For Immediate Release
April 30, 2007
Press Contacts:
Jamie Antcliff
CEDIA
317-328-4336, ext. 119
jantcliff@cedia.org
Joshua Ryan Hall
Publicis
317-639-5135, ext. 116
joshua.hall@publicis-usa.com
Critical Referral Audiences Captivated at CEDIA’s
Electronic Lifestyles® EXPO
Architects, builders, and interior designers
characterize event as enlightening
and “the best conference I have ever been to”
INDIANAPOLIS – Alan Kent, a Certified Professional
Building Designer with the American Institute Of Building Design, has
always encouraged homeowners to implement electronic technology into
their new home design, but not to go overboard. His experiences at
CEDIA’s Electronic Lifestyles® EXPO have changed the way
he perceives residential electronic systems.
“I was uncomfortable providing competent guidance due to the
ever-changing aspects of the electronic industry,” Kent said. “The
continuing-education classes I took and the people I met at Electronic
Lifestyles® EXPO
showed me that the process can be smooth and bring great value to homeowners
if a CEDIA contractor is brought in at the planning stage.” CEDIA
designed its Electronic Lifestyles® EXPO to help bridge the
gap between design and technology among its members and the other
crucial residential contractors—builders, architects, and interior
designers. CEDIA worked closely with the National Association of
Home Builders
(NAHB), American Institute of Architects (AIA), and American Society
of Interior Designers (ASID) to develop highly relevant courses,
networking events, and panel discussions for this one-of-a-kind event.
Taking
their friendly relationship further, CEDIA and NAHB announced
at Electronic Lifestyles® EXPO that they have entered into an
unprecedented agreement to communicate the benefits of home technology
and demonstrate
opportunities for providing better service to homeowners. The agreement
has given birth to a new program within NAHB’s Custom Home
Builders Committee—The Home Technology Alliance. (See “NAHB
and CEDIA Join Forces …” press release.)
“Electronic Lifestyles® EXPO is the best conference I have
ever been to,” said Joy Rexroad, ASID CID and partner with Hale & Rexroad
Interior Design, LLC. “There is no way for me to have all that
technical knowledge and I don’t need to because all I need to
know is CEDIA.”
CEDIA reported that it surpassed its attendance
goal by several hundred attendees. More than 1,800 architects, builders,
interior designers
and electronic systems contracting professionals participated in
the education courses, seminars, panel discussions, and trade show
floor
activities over four days.
Stephen Konsor, senior vice president of
sales for Capitol Sales Company, Inc. and an Electronic Lifestyles® EXPO
exhibitor, said he was pleasantly surprised by the quality of attendees
that visited his booth.
“I was worried that this audience wouldn’t fit our business
model, but there was a nice mix of small- to medium-sized firms all
the way
up to higher-end large firms. We liked the exhibit hours and thought
there was a good, quality crowd. CEDIA did a really good job of identifying
leading architects, builders, and interior designers and engaged them
with this event.”
Architectural Consultant Doug Hoover from Custom
Audio Video in Bluffton South Carolina said he was able to build
new relationships and learn
from great instructors and speakers at Electronic Lifestyles® EXPO. “The networking opportunities were way beyond my
expectations,” Hoover
said. “Electronic Lifestyles® EXPO was a wonderful opportunity
and I am very pleased to see the direction that CEDIA is going with
building relationships with other associations such as AIA."
The
2008 Electronic Lifestyles® EXPO location has not yet been
determined. News of next year’s EXPO event and other CEDIA
outreach initiatives is updated regularly at www.cedia.org.
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 website
at www.cedia.org.
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