There are people who legitimately can say, “I don’t really watch a lot of TV. In fact, I don’t even have cable or satellite.” That, however, is not the case, at all, for me. I was raised by a TV junky and became one, myself, for a time. I’ll admit that it’s difficult for me to get through an evening without turning

During last week’s EHX, representatives from the Consumer Electronics Association’s TechHome Division met with me to describe their newly revised TechHome Rating System (THRS), which they call a “build-to specification” for residential technology infrastructure. THRS was created to offer integrators and builders thre

First of all, my pet peeve about questions and comments at trade shows like, “Have a good show!” “Did you have a good show?” “It was a great show!” was practically a non-issue last week in Orlando. Replacing the caffeinated feeding frenzy and hype-fest product one-upsmanships typically associated with trade shows of t

While attending last week's CEDIA Management Conference, fellow Government Affair Committee member Bill Skaer notified attendees about a new U.S. Environmental Projection Agency-mandated regulation governing some retrofit work done by electronic systems contractors. According to these new rules, remodelers and renovat

Carefree, AZ -- During three intensive days at a desert resort here 30 miles outside of Phoenix, CEDIA’s slate of instructors, guest lecturers, and keynote speaker provided nearly 180 Management Conference attendees with business survival tips and sobering information about remaining viable as a business during a dee

There's sports lingo that my business friends like to use when referring to the fundamentals of running their companies: "basic blocking and tackling." While those exact words were never actually used during the opening night of CEDIA Management Conference here in the "fictional town" of Carefree, Arizona, that's esse

I’ve participated in the CEDIA Management Conference from the very beginning, 10 years ago. In the early days, we spent hours listening to sometimes-corny motivational speeches and long and often-dull presentations. A couple of years ago, however, the conference really hit its stride, and I’m back again this week to