Thinking about heading home from CEDIA 2016 on Saturday? Not so fast. It might be worth staying an extra day to attend one (or all) of these 20-minute talks covering the biggest, most industry-critical topics of the day.

Of course, if you already booked your return flight, there are always the Thursday talks to break up the show floor madness.

“Last year's CEDIA Talks were wildly successful, providing attendees an opportunity to explore market conditions, technology changes, and industry hot topics with experts who could introduce them to new ways of thinking about their business,” says Dave Pedigo, senior director of Emerging Technologies, CEDIA. “This year, we follow that same formula and what has resulted is a pretty killer line up.”

The CEDIA Talks will be hosted on Thursday, September 15 and Saturday, September 17. Check out the killer line up below.

How Millennials Will Reshape the Home Improvement Market

Presented by Kermit Baker, PhD, Harvard, on Thursday, September 15, 10:00 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. 

Since the 1970s, the Baby Boom generation has largely defined the housing and home improvement industries nationally. However, the millennial generation — the largest demographic group in our history — is just entering the market, and promises to fundamentally reshape it. 

This presentation will look at how millennials make their home improvement decisions, what types of projects they are likely to undertake, and how their involvement will fundamentally reshape the industry for the next two decades.

Disruption: How Enabling Technologies Are Addressing the Aging Tsunami

Presented by Laura Mitchell, LMC, on Thursday, September 15, 11:00 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. 

The term “disruptive technology” is used in business and technology literature to describe innovations that improve a product or service in ways that the market does not expect.

Laura Mitchell, an industry thought leader and consultant in the aging technology space, will provide valuable insight about the present and future states of this booming industry, describe the disruptive demographics of the booming aging industry, discuss recent changes in healthcare legislation and highlight an array of cutting-edge caregiving technologies that are addressing this critical need. 

Expanding Your Referral Opportunities: The Value of Working with a Real Estate Professional

Presented by David Siroty, Coldwell Banker, on Thursday, September 15, 11:40 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

The Internet of Intelligent Things (IoIT) – A Look at Things to Come

Presented by Dave Evans on Thursday, September 15, 1:00 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.

Driven by the laws of technology and tectonic technological advances, the next phase of IoT will focus on adding intelligence to connected things. This phase will solve many of the early IoT challenges including usability, applicability, and affordability.

Many factors are now in play that will make this possible. Connectivity of every day things will become so ubiquitous, seamless, and affordable. Rather than noticing that something is connected, you will notice when something isn’t connected. Connectivity of everything will simply be an expectation. Raw connectivity will be antiquated, all things will be connected to rich sources of intelligence and to one another, creating a powerful global intelligence. 

Why Pay TV Still Matters in the World of OTT

Presented by Vivek Khempka, DISH Network, on Thursday, September 15, 2:00 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. 

Understanding the Opportunities of Bio-Adaptive Lighting

Presented by Peter Aylett, Archimedia, on Saturday, September 17, 10:00 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. 

Humans have evolved for tens of thousands of years with the daily cycle of a rising and setting sun mostly responsible for setting their internal circadian rhythm. But now, we spend most of our time indoors. What can technology do to replicate outdoor color temperature in a way that makes people more energized when they need to be, but also sleepy when it’s time for bed?

This seminar will introduce you to the science of bio-adaptive lighting and will discuss how some exciting new innovations in lighting and lighting control will open up business opportunities for you to implement in your customers’ homes.

Voice Control is Just the Beginning

Presented by Alex Capecelatro, JStar, on Saturday, September 17, 10:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. 

Control interfaces are evolving, and voice is just the beginning. Touchscreens broke the paradigm in 2009 when the iPad came on the market. Apps have given power for hundreds of manufacturers to create their own unique experiences.

This year we're seeing voice control finally break through as a viable option in home control. But 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.

Forget About Disruptive Technologies!

Presented by Julie Jacobson, EH Publishing, on Saturday, September 17, 11:00 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.

The big disruptive force in home technology over the next two years won’t be home technology. It will be new business models around the connected home.

In this talk, Julie explores likely disruptors to the smart-home business, including such factors as the on-demand economy (Uberization), reimbursements under Obamacare, energy-related regulations, third-party technical support services, and new business paradigms in the insurance industry.

Security, Surveillance and the Changing Landscape Until 2020

Presented by Christiaan Beukes, Sphere Custom Design, on Saturday, September 17, 11:30 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. 

Countries, nations, governments. Businesses, shops and corporates. Family homes and private residences. Where does sensible security start, and where do the all-seeing surveillance systems of tomorrow realistically take their place in our CEDIA bag of technology magic?

This short course aims to give you a glimpse of what the future holds, and how you might adapt your business to make the most of the coming opportunities.

What Virtual and Augmented Reality Mean to Home Technology Professionals

Presented by Dave Pedigo, CEDIA, on Saturday, September 17, 1:00 p.m. – 1:20 p.m. 

This year, we are starting to truly see the emergence of both virtual and augmented reality. As these technologies hit the market, how they will affect the custom industry is unclear.

This discussion will delve into how virtual reality moves from individual to shared spaces and what that means for home technology professionals. We will also cover augmented reality and how it can streamline the installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting process.

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