“Controlling your home with voice commands is no longer a 'someday' technology; it's here. The landscape is evolving quickly and represents another fantastic opportunity for CEDIA members to position themselves as the trusted technology experts in the home.”

That quote’s from CEDIA CEO Vin Bruno — and voice control for the smart home is certain to be a hot topic at CEDIA 2016. Here are five chances for you to learn more about the incredible developments on this front:

1. A Keynote from Amazon’s Voice-Control Guru

On April 1, 2013, news broke that Amazon had hired Charlie Kindel for what was then only referred to as “something secret.” This was no April Fool’s gag: that “something” turned out to be Alexa, the cloud service that made the Echo interface a reality.

Now “Director of Alexa Smart Home” at Amazon, Kindel will deliver a Friday morning keynote address (8 a.m. Dallas time) called “Creating Voice-First Experiences for the Smart Home” in the Forks Ballroom of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. There’s no fee for attendees, but pre-registration is encouraged for this address.

2. The Business of Voice Control

Of course, the Echo isn't the only device that’s using these interfaces. A Thursday session at CEDIA 2016 called “The Business of Voice Control” will clue attendees in on the other manufacturers planning on incorporating this technology into their products.

The course will also cover the issues of profitability when it comes to these devices, where to invest to prepare for the sudden rush of voice-controlled devices, how to sell these products, and which customers will be most interested.

3. The “Nuts and Bolts”

On the tech side of things, a course titled “Designing with Voice” will answer the following:

• How does voice recognition work?
• What are the characteristics of an intuitive voice interface?
• What are the key design considerations for a great user experience with voice control?
• What are the considerations for complex integrations or large homes?
• What are the technical limitations of current products and technologies?

Both the business and design courses will be taught by Amazon smart home experts: the first by Ashwin Karuhatty and the second by Dan Quigley. Both classes are available as part of the flat-fee CEDIA Training pass or a la carte, and both offer attendees continuing ed credits.

4. A CEDIA Talk on Voice — The Tip of the Iceberg

In 2009, the iPad appeared, and touchscreens became nearly ubiquitous overnight. Voice is currently being touted (rightfully so) as The Next Big Thing, since it’s now a viable option in the smart home control universe — and the bugs are being banished rapidly.

But, as we ask at expo.cedia.net, “What's next? From AI to gesture control, big data to facial recognition, there are some exciting new advancements that will transform what human-machine interaction means in the home.”

All of those topics will covered in a CEDIA Talk called “Voice Control is Just the Beginning.” CEDIA Talks are mini “TED”-style talks that run roughly 20 minutes and are free to all attendees.

5. A CEDIA Panel Discussion, Too

In addition to the CEDIA Talk, a panel discussion is in the works for Thursday. This one-hour presentation will be moderated by an interested member of the media and feature visionaries specializing in this emerging technology. The panel discussion — The Role of Voice Control in the Connected Home — is free to attendees as well. The hour-long panel discussion is scheduled for Thursday at 11:00 a.m.

Sign up today for CEDIA 2016, Sept. 13-17 in Dallas, TX — and learn more about the ways voice control in the smart home can help your business.