we are, and the show is no longer good enough, and people are using phrases such as it lacks innovation to attribute why it is no longer useful.
Today’s Smart Home Industry Offers Its Own Impactful Products & Solutions
While certainly valid, let’s put the CEDIA Expo in context. The show is no longer driven by eye-popping new formats such as HD, flat-panel TVs, Dolby Pro Logic, and other massive leaps in technological advancements. The market today is bigger, more diverse, and more consumer friendly, but it doesn’t have those “wow” technologies of the early 2000s. Moreover, the market is not experiencing the massive growth period it went through before the housing crisis in 2008.
Today’s market, which for the sake of going forward we will call the smart home industry, offers less sexy, but just as impactful products and solutions. Let’s start with lighting and shades. An argument could be made that these solutions best represent the potential of modern luxury smart homes. Getting back to AV for a moment, how about the rise in popularity of MicroLED products in the residential market. Yes, they are expensive, but just like the technologies of the early 2000s—think plasma and LCD TVs—the prices are coming down to allow more people to benefit from their performance.
One Very Real Benefit of Attending CEDIA Expo is the People
There are also technologies such as immersive audio, voice control, and the continuing evolution of home control and automation that are also important to the present and future of the smart home. The only place these products can be seen is the CEDIA Expo.
Putting the product and technology discussion aside, the most important value of attending the CEDIA Expo is the personal relationships and the intangible value of meeting with people in person.
There is no other event where someone can meet with the heads of companies, industry legends, and the up-and-coming rising stars of the smart home market. If you need video training, who better to take an Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) course from than Joel Silver or Jason Dustal? Someone wants to improve their audio calibrations, well Anthony Grimani and Gerry Lemay are holding classes during CEDIA Expo. So, you want to meet with the top manufacturer’s representatives, well there’s Joaquin Rivera and his team, and Dave Silkin and his team walking the floor to see what is new.
The One Place to See All of the Major Brands, Meet Their Executives, Get Trained & See Demos
Of course, people want to meet with the manufacturers to see their latest products, and there’s Sony, Crestron, Snap One, D-Tools, and more, all on the show floor. Supporting their products, these companies offer manufacturer training sessions during the show, which may not be available at local road show events and distributor training sessions.
If seeing the new products isn’t enough, there’s the opportunity to visit some of the top brands in the market to experience their respective demos. You want to see the latest Epson projectors, well the company is demonstrating its products in several rooms. If you want to see what a Quantum Media Systems MicroLED system is all about, there’s a demo available. If you want to see Theory Audio Design’s new line of speakers…Paul Hales is demonstrating how the products can be used for residential and commercial applications.
In-Person, One-on-One Interactions are Important to Your Business Too
In addition to seeing the new products and taking part in the many training opportunities, including the CEDIA trade group’s slate of classes, there is simply the matter of seeing an industry friend or colleague that you haven’t seen since the prior CEDIA Expo. No number of video calls or AI content will ever replace the in-person experience of a trade event, and while the justifications aren’t as clear as maybe they once were, trade shows still represent the best platform to conduct business on a national scale.
The Author of this GUEST POST…
Robert “Bob” Archer is a popular technology editor and product reviewer in the consumer electronics and custom integration spaces. For more than 25 years, he was a Senior Editor at CEPro for Emerald Expositions and, before that, EH Publishing. Bob is also an accomplished guitar player and a dangerous martial arts practitioner. Finally, he is an avid and longtime supporter of Boston sports teams.
Bob Archer has left CEPro and is seeking new opportunities. Have an opening?
Reach him at: baone@comcast.net
Thanks, Ted, for giving Bob this platform. His comments are worth everyone reading again to make sure the message sinks in. Very well said as no matter what anyone’s beef might be with one aspect or another of Expo, Emerald or CEDIA, itself, that does not in any way negate the value of being there in .person to network, see products first hand in live demos, and perhaps equally important, get away from jobs and the office to recharge in an environment with your fellow travelers.
Kudos, Bob, and good luck!.
Thank you Michael, I hope you are well.
Thanks Bob for reminding everyone it’s always about the people you meet and interact with when you attend a trade show. Wow products and solutions roll in and are replaced by the next wow products. People are the foundation of a shows success now and going forward. When the encounters are meaningful and the attendees are truly present, the results are great.
I completely agree with your thoughts Glendon.
Good to see and read Bob here, Ted. I agree with Bob and will simply add that one gets from the show what they put in. If you are highly engaged, talking with people, checking out new ideas, products, solutions, asking questions and sharing your ideas, you will have a good show experience.
Thank you Buzz, it was nice of Ted to give me an opportunity to share my thoughts. I hope you are well.