CEDIA 2017 Hits New Milestones, Announces Initiatives for 2018
After seeing a ‘significant increase’ in overall attendance and setting multiple new records for the event, Emerald Expositions outlines new initiatives for CEDIA 2018.
CEDIA 2017 in San Diego had more than 20,000 attendees.
CEDIA 2017 saw strong growth in attendance at the recent conference and expo in San Diego, with more than 20,000 home tech professionals participating in the event, according to Emerald Expositions, the new owners of the event.
Emerald reports Lutron, Control4, SnapAV, Z-Wave Alliance, Nest and DISH, among others, have already committed for the 2018 show, and helped drive record onsite sales for the next show. Meanwhile, attendance in educational sessions was up 19%.
CEDIA 2018 will take place September 4-8, 2018, again at the San Diego Convention Center, and is expected to see a further increase in attendance, says Emerald. Next year’s event will feature five days of networking, CEDIA training, brand exposure and product launches.
In addition, Emerald Expositions will launch several key initiatives in 2018 to drive additional value for both exhibitors and attendees.
- Smart Stage will be introduced to host a number of new attendee engagement opportunities.
- Tech Bites will launch in 2018 and will give exhibitors the chance to apply for a 5-minute slot to present a new product and/or service in a short elevator pitch. Designed to encourage product innovation, Tech Bites will be a valuable opportunity for both press and attendees to receive concise access to new products hitting the market.
- In addition to the already-popular CEDIA Talks, Tech Talks will also utilize the Smart Stage and give attendees a platform to listen to short, powerful talks from industry leaders about current trends, market changes, and other general industry topics. Exhibitors may also utilize the Smart Stage for sponsored content.
As part of the plans to increase attendance in 2018, Emerald Expositions will leverage its strong Design and Construction brands to encourage designers, architects and builders in the residential and hospitality fields to attend CEDIA 2018. Emerald produces Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) alongside the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) show.
“The integrator-designer relationship needs to be a partnership, and we want to help educate builders and remodelers on the critical importance of including the integrator from the onset of a project,” remarks Brian Pagel, senior vice president of Emerald Expositions and show director of CEDIA 2018. “CEDIA 2017 saw a significant increase in attendance, and Emerald Expositions is excited to work in tandem with the CEDIA association and a select group of industry experts to develop plans for [exciting] new initiatives to benefit both the exhibitors and attendees for CEDIA 2018.”
Meanwhile, education was a hit at the show. CEDIA reports an overall 19% increase in individual course registrations for its 153 courses.
“We were extremely happy with attendance on Tuesday, even with the holiday, and will plan to have an even more robust offering on Training Tuesday in 2018. It allows us to program some longer format classes (whole and half day) without distraction,” says Cris Pyle, senior director of marketing at CEDIA.
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About the Author
Jason Knott
Jason Knott is Chief Content Officer for Emerald Expositions Connected Brands. Jason has covered low-voltage electronics as an editor since 1990, serving as editor and publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He joined CE Pro in 2000 and serves as Editor-in-Chief of that brand. He served as chairman of the Security Industry Association’s Education Committee from 2000-2004 and sat on the board of that association from 1998-2002. He is also a former board member of the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. He has been a member of the CEDIA Business Working Group since 2010. Jason graduated from the University of Southern California. Have a suggestion or a topic you want to read more about? Email Jason at [email protected]
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