10.22.2008 — Electronic House Expo (EHX) Fall will become part of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) starting in 2010.

EHX Fall 2008 will take place as planned on November 4–7 in Long Beach, Calif. Next year, however, EHX Fall will become part of 2010 CES in Las Vegas. Read the full press release.

EH Events and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which puts on CES, have reached a 10-year agreement, meaning EHX will be part of CES until at least 2020.

EHX Spring, traditionally in Orlando, Fla., will continue as a separate show.

EHX @ CES will include a show floor area dedicated to custom electronics and high-performance product exhibits at the nearby Sands Expo and Convention Center, according to Jim Wagner, general manager, EH Events.

"We will have at least 20,000 square feet," he says.

Wagner says he anticipates many custom or high-performance manufacturers that traditionally have a presence at CES — perhaps in DisplayPort TechZone, Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase or the Venetian — will move to the EHX @ CES section "since we are giving them a logical place to be. Our expectation is that custom vendors will support a dedicated area at CES."

During recent shows, CES has positioned the Venetian as a venue for high-performance audio manufacturers to exhibit and demonstrate products.

While Wagner expects many of those exhibitors to move to EHX @ CES, the Venetian and the Sands are next to one another, both about 1.5 miles from the main show floors in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Sands is also the traditional host of the Adult Entertainment Expo, which usually overlaps with CES.

Custom Plans for CES

EHX's presence at CES is also designed to reinforce the show's significance for custom installation companies, according to Wagner. There is a perception that the show is consumer-centric and that efforts to reach custom solutions providers are "diluted," he says.

"There used to be a density [at CES] for our audience [custom installers]. That's moved away. Installers weren't finding the right people and sort of stopped going.

"We're creating a destination for installers."

Wagner adds that "while chaotic," CES" is a spectacular show environment. I think that by putting EHX there, we're giving installers more value."

The CEA has been a longstanding partner of EH Events, and its TechHome Division is the official sponsor of EHX. EHX @ CES marks "an expansion of that relationship," Wagner says.

The details of EHX @ CES are still being determined. Wagner expects there to be networking opportunities for those integrators and perhaps a reception. "We'll work to create environments specific for the custom market."

What about EHX Fall?

Not lost in the announcement is the fact that EHX Fall, which has been a fixture in Southern California for nine years, won't exist after 2008.

Moving EHX Fall to CES, however, could actually be a boon to Southern California integrators who are about a 30-minute flight or three-hour drive from Las Vegas, according to EHX organizers. EHX @ CES allows them to get the custom experience while also seeing the latest consumer electronics products.

Many vendors, especially video manufacturers, feel the need to debut direct-to-consumer products to custom installers, as was evident at CEDIA Expo 2008.

Pre-registration for EHX Fall 2008, in general, is actually on pace with last year's show, according to Demetrios Louloudes, EHX marketing manager. About 7,000 attended EHX Fall 2007.

EHX Fall hasn't grown as quickly as EHX Spring. Its proximity (both on the map and the calendar) to CEDIA Expo may have contributed to that.

"EHX Fall has drawn a lot of distributors, but we think [rolling it into CES in Las Vegas] will bring direct manufacturer participation back to the West," Wagner says.

The Expo has been in Denver the past three years but it's moving to Atlanta in 2009.

CEDIA recently agreed to provide at least 55 accredited classes and provide testing for CEU credits at EHX Spring. The agreement does not include EHX @ CES.

The plan for education at EHX @ CES is for CEA to continue to offer its training and EHX @CES exhibiting manufacturers to offer sessions.