A JOINT VENTURE PARTNERSHIP OF Avixa Logo

PRESENTING SHOW PARTNER Knx logo

Smart Home Technology Conference

Tuesday 30 January - Thursday 1 February
Time: 10:30-18:30
Location: CC1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4

CEDIA offered nearly 60 hours of courses within its conference, covering topic areas such as technical installation and design, business excellence, and future trends; all through the lens of home technology integration.

This conference covered a wide range of industry trends as well as hot topics like AI and cyber security. These courses challenged integrators to creatively incorporate tomorrow’s needs into today’s businesses to achieve sustainable profits.

CEDIA's technical courses included designing, implementing, and managing bass in private entertainment spaces; creating sustainable, accessible and adaptable homes; and an Immersive Audio Design Excellence Workshop following the new RP22 Recommended Practice document. Also on offer were courses on new lighting technologies, WiFi-6 and WiFi-7, and subwoofer room gain. 

CEDIA's business courses ensure attendees have the right mindset and processes in place to set their business up for success. From implementing strategies for successful leadership and using business dashboards to embracing innovation while being sensitive to people, they are given the tools to keep their business successful and profitable.

Conference Programme

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10:30
  1. CC1.1
    Future Technologies: The Inside Scoop from Silicon Valley
    This session will provide insights into the future of technology and how it will impact system design and CEDIA businesses. Gain long-term perspective on technology and business trends affecting our businesses. Now in its 27th year, Rich Green’s unforgettable  session is the one not to miss.
  2. CC1.2
    Subwoofer Room Gain - The Science and Engineering of Using it to Your Benefit
    Room gain is significant in small rooms at bass frequencies. This course will discuss the theory behind room gain and explain how to calculate it for use in engineering designs.
  3. CC1.3
    Understanding, Selling & Implementing Human Centric Lighting
    The products and tools to deliver Human Centric Lighting are now a mature technology in the CI industry. We take a look where the CI industry is with Human Centric Lighting and where it can go in the future.
  4. CC1.4
    Using a Dashboard to Steer Your Company on the Right Path
    Learn how to create an executive dashboard and explore what numbers you need to track on a regular basis. Explore the different the Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) to help keep you on a course for profitability. This will be a hands-on session if you bring your laptop with access to Excel. It will help you understand how to translate your financial statements into a Dashboard.
12:30
  1. CC1.1
    The Latest From HDMI And What Matters to You
    HDMI technology grows ever more capable and complex with each new specification version and innovations in the market. This session distils and simplifies which capabilities and features should matter the most to integrators when designing and deploying HDMI systems to ensure that the right mix of features work as expected from end-to-end. Includes a breakdown of some key acronyms and tech, gaming-specific features, long-length connectivity and alternative technologies like fiber and HDBaseT.
  2. CC1.2
    AI Threats & Cybersecurity for Smart Home Integrators
    Explore the intricacies of network security, data protection, and threat mitigation, and the immediate and evolving dangers enabled by Artificial Intelligence (AI) large language models.
  3. CC1.3
    New Lighting Technologies: The Future of Lighting is Exciting
    A look into new technologies and applications which integrators can use to make their projects dazzle. This panel session will involve discussion on subjects such as light quality, exciting multicolour, multi-pixel projects, as well as emerging light sources – from the latest LEDs to lasers! Other topics for discussion will be lighting controls, DC, PoE, and Off Grid solutions. During this session, the panel will be open to and encourage questions from attendees.
  4. CC1.4
    Business Strategies for an Accelerating Future: A Design Thinking Workshop
    This intensive, immersive workshop applies design thinking principles to participants, working in groups to invent a sustainable and profitable business model for 2027. Delivered by industry leaders Peter Aylett and Rich Green, this course receives consistently high ratings from attendees in recent years, and regardless of your business type, it will provide you with fresh, shared perspectives, a taste of the power of Design Thinking, and actionable ideas for enhancing your business strategy.
14:30
  1. CC1.1
    Eliminating Room Modes with Active Acoustics and Subwoofer Placement
    Acoustic and signal processing science has now reached a point where it is possible to effectively eliminate room resonances (also called modes). This course will look at the fundamental mechanism of room modes, introduce the latest active acoustics methods to eliminate them, and will give subwoofer placement guidelines for optimal performance. The course will cover use cases and performance achieved in actual rooms.
  2. CC1.2
    How AI Language Tools Can Revolutionize Workflows for Technology Integrators
    AI large language model tools are changing the game for integrators, enabling them to work faster, smarter, and better. In this conference session, the presenters will share how they use these tools to improve client communication, project planning, troubleshooting, and collaboration. Learn how to leverage the power of language models to revolutionize your integration workflows and delight your clients. Don't miss this opportunity to explore the amazing potential of AI.
  3. CC1.3
    Employee Retention Workshop Part 1: Overcoming Challenges
    Note: To get the most out of this workshop, please also register for and attend Part 2 on Weds 31st Jan, 14:30pm.
    Employee retention is a critical concern for businesses in today's competitive job market. In the first part of this workshop, we will delve into the challenges and opportunities associated with retaining your valuable workforce. You will walk away with a clear picture of the individual challenges that your business faces, and how important they are to the retention of key employees.
10:30
  1. CC1.1
    Design Methodologies You Can Stake Your Reputation On
    An experience and knowledge-based methodology delivered by CEDIA Instructor Keith Jones for business owners & system designers alike, join this innovative course to hear how high standards in world leading smart building design help build your reputation. This course explores the specific design methodologies that can be applied to each phase of a smart home or building project, the design documents required, and how to ensure these are delivered in the correct format and at the right time.
  2. CC1.2
    Harmonizing Innovation: Embracing a New Era of Technology While Remaining Grounded in Humanity
    Artificial Intelligence, social media, and the rapid news cycle have proven valuable in quickly communicating information to the masses, but this “always on” mentality can be overwhelming. In this session, Rich Green will discuss the phenomenon of slow technology and how to create nurturing, sustainable environments for clients that strike the perfect balance of innovation and humane living.
  3. CC1.3
    The Power of Breakeven Analysis
    Learn how to create a breakeven analysis to help make crucial decisions. This session helps you understand how avoid the mistake of confusing the markup you charge with the margin you achieve. If you sell more, will you make more? If your overhead is 20% and your markup is 25%, can you make money? This will be a hands-on session if you bring your laptop with access to Excel. It will help you understand how make decisions regarding pricing, sales, margin and overhead.
  4. CC1.4
    Power over Ethernet, Single Pair Ethernet, and Digital Electricity
    This course will examine the current state of PoE along with its benefits and challenges including looking at the response of codes and regulators to this power application. We will cover the challenges of voltage drop and connector failure and how to predict and avoid these problems. We will also introduce new power technologies such as Single Pair Ethernet and Digital Electricity, (Fault Managed Power).
12:30
  1. CC1.1
    Social Media Marketing For Integrators: How to Achieve A Bigger Impact for Your Business
    Getting your social media right is an increasingly critical part of your business marketing mix. But it’s a fast-evolving space where the nature of the platforms and how you use them is in constant flux. What are the key social media trends? What content works best for integration businesses? We’ve brought together an expert panel of social-media savvy integrators to answer these questions and more as they share their insights and advice on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Linked-In and YouTube.
  2. CC1.2
    Modern WiFi-6 and WiFi-7 Design for 2024 Homes
    In modern households with 100+ wired/wireless devices and multiple hybrid workers & students, stable and fast internet connectivity is of the essence. In this session delivered by Richard Jonker of NETGEAR, we will discuss important questions such as: How does one design the network for the right access, including the right levels of security, segmentation, throughput for AV? How do you deal with internet speeds exceeding 1 gigabit? How do you conclude that a network needs an upgrade? And more.
  3. CC1.3
    Architectural Design Trends Roundup: Tips and Techniques to Align Your Business with Market Opportunities
    In the session we will discuss lifestyle trends uncovered in Lutron's Lighting Trends Report, such as: Hybridization, wellbeing, sustainability, and natural light. We will look at space and finish trends - Wellness spaces for longevity, biophilic design, hybrid offices, performative backdrops, virtual and the Metaverse. Learn how to execute on these trends with lighting, and understand when it's best to partner with a lighting designer. The session will include time for open discussion and Q&A. 
  4. CC1.4
    Fortifying Your Digital Defense: Evaluating Vulnerabilities and Raising Awareness
    Note: Attendees should bring a laptop to this session.
    Through this workshop, smart home integrators will be better prepared to identify risks to the integrity and confidentiality/privacy of audio and video systems in an increasingly connected world.
14:30
  1. CC1.1
    Design and Implementation of Infra Bass in Private Entertainment Spaces
    Infra bass is defined as frequencies below 20Hz down to single digit Hz numbers. This course will introduce participants to the importance of considering infra bass as critical to delivering truly immersive experiences, then go on to explain both how to design and implement effective infra bass systems.
  2. CC1.2
    Warning! Avoid These 10 Things That Can Put You Out of Business
    You work hard to make your business a success. It would be a shame to have a simple mistake put you out of business. Come away with a checklist of ten items that you need to focus on to keep your business afloat. 

    Session Objectives:
    • Correctly measure and track margins, by profit centre, to make good business decisions
    • Implement internal controls to keep the money you earn
    • Better manage change orders to control the scope of work
    • Create and follow written procedures
  3. CC1.3
    Employee Retention Workshop Part 2: Creating an Employee Retention Plan
    Note: Please register for Part 1 of the workshop - Tues 30 Jan 14:30.
    Now that you've gained insights into your company's employee retention challenges and opportunities, it's time to develop a concrete plan to ensure your employees know you're invested in their long-term success. You will walk away with a plan that can be implemented immediately to build systems to retain employees, and increase their efficiency and productivity enabling you to increase profit and attract more valuable talent.  
10:30
  1. CC1.1
    Room Acoustics for Better Bass
    Designing room acoustics that allow systems to deliver excellent bass across multiple seating locations, while not over-absorbing high and midrange frequencies, is probably the most difficult thing to achieve in small room acoustics. This panel session will discuss best practices and explore different methods and approaches. Discussion topics include: What is the role of EQ vs. physical acoustics, can models predict room modal behaviour, how much bass absorption do you really need, and more.
  2. CC1.2
    Creating Sustainable, Accessible and Adaptable Homes using Smart Home Technologies: Delivering the Home that Meets Customers' Needs - Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond.
    For many years smart homes have provided people with the comfort and convenience they desire. However, with an ageing society and the need for ever more sustainable homes, smart home technologies provide an ideal platform to address both challenges using one solution. This session will introduce the concept of developing accessibility and sustainability using technologies and skillsets installers already have.
  3. CC1.3
    Creating an Exit Strategy
    Why is it that when you suddenly double your sales, your profit is cut in half? The industry today is tiered with companies of specific sizes, but there are wide gaps between growth stages. This session will discuss why, as a home technology professional, you can’t grow slowly and steadily, but have to make incremental jumps. Discover the cause of the growth plateau and why it occurs in this industry.
  4. CC1.4
    The 3 P's of Being a Design Professional Project Partner
    Position yourself in front of Architects, Interior Designers & Builders as the expert and yourself as their Smart Homes Project Partner. In order to gain credibility and promote our incredible industry as a profession that design professionals can work with to enhance their clients lifestyles. In this session will learn how to understand and work with Architects & Designers, and how you can adapt your business to focus on being a project partner with design professionals
12:30
  1. CC1.1
    Immersive Audio Design Excellence Workshop
    This workshop will introduce new guidelines outlined in the CEDIA/CTA RP22 Immersive Audio System Design Recommended Practice, with a focus on the four new objectively defined levels of performance that will define different levels of immersive experience. Participants will be working in small groups to apply some of the guidelines to real-world rooms. This is not an introductory course and participants are expected to be experienced cinema designers well versed in performance engineering.
  2. CC1.2
    Performance vs. Convenience in Streaming Media and Distributed AV
    The new CEDIA/CTA-RP22 and upcoming RP23 Recommended Practices call for the preservation of artistic intent; that is, presenting media as closely as possible to the way the creators intended. This course dives into a key aspect of this — how the content is accessed and distributed in the home.  We will discuss the rise of streaming content, comparing to other sources in terms of bit rates, compression codecs, audio formats and HDR video, along with considerations for content types, gaming & more.
  3. CC1.3
    The Smart Home Organism: How Tech Can Make Them Fitter

    This session offers insights into how smart technology can be used to make buildings more energy efficient. Focusing on domestic, but the principles are transferrable to commercial practice. Touching on energy retrofit including the physics and building-fabrics smart building designers can leverage to improve outcomes for occupants and their businesses. Participants will be helped to explore how the transition from AC to DC final circuits can be a huge opportunity for smart building designers.

14:30
  1. CC1.2
    White Water Rafting: Mastering the Chaos of Exponential Change
    In today's fast-paced business landscape,  change is not merely a possibility; it's a certainty. The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other disruptive technologies has ushered in a new era of opportunities and challenges that demand our attention. Are you ready to embrace these  changes and steer your organization toward success?  Join us for an engaging and enlightening conference session, where we will explore the strategies and insights you need to thrive in this dynamic environment.

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