CEDIA EXPO 2012 showed positive growth with non-exhibitor attendance gains of 4 percent over last year’s event.
Ninety new exhibitors and more than 80 home technology products made their debut at CEDIA EXPO 2012, September 5-8 in Indianapolis. More than 450 exhibitors participated in the 2012 event and over 16,900 attendees from 71 different countries. Of the total attendance, 15 percent were first-time attendees to EXPO.
“We experienced less hype and a lot more cool, rock-solid technologies on the floor,” said CEDIA member Peter Cook, president of Automation Design & Entertainment. “There were more interactive displays and we were able to speak to qualified, well-informed booth personnel who had the answers, not just the sales pitch and a flier to hand out. Overall we had a great experience.”
CEDIA EXPO offered 175 training courses including manufacturer product training. This year’s show was focused on educating electronic systems contractors on the network in addition to the foundational and advanced home technology education. Of those courses, 22 were new advanced IP Networking courses, all of which sold out. Additionally, CEDIA introduced a new credential, the Residential Networking Specialist, aimed for those who have demonstrated mastery of the network.
“I focused on attending as many courses as I could,” said Aaron Hemp, owner of INC Systems, an IT firm in Swartz Creek, MI. “It was fascinating and encouraging to learn about all of the new technologies and where the industry is headed.”
Hemp continued, “At the end of the day, it’s critical to get this knowledge and there isn’t another source besides CEDIA that I can get this type of quality training on home technology that keeps me at the forefront of where I should focus my business.”
80 percent of the electronic systems contractor registrants in attendance specified that they were responsible for final approval or making recommendations in their company’s buying decisions. According to EXPO 2012 exhibitors the attendees were educated and high quality and the show delivered more leads than previous years.
“CEDIA EXPO is the premier event for the custom residential market,” said Sean Goldstein, vice president of marketing for Crestron. “We were thrilled to capture even more leads than last year. As a result, the introduction of our new line of shading solutions was a huge success.”
“The dealers that are here are better educated than I’m used to seeing. I’ve definitely noticed a higher caliber of dealers. Instead of spending time introducing our brand, they’re already familiar with how projectors work, and come with specific application questions,” said Michael Bridwell, director of marketing for Digital Projection.
“Our booth traffic has been outstanding,” said first time exhibitor, Rob Fisher, vice president of marketing for ME Products. “We see this market as a growth opportunity for our company and I would recommend anyone who wants to break into this market to look at doing this show. It offers tremendous value not only in opportunities to connect with the right people but also in the variety of marketing opportunities offered through the show.”
“We are thrilled with the result of participating at CEDIA EXPO,” said Ari Supran, CEO of Dana Innovations. “This show is always about creating new business opportunities for us, and we will continue to be committed to this industry and to invest in developing innovations that expand the relevance of the custom installer.”
“In the conversations we’re having with dealers they’re very optimistic about the future,” said Jeff Kindig, vice president of marketing for AMX. “They’re talking about specific deals and specific opportunities coming down. It’s all been very positive conversations about real projects, and real market potential and opportunity.”
Highlights of the event included the guided tours of CEDIA’s Future Technology Pavilion which showcased technology solutions that brought together the fully intuitive home; a sold-out, standing-room only keynote presentation given by theoretical physicist, best selling author, Dr. Michio Kaku; High Performance Experience Rooms; and a dedicated Security Solutions area.
For 2013, CEDIA EXPO will return to Denver September 25-28, with the tradeshow floor open September 26-28.
