Press Room
For Immediate Release
September 10, 2009
Media Contacts:
Jamie (Antcliff) Riley |
|
CEDIA EXPO "Pre-Game" Session Sets the Stage
Industry experts Rich Green and Michael Heiss make their predictions for the electronic systems industry's biggest show
ATLANTA (September 10, 2009)-CEDIA EXPO 2009 is officially underway after a send-off from industry experts Rich Green and Michael Heiss of CEDIA's Technology Council. Hundreds were in attendance as Green and Heiss laid out their predictions and expectations for this year's show floor in their "Pre-Game" session Thursday morning before the show's 10 a.m. opening.
The Heiss/Green EXPO Pre-Game served as a preview session in which attendees could hear two of the industry's leading voices deliver their opinions on what to watch for on the show floor. Heiss and Green outlined the areas where they expect big announcements or product reveals and predicted which technologies attendees will be talking about during and after the show.
Areas of focus included home health, gaming and control. Also discussed were 3D, green issues, and HDMI, each of which will be under the spotlight again in separate expert-led panel discussions today and Friday.
Green and Heiss agreed that the three core growth opportunities for the industry center upon retrofit, commercial applications and energy. "Energy is the new audio," said Green. "Energy is what's changing our industry." Heiss expanded upon this and said for those looking to achieve the highest green credits on behalf of the home owner, they'll need to look beyond energy efficiencies. "Look at all the aspects of a product, from packaging to the elements required for installation, which can contribute or detract from LEED points and other certifications." For the first time, CEDIA is offering a special green exhibitor designation for those companies that consider themselves or their products environmentally responsible.
"We're at the end of the era of hard drives and spinning optical discs. It's wireless HDMI that's going to get us into the retrofit market," continued Green. "Connectivity is more important than ever. If a product doesn't have a network, it's essentially useless." Heiss encouraged attendees to look for new platforms for connectivity and control operations and consider technologies that may open doors to new business opportunities.
But one of the key technologies attendees will be looking for on the show floor is 3D. Green and Heiss discussed the various forms of 3D, applications for active versus passive and special design considerations. "There's nothing like the sight of a 300-pound lineman running toward you in 3D," said Heiss, "and while there's no doubt 3D will be everywhere, there are still some questions about when, how and where."
Heiss and Green will follow up with a "Post-Game" session Sat., Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. in which they will see how their predictions fared, assess any surprise performances at the show and name an "MVP" for CEDIA EXPO 2009. The Post-Game session is free to all attendees.
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For more news on CEDIA EXPO, follow @CEDIA on Twitter or visit www.cedia.org/expo. For more on the industry's latest technologies, CEDIA Members can visit CEDIA Crosspoint at www.cediacrosspoint.com.
About CEDIA
CEDIA is an international trade association of companies that specialize in designing and installing electronic systems for the home. The association was founded in September 1989 and has more than 3,500 member companies worldwide. CEDIA Members are established and insured businesses with bona fide qualifications and experience in this specialized field. For more information on CEDIA, visit the association’s Web site at www.cedia.org.
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