Is 2022 finally the year we return to “normal” in regard to CEDIA Expo? I know, there is never anything “normal” about this dynamic industry, but it looks like the gathering later this month will be the first time in three years the custom electronics industry can meet en masse without the craziness of COVID-19 hanging over our heads.

Yes, there are reports about strains of COVID-19, but fortunately, they are reportedly mild. Certainly, there will be a percentage of attendees at the show in Dallas from September 28 to October 1 wearing masks, but that could be the only lingering sign of what we have all been through for the past three years. 

That brings us to the present day. Everyone is swamped; many integrators don’t know if they can squeeze out the time to attend until a few weeks before the show (as you are reading this!). It’s easy to say, “I haven’t been to the Expo in several years due to the pandemic, so why do I need to go this year?”

Oh, let me count the reasons! 

Information Sharing: The custom installation channel is a unique industry because it is really more like an extended family. It is driven by small business owners/entrepreneurs; those are your peers who you meet in the aisles, in the sessions, and at the receptions.

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Those colleagues are facing the same challenges you are, from managing the supply chain disruption to finding skilled labor to mitigating inflationary pressures. Some have discovered solutions to save money on gas, minimize inventory, maintain cash flow, and hire new employees.

Those solid-gold tidbits are not typically found in social media comments but are discovered in face-to-face conversations that occur at CEDIA Expo.  

Education: CEDIA has prepared more than 60 educational sessions that start one day before the trade show begins, on Wednesday, September 28, and runs through Friday, September 30. Sessions will be focused on, among other things, all aspects of the lighting business (five sessions), wellness, and leadership using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).  

Over half of the sessions are new. The first education day will have 19 different sessions primarily focused on professional development, including classes aimed at technicians to earn certifications for the Electronic Systems Certified Networking Specialist (ESC-N) and the Electronic Systems Certified Designer (ESC-D) accreditations.

There will also be a slate of free sessions held both in the Innovation Hub and on the Smart Stage on the show floor, along with more than 80 Manufacturer Training Sessions.  

Staying on the education theme… how many media subscription services do you (and your clients) have? Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, HBO Max, Showtime… you get the picture.

Well, what are you as an integrator doing to take advantage of the confusion that many of your customers face when they try to figure out which service has their favorite TV shows or movies? (What happened to “Star Trek” on Netflix?)

The keynote at CEDIA Expo 2022 (Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 5:30 p.m.) by Greg Durkin, founder and CEO of Guts+Data, will address this situation. He will detail how today’s complex content ecosystem transpired, identify the challenges and opportunities for streaming and home entertainment, and outline a data-informed blueprint for custom integrators to navigate the content conundrum.  

“The last time a normal CEDIA Expo was held back in 2019, was lighting fixtures even a category you delved in? Probably not.” 

Isn’t it about time you started making some money on this proliferation of content, streaming platforms, and hardware that has created such a fragmented home entertainment landscape?

If you can’t make the keynote, I will be moderating a session with several industry leaders on “The Prospects for Bringing Streaming into the CI Channel” on the Smart Stage (Thursday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m.), which takes a deeper dive into this same subject.  

Products: Some of the exhibitors have not shown their products in person to the channel for three years! Think of the technological advancements since then. The last time a normal CEDIA Expo was held back in 2019, was lighting fixtures even a category you delved in? Probably not. The show in Dallas will be the first opportunity for many integrators to see products from this hot category.

Bookmark this page to keep track of all our CEDIA 2022 updates & coverage

By the way, many products on hand will be recognized during the CE Pro BEST Awards presentation (Thursday, Sept. 29 at 4 pm on the Smart Stage).  

Fun: In addition to receptions, the CE Pro All-Star Band is back together and will be rocking the show floor at the close of the first day of exhibits.  

What are you looking forward to the most at the show? Let me know. I hope to see you there.   

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