There are several trade shows you could attend every year. So when resources and time are limited how do you decide? We can tell you every day of the year why we think you should be at CEDIA EXPO, but don’t just take our word for it. We asked #CEDIATweep Todd Puma why he attends CEDIA EXPO every year. Here is his response:

There are several trade shows in our industry, and people always ask me why I go to them all — especially my wife! Each show has a lot to offer. But with CEDIA EXPO coming up, it is front and center on my mind, and I can’t wait to get to Dallas. Flights and hotel room are booked and key meetings are on the calendar.

Many integrators prefer one show over another and sometimes don’t go to all the shows, and who can blame them? If you do security as well, there are at least four major shows a year. I love them all and I’m not going to get into a contest here, but I did want to highlight the five reasons I go to CEDIA EXPO every year, and maybe these reasons will shed some light on why you should attend.

1. Specificity. CEDIA EXPO is for residential AV integrators. There are no consumers at the show; you can talk dealer cost and dealer programs with the sales guys on the floor. There aren’t distractions as there are at other shows where there are so many business categories that it is too overwhelming and you can’t focus on the core of your business. At some shows I get distracted by some little gadget that might be cool but isn’t relevant to our industry, and I wasted a half hour playing with some Bluetooth speaker I thought would be cool for a trip to the beach.
2. Hands-on. I love to feel and touch the product, play with the interface and see how it performs. At CEDIA EXPO we get to do that and much more. Most of the booths have live products you see, touch and hear. There is no substitute and no showroom or distributor expo that can compare.
3. Training. I often bring members of my team to attend training sessions. With the pace of change in our industry and with networking becoming ever more critical, keeping my techs up-to-speed is critical. Immersive training for a day or two is well worth the cost of flights and hotels for my team members.
4. Networking. I love to see old friends and put faces to names for new contacts. There is no substitute for shaking someone’s hand and looking them in the eye. At CEDIA EXPO I get to do it dozens of times a day and see everyone for at least a little while. I really love speaking to other integrators from across the country whom I otherwise wouldn’t get to see.
5. Forward looking. CEDIA EXPO is about the future and what is coming down the pipeline — not just next year, but for many years to come. For example, CEDIA training has focused on the future of the networked home and automation technology for at least the past five to six years. They were ahead of the curve when it came to recognizing the importance of the network in the home. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the “Future of the Home Experience”!

There are many other reasons I attend CEDIA EXPO. It is a fantastic show that is always one of the highlights of my year.

 Registration for CEDIA EXPO is open at CEDIA.net/expo.