Strategy in TECH...
Perhaps one of the more surprising events at CEDIA Expo 2022 – at least in my mind – was an event that took place early in the morning on the first official day of the show floor opening. This event, the CEDIA Advocacy Town Hall in which the organization intended to discuss the extent of their political advocacy conducted on behalf of the membership, seemed to me like something unlikely to draw much attention…or attendance.
Boy…was I wrong!
This week, AVNation features Ted Green – me – on a special episode discussing the CEDIA Director Elections taking place right now. As you may know, there was some controversy surrounding this election as CEDIA’s board decided to change the normal election process where association members pick from a selection of nominees to vote on those they want on the Board of Directors. Instead, this year members vote with a simple yes/no on a predetermined slate of candidates selected by the Board’s Governance Committee.
In the days leading up to the recent CEDIA Expo in Dallas, Nationwide Marketing Group, one of the largest buying groups in the U.S., announced that former ProSource VP Andy Orozco would be joining Nationwide as its Senior Vice President of Custom Integration. That news grabbed my attention as it came less than a year after Nationwide’s acquisition of one of the top custom integration buying groups, Azione Unlimited, back in October 2021.
On Tuesday, CEDIA members received an email from David Weinstein, the well-known VP of Lutron who also serves as the Chairman of CEDIA’s Board of Directors, informing them that the election process to fill vacant seats on the Board of Directors was now open. There are three seats to be filled and Weinstein’s email helpfully/confusingly names just three candidates the Board’s Governance Committee has selected to fill the three open seats. It was the first indicator that something was different with this election as compared to the usual process.
I read this announcement carefully, as only hours before it was distributed I had received a cryptic message from a source exhorting me to find and read “the current Cedia [sic] bylaws.” Something was definitely brewing…
This post will present some of the top tech stories from CEDIA Expo 2022. You know, covering a trade show like Expo has always been a particular challenge for me. As someone who is always looking for a good story, going to a trade show with hundreds of exhibits is a bit like trying to take a sip of water from a fire hose. Nonetheless, I was able to discover several stories I found particularly interesting and I hope you’ll like them too.
NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTGR), a billion-dollar provider of networking gear for both the consumer and professional markets announced two new powerful wireless access points – one WiFi 6 and another WiFi 6E – targeted for the residential custom integration channel. Along with these new models, the company is also offering powerful professional services, including remote monitoring and management capability and technical support such as placement guidance and network design services.
Savant Systems Inc., a leading brand of smart home automation and control solutions, announced today that it is adding even more features to its software subscription model, further increasing its value to both end users and integrators. In 2021, the company converted its operating system to a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription model, offering homeowners more value, as well as offering new opportunity for their dealers. Now, this SaaS subscription program is set to receive several new and upgraded features, bringing even more value to the program.
VOXX International Corporation (VOXX), owner of Premium Audio Company (PAC) and many other brands, announced this week that it has launched a new e-commerce platform. This new platform is initially being rolled out at Premium Audio Company – the division that operates brands such as Klipsch, Jamo, Onkyo, Integra, Pioneer, Elite, Magnat, and Heco.
Nationwide Marketing Group (Nationwide) continues to hit the accelerator pedal as it seeks to build upon its plans to expand the custom integration segment for the group, first indicated when it acquired another CI-centric group, Azioned Unlimited, back in October of 2021. Now Nationwide is announcing that Andy Orozco, a former top (and long-time) executive with ProSource, has joined the organization as its Senior Vice President of Custom Integration.
Creston Electronics announced today its plans for the upcoming CEDIA Expo show in Dallas at the end of the month. The company says they will have a big showing for their Crestron Home ecosystem and a “deep roster of new solutions” that integrators are going to want to see.
