Publishers’ Letter – Spring 2021

AS WE START TO GET BACK ON THE ROAD, we’re sure to see a hybrid approach to both office occupancy and trade shows. This means more of the same – Zoom meetings, Livestream product introductions — while also ushering back in the good old days of sales calls and trade show networking. One of the great returns to normal will be the opportunity to visit design centers again with those clients who want that hands-on experience. Seeing is believing!

Another opportunity will be the return to educational outreach by technology designers and system integration firms. While this approach has been a staple of the CEDIA channel for decades, consistent follow up and consistent lunch-and-learns have not always panned out as expected. We think that coming out of the pandemic, a hybrid model needs to emerge where learning about performance home technology can be done at your leisure, on your own time, with informed commentary that is easily searchable by product/process category.

Therefore, we’re announcing that the Technology Designer portfolio is expanding to include our own branded video podcast series. As the catalyst for encouraging conversations between the technology designer and the other design-build disciplines, it’s the right time to bring those conversations to life via the podcast platform.

Our combined history dates back to the very beginning of the channel with years of relationships with dealers, manufacturers and designers that we have cultivated and draw upon for the rich content presented in the quarterly magazine, on the website, and in the monthly TD newsletter. Our goal for the podcast series is to capture and share engaging perspectives through video conversations with the movers and shakers in the industry.

Colleagues and partners tell us how convenient the podcast format is for picking up on new ideas from the comfort of a home office or on the road to and from a jobsite. Our topics will cover the full gamut of performance home technologies that we currently cover, and our guests will be a representation of all of the trades, per our usual coverage.

Podcast topics we’re currently working on include Emotional Wellness in Architecture, The Future of Building Materials, How to Build a Winning Team of Tech + Design + Build, and many more are on deck for release this summer. We would love to hear your recommendations for topics you would like TD to explore.

Our entire mission is based on educating the design-build community about the latest residential technologies, and how technology designers can support and enhance the design initiative of the architect and interior designer. The podcast series will be another tool for the industry to utilize.