Arlen Schweiger of CE Pro kicked off the CEDIA Expo 2024 Smart Stage sessions Thursday morning by moderating a panel of industry experts who shared their insights into what the end of 2024 and early 2025 holds for the CI industry.
The panelists — Daryl Friedman, global president and CEO, CEDIA; Jon Robbins, executive director, HTSA; Hank Alexander, director, Oasys/Nationwide Marketing Group; Chris Whitley, executive director, Ellipsys; Jim Pearse, CEO, ProSource; and Patrick McCarthy, interim director, Azione Unlimited — candidly expressed excitement and concerns seen from a national perspective, as well as what their group members are experiencing.
So, what is the current pulse of the industry? The panelists agreed that high-end installs, particularly in the lighting and shading sectors, are in a boom, while middle markets are continuing to struggle. “Some of our members are scared, and some of them are saying they’re having the best year ever,” said McCarthy. “It’s market to market, and the back half is looking better than the first half,”
“I believe the industry is set up for the back half of 2025 to really start to get back on track,” added Pearse.
New opportunities in sustainability, energy management, and aging in place are “ready and waiting” for businesses looking to expand or even create an additional specialized business to meet the needs of new and existing consumers.
The ever-present lack of industry awareness is of great concern, particularly for CEDIA. Friedman highlighted CEDIA’s efforts to raise awareness of the CI industry with its upcoming campaigns and government classification, as well as assets and available assistance for members to help spread the word in their markets. “There are the day-to-day struggles,” said Friedman, “but that long-term struggle of awareness has to be solved for this industry to grow exponentially.”
Looking to the future, the panelists expect a continuation of success in the lighting and shading markets, and expressed how their groups are poised to help their members grow and succeed. “People join a group for programs, but it’s the other things they stay for,” said Alexander. “We have a wide range of members at Oasys, and communication and education are a big part of the training we offer.”
“It is now time to really get them presenting to clients the idea of high-performance home entertainment, whether cinema or music,” added Robbins. “Now is the time for us to be specifying performance entertainment.”
“AV as a service, and AI — just, get ready,” advised Whitley. “Who knows what it’s going to be?”
