Dallas, TX. The Dallas Convention Center is the place to be this weekend for manufacturers and contractors involved in the booming home theatre and custom audio installation market.
The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association’s (CEDIA) annual industry show Expo’96 went into high gear today, with a keynote address by Gregory Riker, Director of Microsoft’s Advanced Consumer Technology Group.
Riker painted a picture of the coming era of residential technologies, with special emphasis on interactive TV and audio applications, mid and broadband communications, and personalized entertainment. He wowed a packed room of more than 800 CEDIA members with demos of audio on demand, and integration of Internet web technology with home electronic systems.
A highlight on Saturday will be the presentation of CEDIA’s Electronic Lifestyles Awards: the Lifetime Achievement award, and category awards including Best Dedicated Home Theater, Best Multi-Purpose Media Room, Dealer of the Year, Best New Product, and Best Product Design.
Expo ’96 began on Wednesday with two days of educational programming for industry professionals, including seminars on subjects ranging from sales techniques to technical skills upgrading and systems integration. The show proper opened today with a full slate of activity, including a large exhibit floor, and an extensive program of manufacturer product training seminars.
The exhibit floor features displays by more than 250 manufacturers and service providers, including most of the leading names in consumer audio, as well as smaller niche-market manufacturers with products targeted to the high-end home theatre and stereo market.
Many of the 7,000 attendees go to CEDIA Expo for the manufacturer product training seminars. These provide up-to-the-minute information for professionals in the custom electronics installation and contracting business, from companies such as Audioaccess (intelligent multi-zone, multi-source audio systems), Monster Cable (wiring the perfect home theatre), Citation (intro to multi-channel audio systems), and JBL Synthesis (synthesis system design and calibration with AC-3 and digital EQ).
Expo ’96 continues at the Dallas Convention Centre until 4:00pm Sunday.
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