Over the last few years, the term “resimercial” has become a common buzzword in the AV industry, indicating the blurred lines between commercial and residential AV. Indeed, the successful launch of Commercial Integrator Expo (CIX), co-located with CEDIA Expo, in September 2023 cemented the industry’s recognition of this convergence.

Now, the show is back, promising to be bigger and better than ever before. CEDIA Expo 2024 and Commercial Integrator Expo 2024 (CIX 2024) will take place at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver from Sept. 4 to 7, with exhibits open the last three days.

Here, our sister publication Commercial Integrator, whose corporate parent, Emerald, also owns CEDIA Expo and Commercial Integrator Expo, speaks to Jason McGraw, group vice president and show director for Commercial Integrator Expo and CEDIA Expo.

McGraw discusses what attendees can look forward to in the second iteration of the co-located shows.

CIX 2024 Sees Significant Increase in Exhibitors

“Last year, when we launched CIX with CEDIA Expo, we were trying to address a trend that has been going on for the last several years and that was certainly accelerated by the pandemic,” McGraw begins.

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That trend is that a very significant chunk of existing CEDIA Expo attendees were not only doing custom/residential work but also doing some commercial work, indicating an increased interest in commercial products.

“We had tremendous reception from the new exhibitors that we brought in,” McGraw enthuses. In fact, he reveals, nearly all the exhibitors who were part of the inaugural CIX show re-signed so they could be part of CIX 2024, in addition to several new signups.

“It’s definitely added a new, dynamic component to the joint show floor lineup that we have for CIX 2024 and CEDIA Expo 2024,” he emphasizes.

According to McGraw, the co-located show floor provides greater value and opportunity to visit brands that residential and commercial integrators perhaps hadn’t interacted with before in their respective segments.

Synergies Across Markets Expected to Drive Cross Pollination

“The home theater industry is a major piece…on the residential side,” McGraw explains. “However, there is also audio, video, display and control, which go across both channels.” Moreover, McGraw points to security and digital signage technologies and their relevance across verticals.

“We’ve got a number of new LED manufacturers exhibiting with us this year at the show,” he says, underlining that digital signage will be a big part of the co-located show experience.

From McGraw’s perspective, the central idea is to focus and expand on where specific technologies overlap across different market settings. He adds, “We’re focusing on the fixed-install markets where there are already connections and crossover.”

Most notably, those include corporate, education, hospitality, retail and other major verticals for commercial integrators. McGraw also cites smart buildings, multi-dwelling units and mixed residential-commercial spaces, saying they are experiencing a surge.

McGraw adds, “The mix of exhibitors reflect…the [increasing] convergence of the two marketplaces.” Examples of such exhibitors whose presence extends across the co-located shows include Crestron, Sony Electronics and Samsung Electronics.

Manufacturer Product Training Sessions at CIX 2024 Offer Entry Points into the Market

By participating in Manufacturer Product Training sessions, also known as MPTs, attendees can dive deep into the functionality of products that they’re either currently integrating or still considering for projects, with the solutions covered being represented by exhibitors on the show floor.

Interested attendees can choose from sessions covering topics such as installation and programming techniques, best practices as well as strategic business insights like how to integrate new products into the sales strategy and how to optimize profits from existing portfolios.

Participating exhibitors for the MPTs include the following: Crestron, Lutron, Russound, AiSPIRE, Nice, Snap One, SoundTube Entertainment, Sonos, Access Network, Yamaha and many more.

Focus on Lighting and Audio as Categories Surge

McGraw draws special attention to shading and low-voltage lighting solutions being emphasized by both CEDIA Expo as well as CIX this year, including a big show-floor presence for Lutron.

“If you’re talking about architectural lighting, LED lighting, low voltage…it’s clearly used in commercial and residential [environments],” he says. “CEDIA has some lighting sessions in their conference program. One of their keynotes is from Lutron who will also do a session on the Smart Stage.”

McGraw also remarks that audio will be a major focus at CIX 2024. He says, “We’ve got Leon Speakers and Origin Acoustics, along with other well-known brands showing commercial audio solutions this year.” What’s more, CIX 2024 has witnessed a huge jump in the number of sound rooms on the show floor. “As of now, we have nine or 10 [demo rooms], which is great!” McGraw says.

Expanded Educational Program Aims to Sate Curious Appetites

Turning to the content program, McGraw emphasizes the tremendous amount of education and content offerings on offer in Denver. “Commercial Integrator Expo has over two dozen education sessions and CEDIA Expo has close to 100 sessions, coupled with the programming on the Smart Stage,” he remarks. McGraw adds that many sessions reflect and analyze current trends in unified communications and collaboration (UC&C).

“All corporations are now using these technologies to connect with a more diverse and remote workforce communicating from a variety of locations,” he explains. “And, of course, there’s the influence of artificial intelligence in the unified communications space.” In short, this group of sessions will provide attendees with a broader outlook on the current state of the industry across technology specialties.

McGraw adds that the robust conference program will feature sessions created by the Interactive Multimedia & Collaborative Communications Alliance (IMCCA).

“We’re very proud to work with IMCCA and have their members and subject matter experts speak at the program,” he says. Along with a group of more formal education sessions under the IMCCA’s banner, the organization will also conduct thought-leader panel discussions on the Smart Stage. McGraw underscores the real-world experience of IMCCA members, adding that the sessions will be “…very beneficial to the integrator attendees, as well as the technology managers on the show floor.”

Continuing to build anticipation for the sessions, McGraw cites some of the speakers that the IMCCA was able to recruit which include David Danto, David Maldow, Kevin Kieller, Chris Neto, Lainie Mataras and many others. Alongside these distinguished speakers, CI’s own Dan Ferrisi will lead a session on the benefits of AV integrators adding electronic security to their mix to boost their business.

“We’re very fortunate to have industry luminaries and subject matter experts come forward and contribute their time to share their knowledge [on the show floor],” McGraw enthuses.

Additional Highlights Coming to CEDIA Expo 2024

The CE Pro All-Star Band, as it does every year, will return to rock the show at CEDIA Expo 2024. Featuring manufacturer’s reps, manufacturers, integrators and even CE Pro staff members, the CE Pro All-Star Band and its members have spent years in the industry. The performance provides industry professionals with a fun, engaging opportunity to share their talents at one of CEDIA Expo’s most anticipated annual events. While the band plays, industry members gather, network and celebrate their collective love of music.

At CEDIA Expo 2023, the band covered classic songs from a range of decades. They played tunes from Cake, Kid Rock, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Foo Fighters, Georgia Satellites, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Billy Joel and more. As in previous years, the concert was interactive in nature. Attendees also got a chance to sing, dance and even join the band onstage.

Another highlight of CEDIA Expo comes from Women in Consumer Technology (WiCT), an organization that promotes the advancement of women in the consumer technology industry. The organization announced that Sylvia Acevedo will deliver the keynote address at its networking reception and luncheon on Friday, Sept. 6, at 11:30 a.m.

Acevedo, an accomplished leader across diverse sectors, will share insights gleaned from her remarkable career at the forefront of innovation and leadership. Now in its 16th year, the event will open with a networking reception that will feature a Bloody Mary and Bellini bar, sponsored by DMF Lighting; the luncheon and keynote address will follow that.

CIX, CEDIA Expo 2024 Expected to Grow as a “Homecoming for the Industry”

The Smart Stage has been a hallmark at CEDIA Expo for several years. With the co-location of CIX 2024, it’ll make an even bigger splash, McGraw promises. “It’s our way of being able to showcase the top line of what’s new, what’s trending and what’s fresh, along with the hot topics of today.” According to McGraw, the Smart Stage sessions, taking place Sept. 5 to 7, will cover topics of all sorts: digital signage, 8K content, lighting trends, home theater and more. He remarks that the virtue of the Smart Stage is that it offers attendees ways to improve their business while also doing their own professional development.

Another key aspect of the co-located event is the vast networking opportunities for exhibitors and attendees. “It’s like homecoming week for the industry,” McGraw says. “At the same time, there’s a serendipity of meeting new colleagues and peers with whom you might do business, collaborate, or even exchange ideas and information.”

To further reap the benefits of networking, the show will provide registered attendees and exhibitors with access to a mobile app for matchmaking. The app is an interactive and personalized event lobby and is powered by AI recommendations. With this, users will see meeting requests from exhibiting brands and peers, suggested matches and relevant connections.

Emphasizing the importance of networking, McGraw remarks, “There’s a lot to talk about at the show, and that’s part of the [overall] value!”

“Everyone wants to see and discover new brands [and business] opportunities, and the co-located shows will help achieve and elevate that experience,” he concludes.

Amala Reddie is the Associate Editor of Commercial Integrator.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister site Commercial Integrator.

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