CEDIA Expo has long been a place where integrators and CE pros can gain new knowledge and insights on the overarching AV industry, and this year will be no different. Attendees will have over 15 sessions to choose from, including educational opportunities in hybrid collaboration, wellness, diversity and inclusion, and much more.
Since the sessions take place throughout the entirety of CEDIA Expo it can be a little daunting to scan through the events and find out which sessions to attend, so we’ve compiled all of the sessions and provided a brief description of each below:
CEDIA Expo 2021 Smart Stage Sessions
Wednesday, September 1:
State of the Industry: Surviving and Thriving Through New Realities
Time: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Description: What are the post-pandemic permanent changes? What has changed, what is never returning? Conversation includes technology, strategy, society. Integrators and vendors discuss how long shortages will last, what integrators need to do to mitigate the potential rising costs and lack of product availability.
Panelists: David Workman, Gene LaNois, Josh Christian, Mollie Carmichael
Moderator: Jason Knott
CEDIA Talks: Grow Your Business 10X with an Abundance Mindset
Time: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Description: Opportunity abounds when you embrace the exponential growth of the digitized world.  With an abundance mindset you set your sights on 10X growth and blow right past your competition. Many CEDIA businesses are mired in the woes of pricing, discounts, product availability, shortage of talent, shortage of capital, crippling service calls and pervasive pessimism.  In other worlds, some think we live in a world of scarcity. You know who your are!
Rich Green will get you juiced with optimism, and a compelling vision for a new way to grow your business far beyond expectations. Reinventing your business with an abundance mindset will attract new talent, energize your staff and open doors to customers you never knew existed. Explore how your business will change with an abundance mindset!
Speaker: Rich Green
CEDIA Talks: Understanding Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E
Time: 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Description: Wi-Fi 6 is most advanced wireless networking technology available, and it is a permeating technology for 2021. With significant increases in efficiency, battery usage, multiple client access and a nice increase in data throughput, Wi-Fi 6 is the go to wireless technology of today. The newly announced Wi-Fi 6E is an enhancement that will provide greater options to avoid interference and potentially maximize Wi-Fi 6 data rates. Join us as we discuss why all new designs should be based upon Wi-Fi 6, how to ensure the infrastructure will support Wi-Fi 6E (when it becomes available), and why most client devices will experience the exact same performance on both Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E.
Speaker: Nathan Holmes
The World of Hybrid Collaboration Post-Pandemic (IMCCA)
Time: 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
Description: The communications/collaboration space was an area of exponential growth during worst pandemic in a century. The current state of collaboration for the workplace, school and doctor’s office has been permanently changed. In this session, led by the IMCCA, experts from this industry will discuss these changes at a high-level and point out significant shifts in technology and culture – some of which are not that obvious. How will our homes, offices, schools and healthcare facilities change to meet these new needs? What have we learned from our experiences?
Speakers: Aurangzeb Khan, Gary Sorrentino, John Yohanna, Catelyn Orsini, Jay McArdle
A Wellness-based Business: How to Frame it, Sell it and Live it
Time: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Description: Wellness is a hot topic and an opportunity to create your business model with the right principles in mind. Position the work you’re doing around the concepts of healthy living and wellness. Take away key advice on best platforms for HCL, IAQ, water quality management, scent diffusion, lighting and more.
Speakers: John Clancy, Matthew Emmi, Jan Vitrofsky, Kyle Steele
Moderator: Anthony Antolino
Thursday, September 2:
Bright Business: The Spectrum of Key Lighting Topics and Challenges
Time: 9:30 AM – 10:15 AM
Description: Do you have a plan to grow your lighting offering? In this session, industry experts will share what you need to know about selling human-centric lighting, next level features and fixtures and the most effective way to train your staff to have in-house expertise.
Speakers: David Weinstein, Tom Doherty, Shalom Illouz, Troy Dunnington
The Performance Home. Where Technology Meets Design
Time: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Description: For architects and designers, technology impacts design decisions across the entirety of the modern performance home. From wellness to living in place, from acoustics to clean air, to lighting, window treatments and indoor/outdoor living, our panel will discuss the collaboration process. Homeowners are asking for these technologies and only proper infrastructure and planning will assure success.
Panelists: Brian Perreault, Pamela McNally
Moderator: Doug Weinstein
CEDIA Talks: Comfort’s Why
Time: 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Description: Comfort: It’s far from exciting. In fact, it’s the polar opposite. So why do people spend so much money on it? Big, comfortable dwellings. Automatic circadian lighting. Expensive, comfortable furniture, clothing, automobiles, seacraft, aircraft, spacecraft. Complete control of their every environment from devices in their pockets, on their wrists, or even within earshot. The ability to check in on the safety and well-being of themselves and their loved ones, at any moment, from any place. In this CEDIA Booth Talk we will be taking a deep dive into comfort, its different forms, why people are buying it like there’s no tomorrow, and why you should be selling it.
Speaker: Pete Trauth
Expanding Diversity and Inclusion in the Smart Home Industry
Time: 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
Description: Industry leaders from the custom installation channel discuss ways to foster more inclusion for women, minorities and LGBTQ individuals in the industry. Knowing that individual merit is always the most important criteria for hiring, the panel will explain why being more diverse is good for your business. Join us on the Smart Stage for this first-ever provocative discussion.
Panelists: Alex Capecelatro, Giles Sutton, Janeen Gaskins, Juliet Prater, Bill Skaer, Jacob Whipple
Moderator: Jason Knott
CEDIA Talks: Holistic Design | Beyond Problem Solving
Time: 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Description: Design is for solving problems. Holistic user experiences reflects empathy for all users of the systems. From inclusive design practice and intergenerational living, through sustainability and spirituality, holistic design is much more about people, than it is about technology.
Speaker: Peter Aylett
Why Integrated Plumbing/Water Solutions Are the Next Frontier
Time: 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Description: Kitchen and bathrooms are the intersection areas for designers and integrators. Integrators who focus on bringing solutions for those rooms of the home will forge more relationships and stronger business relationships with designers, leading to more revenue and better client satisfaction. This panel is ALL about water management and will focus on topics such as leak detection systems, water wellness ideas (everything from audio to touchpanel control to lighting to Vitamin C-infused water), water quality management, and smart fixtures. Learn how to integrate fixtures into whole-house control solutions and the business model around them in terms of purchasing, margin, inventory, etc.
Panelists: Michael Don Ham, Erik J Bernal, Shane Allis
Moderator: Arlen Schweiger
Hot Ticket: Selling immersive home theaters/private cinemas
Time: 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
Description: Private cinema/dedicated theaters are back strong, along with multipurpose room home theaters. Learn how to position your business as a go-to resource for both projector and TV-based viewing, and hear from the experts about the latest media servers, components, and peripherals ranging from acoustic treatments to seating to interfaces.
Panelists: Christina Stroh, Dennis Erskine
Moderator: George Walter
Main Street Now Mainstream: Find the resimercial opportunities in post-pandemic environments
Time: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Description: What will the corporate, retail, hospitality and houses of worship markets require coming out of the pandemic? This hot resimercial topic will highlight opportunities for integrators to upgrade these “main street” facilities with the latest in unified communications and collaboration equipment, surveillance and more.
Panelist: Heather Sidorowicz
Moderator: Ian Bryant
Marketing to Designers: Effectively connecting with the “other” side of the project
Time: 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Description: Hear from integrators who have developed successful strategic parternships to expand their business by co-locating or collaborating with design experience centers and showrooms with designers. Get tactical tips to be part of whole home design solutions aligning with design and build. Session will be attended design attendees as part of a tour who will take part in a lively Q&A followed by a networking event. Attend this session for marketing insight and connections!
Panelists: Melanie Niemerg, Kordon Vaughn, Shanna Haecker
Moderator: Jamie Briesemeister
Friday, September 3:
The Outdoor Score: Continuing Momentum in Outdoor Technology Advancements
Time: 9:30 AM – 10:15 AM
Description: Take the lead on exterior integration projects by staying on top of the newest design, video, security, audio and networking innovations. Experts offer insight on installation imperatives such as video entertainment, landscape lighting, outdoor shades/privacy/insect screens, increased need for outdoor connectivity with networking and control equipment, and smart furnishings and structures.
Panelists: Amanda Wildman, Tomas Fernandez, Nathan Holmes
Moderator: Walt Zerbe
Ride the Wave: Leveraging the housing and construction boom to grow your bottom line
Time: 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Description: How to find, create and maintain relationships with new homebuilders in this hot market. Discussion will cover model home programs, effective sales formulas, and best products for volume deployment.
Panelist: Jason Barth
Moderator: Erinn Loucks
Click here to see the full list of panels alongside additional info on each of the panelists and moderators, and click here to register for CEDIA Expo 2021!
