CEDIA Electronic Lifestyles® Awards

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Who is eligible to enter?
• Which projects/products are eligible for entry?
• What are the costs to enter?
• How are entries judged?
• When will winners be announced?
• Do you require a backup copy of my entry to be mailed to CEDIA headquarters?
• What if my client isn’t willing to sign the release form?
• How are cost categories established for Home Theater and Integrated Home entries?
  

Who is eligible to enter?

For the categories of Home Theater, Media Room, Integrated Home, Hidden Installation, Special Project, Showroom, and Sustainable Lifestyle Installation, the entrant must be a CEDIA member electronic systems contractor.

For the categories of Best New Product and Sustainable Lifestyle Product Innovation, the entrant must be a CEDIA member manufacturer as well as a CEDIA EXPO 2012 exhibitor.

For the category of Product Hall of Fame, the entrant must be a CEDIA member manufacturer.

Which projects/products are eligible for entry?

For the categories of Home Theater, Media Room, Integrated Home, Hidden Installation, Special Project, and Sustainable Lifestyle Installation, the completion date of the project must fall between May 2011 and May 2012. Projects entered in these categories are required to have been completed for paying clients.

Entries in the Showroom category are not limited by completion date, and showrooms are eligible for repeat entry into the competition.

For the category of Best New Product, the date on which the product begins shipping to dealers must fall between September 30, 2011 and September 30, 2012.

For the category of Sustainable Lifestyle Product Innovation, the product must be new to the market and must be released in 2012.

For the category of Product Hall of Fame, the product is required to have been on the market for a minimum of 10 years. Product Hall of Fame entries are eligible for repeat entry into the competition.

What are the costs to enter?

• For the categories of Home Theater, Media Room, Integrated Home, Hidden Installation, Special Project, Showroom, and Sustainable Lifestyle Installation, entry fees are $190 for the first entry and $125 for each additional entry.
• For the categories of Best New Product and Sustainable Lifestyle Product Innovation, entry fees are $290 for the first entry and $225 for each additional entry.
• Product Hall of Fame entries are free of charge.
• Entries completed and paid in full by the early bird deadline of April 6, 2012 will receive a 20% discount.
• Each company that enters the competition receives one complimentary ticket to the annual Electronic Lifestyles® Awards Celebration at CEDIA EXPO 2012. One complimentary ticket per company, regardless of the number of entries submitted. Additional tickets may be purchased through the CEDIA EXPO registration system at www.cedia.org/expo beginning June 1. (NOTE: Because Product Hall of Fame entries are free of charge, no ticket will be reserved for entries into this category.)

How are entries judged?

For the categories of Home Theater, Media Room, Integrated Home, Hidden Installation, Special Project, Showroom, and Sustainable Lifestyle Installation, all entries will first be reviewed by the Technical Panel of judges, which is made up of five CEDIA member electronic systems contractors. The Technical Panel determines Gold, Silver, and Bronze Technical Design winners.

Technical Design winners in the Media Room, Home Theater, Integrated Home, and Hidden Installation entries are then scored by the Design Panel of judges, which is made up of five professionals from the architecture and interior design communities. Scores from the Technical Panel and Design Panel are combined to determine one Overall winner in each of these four categories.

For the categories of Best New Product and Sustainable Lifestyle Product Innovation, all entries will be reviewed by a judging panel made up of five CEDIA member electronic systems contractors. The panel will first determine up to 30 finalists for the Best New Product category and up to three finalists for the Sustainable Lifestyle Product Innovation category.

Through a partnership with HGTVRemodels.com, entries in the categories of Media Room, Home Theater, and Integrated Home will have the option to enter the CEDIA/HGTVRemodels People’s Pick competition, which will be voted on by site visitors at HGTVRemodels.com. One People’s Pick winner will be selected in each of these categories.

Judges reserve the right to decline to issue a particular award if none of the eligible entries merit recognition. All judges’ decisions are final. Judges’ credentials will be made available upon request after CEDIA EXPO 2012. To obtain this information, send your written request and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to CEDIA Headquarters, Attn: Awards, 7150 Winton Drive, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46268.

When will winners be announced?

For the categories of Home Theater, Media Room, Integrated Home, Hidden Installation, Special Project, Showroom, Sustainable Lifestyle Installation, and Product Hall of Fame, all winners will be announced at the Electronic Lifestyles® Awards Celebration at CEDIA EXPO 2012.

For the categories of Best New Product and Sustainable Lifestyle Product Innovation, finalists will be announced in July, and winners will be announced at the Electronic Lifestyles® Awards Celebration at CEDIA EXPO 2012.

Do you require a backup copy of my entry to be mailed to CEDIA headquarters?

No. CEDIA no longer requires hard copy materials to be mailed to headquarters to serve as a backup for the online entry. Entrants will only be asked to mail in materials if CEDIA staff or judges need additional information or materials to properly evaluate the entry.

What if my client isn’t willing to sign the release form?

We are unable to waive this release form outright. However, if your client can specify their objections, we may be able to work with you to adjust the form so it is agreeable to all parties. Please do not make changes to the standard form; instead, contact awards@cedia.org to coordinate any changes.

How are cost categories established for Home Theater and Integrated Home entries?

Cost categories are not pre-determined, but rather are established after all entries have been received. The Electronic Lifestyles® Awards Chair, a CEDIA volunteer, reviews all entries and groups them by cost in a way that is competitive but still provides a level playing field.

Additional questions? Call 800.669.5329/317.328.4336 or email awards@cedia.org.