Tom Hanks can be “Sleepless in Seattle,” but if he comes to CEDIA Expo 2021, he can be “Maskless in Indianapolis” because he is fully vaccinated. Emerald, the owners of the CEDIA Expo (and of CE Pro), has issued new health and safety guidelines for its in-person events for 2021 and specifically for CEDIA Expo based on new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local guidelines from both the state of Indiana, City of Indianapolis and Indiana Convention Center.

The new requirements are:

• Attendees who are not fully vaccinated must wear a face mask at all times.
• Attendees who are fully vaccinated are encouraged but not required to wear masks.
• Masks will also be provided at the event if needed.
• Temperature checks will not be required before entering

The updated requirements aim to abate any consternation among attendees and put the focus squarely back where it should be: getting integrators back to business with the latest products and education at the event Sept. 1-3 at the Indiana Convention Center.

Visionary futurist, neuroscientist, and Dolby Laboratories Chief Scientist Dr. Poppy Crum will provide the keynote address, “The Future of Storytelling,” Tuesday, Aug. 31, at CEDIA Expo 2021 in Indianapolis. Crum builds technologies that leverage human physiology to improve the ways we interact with the world. Her remarks will inspire smart home integrators to think about how new technology and products create new human experiences and ways of storytelling.

CEDIA Expo 2021 registration opened at 10 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 9 and CEDIA members can save $500 on CEDIA Education offerings with the All-Access CEDIA Training Pass.

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CEDIA Expo 2021, which runs Sept. 1-3 at the Indiana Convention Center and is owned and produced by Emerald, will feature networking, CEDIA training, brand exposure, and product launches, bringing together thousands of home integration professionals and hundreds of exhibitors to the leading event in smart and home technology. Attendees will receive concentrated access to new products, breakthrough innovations, and targeted training in a safe environment designed to bring the industry back together.

“It’s hard to believe, but we’re closing in on two years since the last in-person CEDIA Expo and now — more than ever — we know there’s a need for community, connection, and getting back to business,” says Emerald Group Vice President, CEDIA Expo & KBIS, Jason McGraw.

“Emerald is committed to partnering with the Indiana Convention Center, the city of Indianapolis, and the CEDIA organization to ensure CEDIA members and industry attendees have a great and safe experience. In addition to Dr. Crum’s engaging presentation, CEDIA Expo will provide the training, networking, and access to innovative products attendees have come to expect. We’re all eager to connect again on a human level and get back to face-to-face events as we celebrate everything we value as a community together again.”

CEDIA Expo Safety Guidelines

Among the other CEDIA Expo health and safety guidelines announced are:

• Attendees will be advised to wash their hands often, cover their cough or sneeze, and stay home if feeling sick.
• Staff and security have been increase to provide customer service and information accessibility.
• •Exhibitors will have access to enhanced cleaning and disinfection services for their booths.
• Daily disinfecting will take place to sanitize all seating, restrooms and frequently touched public areas.
• Medical personnel will be onsite to assist anyone feeling unwell.
• Social distancing requirements will be in compliance with the venue’s guidelines.

McGraw notes that Emerald takes the health and safety of attendees very seriously.

“We follow the guidelines from the CDC as well as federal, state and local government and the venue’s regulations and policies to help guide our events’ health and safety policies and protocols, especially pertaining to the requirement to wear face masks at our events inside the convention facilities,” he notes.

“We will have attendees from across the U.S. and internationally who will attend that may not be fully vaccinated and/or may have health conditions that would make them more susceptible to transmission of the COVID virus,” he notes.

So, what will we do when we see each other this fall for CEDIA Expo 2021 from Sept. 1-3 in Indianapolis? We won’t know whether to keep 6-feet apart, offer up a goofy elbow bump, or just throw caution to the wind with a firm handshake or a (still awkward) “man hug” to old friends. We might all look like we are re-creating the old Flip Wilson handshake greeting. (Millennials can Google it.)

When asked what he expected to see at CEDIA Expo, Randy Klein, CEO of Crestron, noted during a recent webcast that he “expects to see a lot of smiles and a lot of energy.”

Companies like Crestron have spent 15 months engineering new products for the channel that no one has seen in person due to the lack of events so the company is universally excited to showcase its wares for CEDIA Expo attendees.

Emerald will continue to monitor the COVID health and safety guidelines of federal, state and local authorities and may adjust its event safety policies as appropriate up until the time of the show.