This year’s CEDIA EXPO, hosted Sept. 25 - 28 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, will provide attendees the tools they need to evolve and adapt in an ever-changing industry, according to The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA), Indianapolis. There’s new features, plenty of networking, speakers to inspire you, training, and the chance to find new opportunities to boost your company’s bottom line.

First, the inspiration. CEDIA is hosting two keynote presentations and a series of roundtable sessions at the EXPO.

Tony Fadell, chief executive officer of Nest will present the opening keynote.  As the former senior vice president of Apple’s iPod division, Fadell has mastered the understanding of the design process and will bring his unique view to where he thinks the industry is going. A home technology professional will moderate the presentation, and attendees will have the opportunity to submit their questions before the keynote. 

Gene Marks from The Marks Group, P.C. will present the second keynote, Your Business, Your Future, Profiting Under Obama: How Smart Business People Will Succeed During the President’s Second Term. Marks writes for The New York Times, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and other noted publications and is known for his non-partisan approach that helps business owners understand the facts so they can make the right decisions long term. As a small business owner himself, Marks will share what his company and other winning companies are doing to ensure growth, profits, and success during the next few years.

 “The two keynote presentations at this year’s CEDIA EXPO represent the important and always interlinked areas of business understanding and technical knowledge,” said Dave Pedigo, Senior Director of Learning and Emerging Trends. “To be successful, home technology professionals must have a clear vision of the future, which is why we are excited to provide these opportunities for attendees to learn and discuss the future of the industry and the future of their business.”

In addition to the keynote presentations, the CEDIA Technology Council is sponsoring a series of roundtable sessions at CEDIA EXPO giving attendees an opportunity to take a deeper dive into emerging trend topics. Sessions include New Technologies Update, LV & LED Lighting: Your Brightest Opportunity, Future Technologies: The Inside Scoop from Silicon Valley, and No New Wires: Retrofit Technologies & How They Can Work Together. These sessions are offered at various times throughout the week.

The Opening Keynote, presented by Tony Fadell will take place on Wednesday, September 25, at 5:30 p.m. in the Four Seasons Ballroom 4 of the Colorado Convention Center. The Opening Keynote is free to attend but registration is required.  Attendees may register for the Gene Marks Keynote , The CEDIA Technology Council Roundtables, and any other course they can fit in their schedule at one low price when they purchase the CEDIA Training Pass for $359*. A la carte pricing is also available for these courses.  The training scheduleis available at www.cedia.net/expo. 

Reconnect and establish new connections at CEDIA EXPO 2013’s Welcome Reception on Wednesday, September 25, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. in the Upper Lobby D at the Colorado Convention Center.

CEDIA will also announce the 2013 Manufacturers’ Excellence Awards at the show. The finalists have been announced. The finalists include 31 products in the Best New Product category and two products for the Sustainable Lifestyle Product Innovation category. The winners will be announced at a press conference on Friday, September 27 at 9:00 a.m. at CEDIA EXPO 2013. In addition, winners will be recognized at the annual Electronic Lifestyles® Awards Celebration on Saturday, September 28.

Other new features at the 2013 EXPO:

Security Solutions Centralwill feature the latest technology in security.

New Solutions Village includes new products launching at EXPO 2013, presentations about products and services from 20 new exhibitors, new product launch demos from Gefen, NEAR, Leviton, PowerBridge, Autonomic Controls Inc., Wilson Electronics, and Minify Music, as well as three fast-paced, mini training sessions focused on business and emerging trends, and more.

Rookie Row, sold out this year, is located near the New Solutions Villageon the show floor. There, you’ll discover new products launching at CEDIA by exhibitors just breaking into the residential electronics industry.