With an elite group of sponsors for support, TD’s two-day Design-Build event at CEDIA Expo was a resounding success.
By Douglas Weinstein
From a designer or architect’s perspective, attending a smart home technology event can be somewhat daunting. It goes beyond figuring out what in the heck each booth is offering if you’re not familiar with our technologies and manufacturers’ names. It also involves a lexicon (acronym soup) unfamiliar to the non-geek species.
Example in point: I was on one of our curated tours and we popped into a popular brand’s booth and some techbro came over and started explaining their 4K technology. And, HDMI connectors on the rear of the product, etc. I saw my audience’s eyes glaze over and after we left and continued the tour, people were asking me, “what’s 4K?” “And what is that H-something he was talking about.”
But those were the exceptions during our two days in Denver. Some of the most innovative companies in our industry get the importance of reaching out to design-build and have learned their lexicon so we can communicate effectively.
Here’s a rundown of my own personal observations and feedback I received during our Day of Discovery tours.
Savant
I can’t tell you how many compliments we got from those who toured the Savant booth. And the #1 feedback was that Angie Larson and Greg Barrett, who led the tours, were simply the smartest, most enthusiastic presenters they encountered all day.
Sonance
Once again, #1 demo. That’s two years in a row, with an elevated presentation of what immersive sound, designed to disappear, is all about.
JVC
While there were tons of large-format video displays featuring cutting-edge technology, the JVC DLA-NZ700, being the world’s smallest native 4K projector, consistently amazed our audience when they began to realize price versus performance. Sure, the million dollar images were great, but designers don’t really live in that space as consumers.
Crestron
The versatility of the Crestron Home system and the variety of products that designers were excited to see – window treatments and elegant keypads – resonated with our audience this year.
Epson
Our audience considered Room 201 #2 for best demo. Epson built this room’s display specifically for our audience and it showed. The stealthy nature of their short-throw projectors and how you can mount them, coupled with retractable filmscreens, really opened some eyes at the show.
DMF
Intentional lighting has obviously come a long way and I get the impression that designers are beginning to understand that being a lighting designer means much more than just chandeliers and wall sconces. DMF’s new Artafex products really captured the essence of elevated, elegant linear lighting.
Alchimia
The Bespoke was far and away the #1 product among the design cognoscenti. Imagine a massive wall of marble. Then image a video display coming to life in the middle of it, with flanking invisible speakers. Then the image disappears and it’s once again a wall of marble. Blown minds and dropped jaws ensued.
Draper at Home, Hunter Douglas, Somfy
Our guests really enjoyed getting to understand the variety of window treatment options on display at Expo. They’re putting together the importance of motorization, range of design options, and how window treatment systems fit into the eco-system of a truly connected space.
Sonos
Everyone on the tours knew who Sonos was and many raised their hand when asked if they owned any products. The could see how the Sonos eco-system was expanding into sound bars, in-ceiling speakers and other innovative products ripe for the specifying in the hospitality space.
Coastal Source
Our groups really enjoying getting outside and walking across the street to the Outdoor Destination. And Franco D’Ascanio Jr. is such a wonderful presenter. It made for an entertaining tour stop to explore the world of resilient audio and lighting solutions.
