The CEDIA Community Town Hall Sponsored by Lutron closed out an excellent opening day of education at CEDIA Expo 2024. The keynote panel, moderated by Amanda Wildman, owner of TruMedia, took attendees on a tour into the past, present, and future of CEDIA, examining the efforts made to further the cause of the custom integrator and install industry with national and state governments, as well as revealing some of the group’s upcoming initiatives to secure the future of the industry.
Wildman was joined onstage by David Weinstein, VP of residential sales, Lutron; Daryl Friedman, global president and CEO, CEDIA; Christine DeJoy, VP of communications, CEDIA; and Paul Dolenc, VP of education, CEDIA.
Recounting the advocacy efforts of the past year, Friedman shared how CEDIA met with political leaders to address The Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act and the creation of an “integrator” classification in the SOC system. These efforts are pivotal in gaining support from leaders in Washington “ensuring that the smart home industry continues to thrive and innovate, opening doors for aspiring professionals and elevating the status of the industry as a whole,” he explained.
The association has made significant expansions in its advocacy efforts over the past year, including engaging in its first in-person lobbying effort in Michigan and opening 2024 applications to its State Captains program, which rallies integrators from each state to act as local leaders on relevant issues impacting the industry. “It’s a monumental step in ensuring that the unique value we bring to cybersecurity in residential installations is recognized and prioritized,” Friedman said.
With an eye to the past, the group is focused on today, announcing an upcoming consumer campaign — complete with videos and other custom assets for members. DeJoy anticipates the program will be ready in this fall, with more information to come.
Raising awareness of what services integrators and installers provide is key to the longevity of the association and the industry itself. A major concern of all integration and installation businesses is finding, training, and retaining top talent — particularly recruiting from the young future workers who may not even know there are opportunities in our industry for them to apply their technology talents and interests.
Addressing this pressing concern, Dolenc shared some initiatives CEDIA is taking and preparing to assist young people in discovering an exciting future in our industry, including the expansion of collaboration with school counselors, using CEDIA’s Tool Kit to spark interest in youth, and the association’s ongoing behind-the-scenes work to secure government grants and funding to assist new hires with training and education to fast-track them into their new careers.
Igniting change and amplifying voices within the smart home technology industry isn’t always easy. Attendees were encouraged to “lean into the tools available,” including utilizing AI to assist in their businesses, as well as promoting the association on their websites, service vehicles, and branding to help raise awareness. The panel emphasized that now is the “perfect time” for CEDIA members, partners, and vendors to continue pushing toward a better future together.
