CEDIA Outlines 2012 Plans

The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) weathered the rough seas of 2011 and is preparing for increased outreach and services for members in 2012.

Randy Stearns, outgoing president of the association, outlined the goals during a webcast to members. After introducing the new board, he first reviewed CEDIA's financial status, saying it “has not suffered due to the recession” by successfully adjusting expenses to fall in line with revenues. CEDIA will, in fact, have “a small net gain” in revenues in 2011. That gain was aided by $1.5 million earned in revenues from the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) in Amsterdam that CEDIA jointly produces with InfoComm.

Stearns says membership is up 5 percent in 2011 vs. 2010, with 252 new members at the end of November. Moreover, international revenues were up 7 percent and 20 percent of attendees at CEDIA Expo 2011 were first-time attendees.

“That shows me there is renewed interest in the market,” notes Stearns.

Here is a look at some of CEDIA's accomplishments in 2011 and goals for 2012:

• Work on a new global leadership structure that will be announced in 2012
• A new five-year strategic plan that Stearns says will help CEDIA “to stay relevant in the Information Age
• Revamped educational content that will shift from theory-based to practice-based content in “smaller bite-sized chunks”
• Hiring a sales team to proactively search out revenue opportunities for the association
• Launch of a new research department that started with the new market sizing report
• Continued legislative efforts that saw CEDIA address 300 bills in 14 states that Stearns calls “behind-the-scenes work that is, quite frankly, saving our industry”
• Continued outreach to interior designer, architects, builders and remodelers through the Registered Outreach Instructor (ROI) program that in 2012 will have a more “grass-roots effort” in which CEDIA will schedule appointments on behalf of ROIs to speak at local chapter meetings
• Growth in consumer awareness that includes 160 million consumer impressions via online and television exposure. In 2012, CEDIA plans to create an industry portal for dealers that will include downloadable training, news, how-to videos and more. There will also be a mobile app.

“Overall in 2012, members will observe a whole, new fresh CEDIA,” says Stearns. He reiterated that the board has no plans to replace the CEO position vacated by Utz Baldwin.