In our series of #RoadtoISE blogs, we’re talking with exhibitors about the hottest technologies and trends they’re looking to see at ISE 2019.
Q&A with Brad Hintze, Senior Director of Product Marketing, Control4.
Q: Why ISE?
BRAD HINTZE: ISE is one of the biggest shows that Control4 participates in annually. With dealers all over the globe, it’s an important fixture for us to connect with so many of our international dealers that span several EMEA countries, supporting both residential and commercial projects. The attendees are well-educated and on a mission to experience new product demos—and ISE always gives us the chance to showcase our latest products, technologies, programs, and trainings for our dealers.
In 2019 we’re excited to make the international debut of our new KNX solutions which include over 100 products including lighting, HVAC, blinds and rollers, keypads, etc. available for Australia, China, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
Our team also always looks forward to celebrating our international dealers with our annual dealer party and awards. ISE gives us the chance to connect with more dealers, honor amazing projects, and welcome new faces to the Control4 family and our Certified Showroom program.
Q: What is the most exciting trend you expect to see at the show?
BH: Smart lighting is a major trend that will only continue to grow in 2019—for both residential and commercial projects. We’ve bolstered support for more lighting in the average home with our new KNX solutions, as well as new ways for homeowners to personalize their lighting scenes using the Control4 When >> Then Automation feature. As lighting continues to be a growing trend, we love seeing how our dealers are innovating in homes, retail spaces, businesses, hotels, and beyond.
Q: How will your solutions inspire integrators?
BH: Control4 strives to innovate in creating new products, programs, and trainings that will support our dealers in providing exceptional smart home and automation experiences for their customers. A year after launching the Pakedge Certified Network Administrator training program, we’re pleased to continue to hear great feedback about the curriculum from those who have taken the course on how much they’ve learned, and we hope that this will help to inspire dealers’ pursuit of networking training and the need for a strong network backbone in every smart home.
Showing what our newest products can do will inspire dealers to innovate smart homes in new ways and reach new homeowners and businesses. For example, we created the When >> Then Automation feature and added BakPak remote monitoring to more devices in order to give dealers more bandwidth with fewer needs from homeowners to update playlists and make small scene adjustments, and to keep the whole network online with fewer truck rolls.
This year, Control4 also launched over 170 Certified Showroom locations worldwide—providing smart home enthusiasts, business owners, interior designers and architects, tech managers, and even skeptics the ability to experience a true smart home and work with Control4 Smart Home professionals to begin designing their own.
Most technology and design experiences are hands-on and try-before-you-buy, but this had been lacking for the smart home. With Control4 Certified Showrooms, we hope to help those interested in automation and home technology experience it with multi-room audio, smart lighting, scenes, robust networking, safety and security, voice control, and much more so they can find the features they’re looking for and get started designing their own system.
The hands-on smart home buying experience can give tech managers confidence that they can easily use the system, and have it designed to meet whatever their needs are. Our goal is that these Control4 Certified Showrooms, combined with our award-winning training programs and homeowner personalization, will inspire integrators to continue to create amazing Control4 smart homes for their clients.
To learn more, check out Control4 in Stand 10-N130 at ISE 2019.
