As the custom integration industry evolves, so too must its leading association. It’s a good thing CEDIA has entrusted its executive leadership to be chaired by Alex Capecelatro, someone who knows a thing or two about staying ahead of the technology game.

You probably know Capecelatro from Josh.ai, which he co-founded and has brought purpose-built voice control to the industry and has been expanding into remote controls. 

The company was on the cutting edge when it launched, and as a visionary the CEDIA Board of Directors Chairperson Capecelatro would seem to be an ideal person to do the job — after all, he was several years ahead of the rest of the industry on seeing where AI was heading and even put it in the company’s name.

Capecelatro has been involved in CEDIA for years. After volunteering for years, he accepted a leadership role as Treasurer heading up the Finance Committee, then joined the Governance Committee and later the Executive Search Committee which hired CEDIA CEO Daryl Friedman, and then in 2024 was elected Chair.

As the new Board Chairperson, Capecelatro is already setting his sights on steering the association ahead and continuing his efforts to make the industry attractive to future techs and project managers, etc.

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“Although the year is still early, there has been a lot of change already happening! This year CEDIA had its first Lobby Day in Washington D.C., doubling down our focus on advocacy and fighting for the rights of our members,” Capecelatro notes.

“In addition, CEDIA made a big decision to leave Indiana (note: CEDIA still owns the building, but the team is distributed and remote) for the first time I am aware of, holding its first board meeting in Washington D.C. earlier this year, its first Global Offsite in Chicago, and the June board meeting in L.A. where we are connecting with and hosting local members for a VIP reception.”

He says that the focus on getting out and seeing members where they are is adding an exciting new dynamic for CEDIA. In addition, these moves have opened up the training facility in Indianapolis to be utilized by HTSA to further help advance the industry.

The association also has plans in the works to roll out an initiative that helps give back to the community, so keep your eyes out for that in 2024 as well. 

Plus, CEDIA rebranded the Tech Summits to the CEDIA Tech + Business Summit this year with a focus on education and helping businesses connect with experts to grow and learn. Toward that end, CEDIA just hired a new Vice President of Education & Training, Paul Dolenc.

“I am excited about doubling down on our focus of ‘ACE’ — Advocacy, Connection, and Education, which our Global President & CEO Daryl Friedman has been leading with,” he comments. “This means improving the way we build and educate the community, building on our government advocacy work, and making sure to improve and grow events like the Tech + Business Summits, regional gatherings, and some new initiatives we aren’t quite ready to share publicly yet.”

He’s also enthusiastic about the hiring of Mitch Klein as Vice President of Business Strategy to help CEDIA uncover new opportunities, work with partners, and continue to propel the industry in areas like innovative lighting and AI.

“In addition, I think we need to work closely with rep firms, buying groups, and sister organizations like the CTA to make sure we’re providing the right value for our members,” Capecelatro says. 

“CEDIA has transformed over the last several years and continues to improve with an exceptional board, amazing staff, and strong leadership. I’m excited about the new programs in place, our focus on ACE, and our mission to make this a more robust, thriving, and connected industry.”

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