Your browser is out-of-date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

×

2022 CEDIA Shares: CEDIA

CEDIA gives Residential Systems readers a sneak peek at what the association is planning for its CEDIA Expo 2022 exhibit.

CEDIA - Daryl Friedman - Square
Daryl Friedman

In our series of #CEDIAShares blogs, we’re talking with exhibitors about the hottest technologies and trends they’re looking to see at CEDIA Expo 2022.

Q&A with Daryl Friedman, global president and CEO, CEDIA.

Why CEDIA Expo 2022?

Our industry is at an inflection point. People are spending significantly more time at home and using their spaces in a wider variety of ways. We have an opportunity to harness this historic moment of willingness to invest in the home experience.

There’s no better place than CEDIA Expo to get up to speed on all the new avenues of business and technology that are opening before us — from wellness technology to home office and studio spaces to smart lighting and shading. CEDIA Expo also offers an unparalleled opportunity for home technology pros to connect with peers and partners to create compelling answers to questions that are only now beginning to arise among our customers: How can I guarantee the privacy and security of my home? How can I make my content and entertainment options seem like less work to sort through? How can I make sure the home is safe, accessible, and comfortable for every individual?

At CEDIA 2022, you’ll find education sessions and talks addressing these topics, and you’ll meet others who are wrestling with the same issues you are. It’s a unique space for the whole industry to come together and build the future.

What is the most exciting trend you expect to see at the show?

This year, I think we’ll see an industry ready to assert itself and its value to the public. Over the past year, CEDIA has gotten two professional certifications globally accredited by the most prominent standards body in the world. We’ll have training, study sessions, and testing for both the CIT and the IST at Expo. I’m looking forward to seeing more and more people elevate their professional status by adding those letters to their business cards.

I also hope to see a lot of people stepping into government advocacy roles at Expo. You may not think about government regulations every day, but I promise, the government is thinking about you and your business. We have our first-ever Advocacy Town Hall on Thursday morning, where we’ll be talking about pending legislation that could make it very difficult for some integrators to operate. We’ll also be teaching people how to get involved, and helping people contact their local legislators right from the CEDIA booth. I think we could emerge from this year’s show with a new cohort of industry advocates.

What will you focus on at the show?

I’ll be focused on connecting with members of the CEDIA community. I’m really glad the CEDIA Awards are returning to the show this year. These honorees — the firms and companies who’ve submitted projects and products, and individuals like our Lifetime Achievement Award winner Carol Campbell, CEDIA Fellow Peter Aylett, and Volunteers of the Year — deserve to be celebrated among their peers. I’ll be toasting them at the CEDIA Awards on Friday, and I look forward to meeting many more of you and hearing your hopes for the industry’s future in the CEDIA booth throughout the expo.

To learn more, check out CEDIA in booth 19025 at CEDIA Expo 2022 and visit cedia.net.

Close