CEDIA Electronic Lifestyles® Awards
Questions? Call 317.328.4336 or email awards@cedia.org. |
Category Definitions
Designer Awards
- Best Hidden Installation
- Best Home Theater
- Best Integrated Home
- Best Media Room
- Sustainable Lifestyle Installation
- Best Special Project
- Best Showroom
- Sub-Categories: Best Documentation, Best Dressed System, Best Theme
Manufacturers’ Excellence Awards
Designer Awards
Definition of Category: Submissions must reflect a unique, innovative, or creative installation technique or use of technology that effectively hides or blends with the surrounding environment, system equipment, or other features when not in use.
Essential Elements: Any equipment or feature may be submitted in this category. The submission must display a unique solution for blending technology and architecture. Each entry must focus on one single room, not multiple rooms. Technical judges will make decisions based on the following criteria: Hidden Components/Features, Creativity, Uniqueness, and Technical Engineering. Design judges will make decisions based on the following criteria: Uniqueness/Creativity, Layout and Flow, and Design Elements.
Feature Essay: Answers to the following questions will be required within the entry system at www.cedia.org/awards, which must be completed as part of the entry process.
- What technical or engineering obstacles/features were used in this installation?
- Please discuss the hidden elements utilized in this installation.
- Briefly describe the creative/unique aspects of this installation.
- Describe the client's needs and requests for the architecture and interior design portion of this entry. Confer with architects and/or designers who contributed to this project as needed to gather this information.
Definition of Category: For the purposes of submitting and judging this category, a home theater will be defined as an area of the home whose specific purpose is to watch movies and other entertainment programming. Multi-purpose areas like the rec room and family room should be submitted in the Best Media Room category. The home theater entered must be in a paid client’s home and may not be a company showroom.
Essential Elements: A home theater must be a dedicated room and feature a multi-piece projection television system with a 72” diagonal display or larger screen image and a multi-channel surround sound system. There is no seating requirement for this category. Technical judges will make decisions based on the following criteria: Room Layout, Speaker and Subwoofer Placement, A/V Calibration, User Interface, Acoustic Treatments, Workmanship & Rack Dressing. Design judges will make decisions based on the following criteria: concept/completeness, Uniqueness/ Creativity, Layout and Flow, Materials Palette, Furniture, and Lighting.
Feature Essay: Answers to the following questions will be required within the entry system at www.cedia.org/awards, which must be completed as part of the entry process.
- Briefly describe the objectives in creating this theater.
- What technical features are notable in this project (control system, acoustics, video features, audio features, etc.)?
- What decisions did you make to compensate for the room’s layout, interior design, or other challenges in the requirements of the job?
- Please discuss the specific audio and video calibrations performed and their results. What was done? What equipment was used to calibrate? What standards were you aiming to achieve?
- What makes this system worthy of recognition?
- Describe the client's needs and requests for the architecture and interior design portion of this entry. Confer with architects and/or designers who contributed to this project as needed to gather this information.
Definition of Category: An integrated home must feature at least two residential electronic system contractor installed systems (i.e. lighting control and security) that are integrated together to provide enhanced convenience, safety, or reliability for the client.
Essential Elements: The home must have at least two CEDIA residential electronic system contractor installed systems. These systems must be integrated, controlled, and feature some element of automation. Technical judges will make decisions based on the following criteria: Integration/Automation, Workmanship, Rack Dressing, Planning/Documentation, and User Interface. Design judges will make decisions based on the following criteria: Appropriateness of Equipment, Fit and Integration, Materials, Lighting, and User Interface Design.
Feature Essay: Answers to the following questions will be required within the entry system at www.cedia.org/awards, which must be completed as part of the entry process.
- Please discuss the client’s expectations.
- Briefly describe the overall scope of the system.
- What challenges, if any, affected your ability to deliver the project as specified?
- Discuss your accomplishments with integration and automation of this project.
- What makes this system worthy of recognition?
- Describe the client's needs and requests for the architecture and interior design portion of this entry. Confer with architects and/or designers who contributed to this project as needed to gather this information.
Definition of Category: For the purpose of submitting and judging this category, a media room will be defined as a multi-purpose area of the home with a 32” diagonal or larger display entertainment system and at least 5.1 surround sound such as a recreational room or family room. Dedicated spaces should be entered into the Best Home Theater category as long as it meets the essential elements of that category. Please note: A theater that includes a bar area is not considered a media room and therefore should be entered in the theater category as long as it meets the essential elements of that category.
Essential Elements: A media room must feature a 32” diagonal or larger display and a 5.1 or higher surround sound system. Technical judges will be basing decisions on the following: Room Layout, Speaker and Subwoofer Placement, Acoustic Treatments, Workmanship and Rack Design,
User Interface, and A/V Calibration. Design judges will make decisions based the following: Concept/Completeness, Uniqueness/Creativity, Layout and Flow, Materials Palette, Furniture, and Lighting.
Feature Essay: Answers to the following questions will be required within the entry system at www.cedia.org/awards, which must be completed as part of the entry process.
- Briefly describe the objectives in creating this installation.
- What technical features are notable in this project (control system, acoustics, video features, audio features, etc.)?
- What decisions did you make to compensate for the room’s layout, interior design, or other challenges in the requirements of the job?
- Please discuss the specific audio and video calibrations performed and their results. What calibration was done? What equipment was used to calibrate? What standards were you aiming to achieve?
- What makes this system worthy of recognition?
- Describe the client's needs and requests for the architecture and interior design portion of this entry. Confer with architects and/or designers who contributed to this project as needed to gather this information.
Sustainable Lifestyle Installation
Definition of Category: A Sustainable Lifestyle Installation is defined as an integrated installation with a focus on sustainable living, facilitating reduced energy/resource consumption and environmental impact in a residential home.
Essential Elements: Judges will make decisions based on the following criteria: Environment (including lighting, automation, occupancy/vacancy detection, HVAC, etc); Monitoring Systems/Feedback; Power; Product Selection; and Innovation.
Feature Essay: Answers to the following questions will be required within the entry system at www.cedia.org/awards, which must be completed as part of the entry process.
- What equipment choices did you make to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle for the client?
- Explain your design philosophy for creating a sustainable lifestyle for the client.
- Identify what unique solutions from each of the five judging criteria (listed in the “Essential Elements” section above) you implemented in this project to ensure a sustainable lifestyle for the client?
- What could your peers learn from this project?
- Why do you think the project is award worthy?
- Did / will this project achieve any green residential certifications (LEED, NAHB, Energy Star, etc.)? If yes, how did your contributions to the project assist the homeowner in achieving the certification requirements?
Definition of Category: A special project is an installation by a full CEDIA residential electronic systems contractor member that satisfies unique needs or creates unusual features that are outside the scope of the average CEDIA installation. Examples would include a home for occupants with special needs, a boat, a plane, etc.
Essential Elements: At least half of the equipment used in the installation must be consumer-grade equipment. Judges will be looking for what makes the project unique. This category is judged by the technical panel only.
Feature Essay: Answers to the following questions will be required within the entry system at www.cedia.org/awards, which must be completed as part of the entry process.
- Briefly describe the objectives in creating this project.
- What technical features are notable in the project (control system, acoustics, video features, audio features, etc.)?
- Discuss the elements that make this project “special”.
- What makes this system worthy of recognition?
Definition of Category: For the purposes of submitting and judging this category, the Best Showroom will be awarded to a CEDIA member company for innovation and design of a custom installation showroom. Showrooms must be completed by May 2011. You may enter this category annually with the same project more than once; however you may only win this category once with the same project. Entries into this category will not be featured in CEDIA’s Electronic Lifestyles® magazine.
Essential Elements: The showroom must be for custom installation demonstrations and not a retail store. Judges will make decisions based on the following criteria: unique use of space, technology, and functionality. This category is judged by the technical panel only.
Feature Essay: Answers to the following questions will be required within the entry system at www.cedia.org/awards, which must be completed as part of the entry process.
- Please briefly describe your showroom, including what elements are being demonstrated.
- What makes your showroom unique?
Best Documentation – All entries are automatically considered for this award; no additional entry process is required and there is no entry fee. After reviewing engineering documents from all Designer Awards entries, the technical panel of judges will select one winner at the conclusion of the judging process.
Best Dressed System – All entries in categories that require rack photos are automatically considered for this award; no additional entry process is required and there is no entry fee. If your entry does not require rack photos, you may still submit rack photos on a CD to be eligible for this award. After reviewing rack photos from all eligible entries, the technical panel of judges will select one winner at the conclusion of the judging process.
Best Theme – This award recognizes a Home Theater or Media Room entry that has a distinct and pervasive theme (e.g., Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, etc.). At least three elements of the project must represent the distinct theme. Entrants must complete the Theme portion of the entry form when prompted during the Home Theater or Media Room entry process. There is no additional fee to be considered for this award.
Manufacturers’ Excellence Awards
Definition of Category: The CEDIA Best New Product competition is open to products that have been released and are shipping between September 30, 2011 and September 30, 2012. Product must be fully shipping by September 30, 2012 (cannot be in beta shipping). Products that have been entered in the Best New Product category in previous years cannot be entered into this category again unless a new version of the product has been released. Judges will consider the following during the decision-making process:
- Technological Innovation
- Value to the Technician
- Value to the Business
- Benefits to the Client's Lifestyle
Essay Questions: The following essay questions are contained within the entry form at www.cedia.org/awards, which must be completed as part of the entry process.
- Company Description/Mission (200 word max)
- Description of Product: What does this product do? How does it work? What makes it unique? (200 words max)
- Is this a new version of this product? If so, what makes it different from the previous model? (150 words max)
- What makes this product valuable to an electronic systems contractor business and/or technician? (150 words max)
- Abbreviated description of company and product for promotion if selected as a finalist (50 words max)
Sustainable Lifestyle Product Innovation
Definition of Category: The CEDIA Sustainable Lifestyle Product Innovation Award competition recognizes a transformative technology (hardware, software, or service) that either (1) aids in reducing consumption of energy and natural resources or (2) represents an environmentally responsible approach to the power usage, production methods, or packaging of traditional goods. Products entered in this category must be released into the market in 2012 and must be new to the industry. However, products are not required to be shipping at the time of CEDIA EXPO. Judges will consider the following during the decision-making process:
- Technological Innovation
- Potential Environmental Impact and Savings
- Value to the Electronic Systems Contractor
- Production Processes and Packaging
Essay Questions: The following essay questions are contained within the entry form at www.cedia.org/awards, which must be completed as part of the entry process.
- Company Description/Mission (200 words max)
- Description of Product: What does this product do? How does it work? What makes it unique? (200 words max)
- Is this a new version of this product? If so, what makes it different from the previous model? (150 words max)
- What makes this product valuable to an electronic systems contractor business and/or technician? (150 words max)
- Abbreviated description of company and product for promotion if selected as a winner (50 words max)
Definition of Category: The CEDIA Product Hall of Fame honors products that have had a significant positive impact on CEDIA members. To be considered, products must have been on the market for a minimum of 10 years.
Winners of the Product Hall of Fame 2012 must be able to provide the winning product for the Product Hall of Fame Showcase at each CEDIA EXPO beginning with EXPO 2013. Shipping and handling of the winning product will be the responsibility of the Product Hall of Fame inductees company each year. One Product Hall of Fame entry per company per year is permitted.
Essay Questions: The following essay questions are contained within the entry form at www.cedia.org/awards, which must be completed as part of the entry process.
- Company description/mission (200 words max)
- Description of product: What does this product do? How does it work? (150 words max)
- Discuss the impact this product has had on CEDIA members (250 words max)
- Company/product description for promotional materials if selected as a winner (50 words max)
Questions? Call 800.669.5329/317.328.4336 or email awards@cedia.org.
