CEDIA Membership Meeting to Outline Association’s Future

The annual CEDIA Membership Meeting is being held Tuesday, December 27 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern.

Hosted by outgoing CEDIA chairman Randy Stearns, who was named chairman in Jan. 2011 after Randy Vaughan passed away, the webinar provides members an opportunity to learn about the future direction and vision of CEDIA, which recently announced it board of directors for 2012-13 and parted ways with CEO Utz Baldwin.

Stearns, owner of CE Pro 100 company Engineered Environments, will discuss the top initiatives and the direction of the association for 2012, as well as the financial status of the association and successes from 2011. CEDIA will also unveil the findings of its exclusive Industry Market Sizing and Member Benchmarking studies.

Registration is now open for the webinar, which is free for CEDIA members.

Stearns Says Goodbye, Hints at Future Initiatives

In a letter to CEDIA members, Stearns detailed several new initiatives CEDIA will undertake in 2012. Some of those initiatives include:

A Consumer Website Targeting Homeowners: "CEDIA will launch a consumer website targeted at homeowners as well as industry partners such as architects, designers and custom homebuilders. This website, in addition to providing highly relevant information on the industry, its products, and its services, will use paid and organic searches to direct visitors to the CEDIA Finder Service…and in turn, our members."

Expanding CEDIA's Outreach to Local Level: Extend CEDIA’s industry outreach program to the local chapter level. CEDIA staff will work with local chapters of the AIA, ASID, NAHB and other professional design and construction industry associations to schedule outreach education for CEDIA’s Registered Outreach Instructors, placing them in an ideal environment to gather leads on active projects within their local community. CEDIA members, and in particular ROIs, will reap benefits of membership like never before.

Here is the letter from Stearns reprinted in its entirety:

Dear Fellow CEDIA Member -

As my term as CEDIA Chairman winds down, I’d like to thank you for the privilege of serving CEDIA and hope I’ve left behind a legacy that catapults our association forward in positive and exciting new ways as we enter the post-recession growth years. Please join me in thanking Randy Wilson and Eric Lee for their contributions to CEDIA as they leave the board after completing their terms of service, and in welcoming our new board members Mark Hoffenberg of AudioVisions, Richard Millson of Millson Technologies and Seth Rubenstein of ihiji.

Some might say 2011 was a turbulent year for CEDIA, but as we’ve learned in our own businesses during the recent recession, shaking things up is necessary if we want to remain relevant and strong during these changing times. CEDIA leadership and staff have torn down the walls of convention. While CEDIA’s mission remains unchanged, we’ve worked tirelessly to re-assess our programs and services, re-evaluate our governance and staff, and begin to reposition CEDIA to take advantage of the latest in technology, adapt to the changing ways that business people access and absorb information, and find new ways to directly impact member profitability.

Members tell us that the best way CEDIA can create value, and thereby fulfill its mission to be a core component of its members’ prosperity, is to bring new business to their door. The CEDIA board and senior staff have worked hard over the past months to develop a compelling 5-year strategic plan and detailed operating plan, which you will see unfold in the months and years to come.

Today, I’d like to tell you about two exciting new initiatives, as part of that plan, that focus on creating business opportunities for ESCs. In 2012, CEDIA will launch a consumer website targeted at homeowners as well as industry partners such as architects, designers and custom homebuilders. This website, in addition to providing highly relevant information on the industry, its products, and its services, will use paid and organic searches to direct visitors to the CEDIA Finder Service…and in turn, our members. The second initiative is to expand CEDIA’s industry outreach program to the local chapter level. CEDIA staff will work with local chapters of the AIA, ASID, NAHB and other professional design and construction industry associations to schedule outreach education for CEDIA’s Registered Outreach Instructors, placing them in an ideal environment to gather leads on active projects within their local community. CEDIA members, and in particular ROIs, will reap benefits of membership like never before.

Another key initiative for 2012 is to position CEDIA as the undeniable voice of authority for our industry. That is, we will create a web portal that will be the resource for industry information and education, and the hub that connects all industry stakeholders. Industry research, product information and announcements, technical white papers, online education and more will be available to you 24/7/365 through a robust industry portal and mobile app with a customizable dashboard to make sure you have the information you need at your fingertips at all times.

I am excited about CEDIA’s future, but we can’t accomplish our aggressive agenda without your participation and input. It is through your continued support that enables CEDIA to go state to state combating potentially harmful legislation, provide the necessary education and certification to build a trained workforce and repeatedly produce EXPO, the industry’s only “can’t miss” event.

We often hear from our members that they wouldn’t be where they are today if it weren’t for CEDIA. The same is true for CEDIA…we wouldn’t be where we are today without you. CEDIA leadership and staff have a renewed commitment to the spirit of volunteerism. Let us know how you can help. No matter what size your business or how long you’ve been in the trenches, CEDIA unites us all!

Please keep the ideas flowing, and watch for regular updates. Enclosed is contact information for your 2012-2013 Board of Directors. I encourage you to stay connected to your leadership throughout the year.

Best wishes for a great holiday season and a prosperous 2012!