News

CEDIA Expo Fills New Birmingham Venue (19/2/2004)

CEDIA (the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association) Ð the trade association representing the fast-growing home automation industry Ð has announced that all exhibition space has now sold out for its CEDIA Expo (trade only) event being held for the first time this year at Birmingham's International Convention Centre (ICC), 1st-4th June 2004.

Architects, housebuilders, contractors, specifiers and custom installers visiting this year's CEDIA Expo will be able to see the latest hardware and product demonstrations from over 100 exhibitors. They can also attend courses covering a wide spectrum of home automation technologies, skills and issues. Another major highlight at this year's Expo will be a showcase suite featuring the Ultimate Home Cinema, where the boundaries of integrated home automation technology will be pushed to an extraordinary level.

As the primary engine for growth and enlightenment in the UK's Custom Installation industry, the CEDIA Expo provides detailed courses on the "nuts and bolts" of residential installation: from cabling to home theatre, lighting design, sub-system integration, AV distribution and future trends as well as exploring the right business techniques to keep pace with rapidly evolving opportunities.

From modest beginnings in Harrogate in 1996, when just over 300 attended, the CEDIA UK EXPO attracted over 3,000 trade visitors to last year's EXPO held at the Brighton Centre. Custom installation may have been the preserve of the rich and famous at the time of the first show but a constant drop in the cost of hardware has meant that more consumers can afford to experience the pleasure of a modern, networked home. The result is a move to a bigger, more flexible venue in Birmingham's ICC, more exhibitors and the prospect of many more visitors.

CEDIA Expo seminars cover not only installation know-how, but also business accounting, time management and client liaison. In addition, the programme offers CEDIA members the chance to sit Installer Level I and Level II exams and become certified installers. CEDIA's educational platform at the EXPO is complemented by a range of manufacturer courses, which provide delegates from all disciplines with an in-depth knowledge of individual products and their implementation in the field. And when they're not expanding their skill portfolios, attendees can network with their fellow installers and manufacturers on the exhibition floor, where thousands of product demonstrations are held every day.

CEDIA is an international trade organisation spanning three continents with a global membership of over 3,500 companies. CEDIA is a not-for-profit organisation. Members specialise in the planning, design, supply and installation of automated electronic systems for the modern, intelligent home and can install anything from home cinemas to complete home networks and sub-systems to intelligently control lighting, security, HVAC (heating, ventilation & air conditioning), and even garden facilities, from lighting to watering.

www.cedia.co.uk