Women in Consumer Technology (WiCT) founder Carol Campbell opened the 13th annual WiCT luncheon at CEDIA Expo on Sept. 2 to a nearly packed ballroom. “Today is about you sharing your stories and what have you done through this crazy period—not just in your career but in life,” she said. “We’ll keep the Bellini and bloody mary bar open throughout the luncheon.”
And that’s exactly what the room full of industry women and men gathered to do: network and share stories.
Stephanie Andrianatos (left) and Christina Stroh, COO of Pearland, TX-based custom integration firm StroTek. Stroh jokes that her husband runs the wires and she runs the business. She is quick to say that as a homeowner, if she wants something changed in their home control system, she is more than capable of doing it herself because she’s a certified Control4 programmer.
Stroh said one of the things she likes most about the WiCT luncheon is that “it’s nice to know that you’re not the only one [woman].”
Tammy Fuqua of Control Concepts was attending her first CEDIA Expo. “Residential is becoming a larger market for us, so it’s important for us to get to know those people in the market and learn more about the manufacturers.” Fuqua is very active in AVIXA’s Women’s Council and attended the WiTC to meet women on the residential side.
Maryland-based interior designer Sarah Wilson was attending CEDIA Expo, her first, specifically to learn about new products to offer her clients. Wilson spent some time at Draper’s booth, which featured the company’s outdoor and indoor window shade offerings. “I love that they have outdoor and indoor window coverings, and they have a really great kit so I can show my clients all the things I want to propose,” Wilson said.
