It is hard to miss Crestron’s massive, up-front booth at CEDIA Expo. In fact, it often becomes the de facto landmark for gathering lost people on the show floor (“I’m standing right in front of the Crestron booth…”). Still, despite being its typical size this year, it wasn’t big enough to hold all of the company’s new product announcements, which is why Crestron is holding a pre-show virtual keynote on August 27.
“There are five things that we’re going to announce in the keynote on August 27,” says Michael Short, VP, marketing operations and residential, Crestron. “Then, outside of that, there are another six solutions and products that we’re going to be showcasing at CEDIA Expo that are also new but that will not get a shoutout in the keynote.”
While Short remained mum on the specifics, he did reveal that the keynote introductions include updates to Crestron Home OS, a new remote control, new keypads, and ConfigurePro, which Short says is “a completely revolutionized, re-imagined, redesigned way to configure the Crestron home.”
ConfigurePro is the successor to Crestron’s current “Set-up App” and will be a big part of its CEDIA experience, including a repeated training session whose description promises “early-access training that unveils powerful features that streamline workflows beyond anything Crestron Home has seen before. Learn about core features, best practices, and new techniques to configure systems faster, maximize your efficiency, and deliver exceptional client experiences.”
When pressed further, Short offers some additional hints about the keynote product introductions: “The Crestron home update is about more music,” he teases. “The brand-new remote is a very premium product that has been designed from the ground up for a very particular scenario. And the keypad news involves the Horizon range and some beautiful new premium finishes for them, along with a completely new range of keypads.”
What about the news at CEDIA Expo? “Two new partnerships are coming that will launch at Expo — one to do with door lock and door entry, and another one to do with music,” adds Short. “There are also two pretty major shading design aesthetic feature updates coming.”
On the Scene
All these technologies — and then some — will be on display at the Crestron booth (#1901), and all tied together thematically with “the three C’s.”
“Content, collaboration, and control,” spells out Short. “That’s our three pillars, and it’s a companywide value. The overarching story of the booth is always going to be Crestron Home and the operating system, but underneath it this year, we’re focusing on those three pillars. Every area of the booth is going to bring each of those aspects to life using existing and new products, solutions, and software.”
And while collaboration is a vertical in the commercial market, for CEDIA Expo, it has a different connotation. “Collaboration for the home for us is the story around the open ecosystem of the platform and the fact that Crestron Home cannot work independently without having a whole sphere of partners that collaborate and integrate perfectly with the platform,” explains Short. “The other element of collaboration for us this year ties into the ConfigurePro launch, which includes features around our third-party partners and drivers and how you can integrate with them. That’s a really exciting part of our control story this year.”
Trends and Predictions
With the new remote, keypads, and shade peripherals, Crestron clearly has design on the mind, which stems from greater interaction with architects and interior designers.
“It’s a growing area for us,” says Short. “We just hired Giles Sutton to be our director of business development, focusing on the design field. The influence of designers and architects on the choices of finishing is growing more and more, and therefore, their influence on the smart home platform is growing. It’s an important channel for us, and a key way that we go to market.”
Heading into the events — both the virtual keynote and CEDIA Expo — Short is optimistic about the industry and Crestron’s place in it.
“For Crestron, it’s a really positive time right now in the industry,” he says. “I think dealers are looking for stability right now. Mergers and changes are happening that leave a level of uncertainty. We’re at Expo this year to reaffirm that Crestron is the brand in the marketplace for you to hang your hat on and sell, not only from a product standpoint, but also from a business standpoint. We’re supporting you and how you go to market. We want to be that brand in the industry that you enjoy working with, that you flourish with, and that’s built for you.
“Trust us to innovate, trust us to be your best partner, and trust us to support you.”
Learn more at crestron.com and visit booth #1901 during CEDIA Expo.
