CEDIA is rolling out CEDIASTRONG, a new program comprised of sweeping new services and tools to empower, educate and inspire CEDIA members to weather these turbulent times. CEDIASTRONG will provide members with free financial planning tools and services, technical training and webinars, career planning resources, online business roundtable discussions and marketing content that members can use to promote their services locally. As part of the initiative, CEDIA also plans to establish a CEDIASTRONG fund to provide financial assistance to members in need, with the goal of awarding grants later in 2021. 

“CEDIASTRONG was born from the COVID-19 pandemic and was designed to serve as a rallying cry for our industry,” said CEDIA President and CEO Tabatha O’Connor. “Today, as people hunker down and work from their homes, technology solutions are all the more paramount, as is the role of the professionals who design and install them. We want to help members power through this challenging period and prepare them for the future to ensure they are ready to resume business as usual when this crisis is behind us.” 

Under the CEDIASTRONG banner, CEDIA is rolling out a number of new programs to support the industry and to help promote the importance of their work in their local markets: 

• CEDIA has enlisted the services of financial advisors who will be sharing their expertise with members in weekly financial sessions — free of charge. 
• The new COVID-19 resource center features financial, legal and regulatory information to assist CEDIA members across the globe.
• New career planning resources feature an online library of content that will assist displaced workers in resume creation, job search strategies and interviewing tips and tricks for jobseekers. 
• All fees have been waived for online training for CEDIA members so that technicians can hone skills during downtime and business owners can brush up on a variety of business issues. CEDIA is hosting two new webinars each week, tied to whitepapers and podcast topics. 
• CEDIA will be hosting regional roundtable discussions and live online events, bringing integrators and manufacturers together to share insights on how they’re conducting business during these unusual times, how best to prepare for recovery and how to market services in this time of crisis. 
• New CEDIASTRONG marketing assets will be available so members can help spread the word and generate new business opportunities in their local markets. 
• Once we’re beyond the eye of the storm, CEDIA plans to establish the CEDIASTRONG fund to provide financial assistance to members in need with the goal of accepting donations later this year and awarding grants to individuals and businesses sometime in 2021. 

For more information, visit www.cediastrong.org.