CEDIA 2026 Preview

On this episode of “SoundVision Tech Talks,” Mark, Michelle, and Andrew sit down to discuss what's ahead at this year's CEDIA event.

CEDIA 2026 is on the horizon, and Denver is about to become the meeting point for some of the biggest ideas, newest technology, and most important conversations shaping the custom integration industry. Mark, Michelle, and Andrew preview what’s ahead at CEDIA. They discuss what the event actually is, why systems integrators continue to treat it as a must-attend, and how the products, education, and conversations happening on the show floor ultimately influence the systems we design and install back home.

We get into what we’ll be watching this year, from high-performance sound rooms and rapidly evolving lighting solutions to display technology that has transformed dramatically over the last decade. We also talk projectors, emerging smart home technology, and why long-term serviceability, repairability, and product longevity matter just as much as the initial wow factor.

Then we turn to the conversations happening beyond the show floor. Mark previews his upcoming AI panel, focused on practical, usable ways integrators can put AI to work without unlimited time, staff, or resources. He’ll also be teaching a class, Process, Process, Process, alongside Eric Crawford of IFP, diving into why strong, repeatable processes are the backbone of a successful integration business. Michelle shares what she’ll be taking part in as well, including a CE Pro Top 100 panel conversation about growth, a Developing New Talent workforce development panel centered on bringing the next generation into the trades, and the Women in Consumer Technology Legacy Awards, where she is a nominee.

Whether you’re curious about CEDIA, the future of custom AV, AI for integrators, lighting and display trends, or simply what’s next for smart home technology, this episode gives you a look at what we’ll be watching at this year's event.

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Transcript

Welcome And CEDIA 2026 Plans

SPEAKER_02 0:03

Welcome to Sound Vision's Tech Talks, where we dive into trending topics and expert advice to help you make informed decisions about your home entertainment, automation, and more. Whether you're planning a new project or just curious about the possibilities, Tech Twilks is your go-to source for staying updated on all things technology. Today we're going to be discussing the upcoming 2026 CD event all the way in Denver, Colorado. And joining me to discuss this, we have Mark and Michelle in the podcast studio today. Very nervous today. Don't be nervous. You're a natural.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

You're a regular.

SPEAKER_02 0:45

It's been a minute. No, yeah, a lot of our previous episodes. He's been missing from them.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

Yeah, and I've been reading the uh the listeners' content, you know. They say we miss Mark. They say something about Mark. But anyways, okay, cool.

What CEDIA Is For Integrators

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Michelle, what the heck is Cedia?

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Well, Mark, being that you are an outreach instructor and a panelist and a professor. Professor Teacher. Professor DiPetro. Professor Di Petro. Maybe you could fill us in given your vast history.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

I'm actually professing and extolling knowledge to the attendees on a process, Michelle, which is which is interesting.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

You and a process? Yeah, I know, right? Shocking. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

Well, I'm only a co-teacher, so it wouldn't give me my own.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

That tracks.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

Shout out, Eric Crawford.

SPEAKER_02 1:37

Yeah. Tell our listeners if they've never heard of CEDIA, what is CEDIA?

SPEAKER_01 1:42

CEDIA is the Consumer Electronics Design and Installation Association. It has been around for quite some time. It is essentially the national group, if you will, for systems integrators, audio video folks, technology companies. And it's a place where, just like any trade show, I would say that maybe some of our listeners have been to, it's where we all kind of get together. There's a lot of trainings there. All the vendors, the key vendors have booths set up, and so they show all their newest product. And you get to interact with some of the folks from them, whether it's service or or production or you know, sales or whatever that you need. So it's uh just kind of a place to get together. Great for interacting with each other and seeing folks from all across the country that you develop relationships with over the years. One of the things you asked was why do we keep going back? And that's a big one. And to win some awards as well, Michelle, don't we?

SPEAKER_00 2:39

Sometimes we win awards.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

We also go to see what's new in the industry, primarily. I mean, that's why I go, that's why I'm drawn to it to see what's the newest technology and the next big thing. Yeah. See if anything is worth bringing back to our designers.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

That's exactly right.

Sound Rooms And Lighting To Watch

SPEAKER_01 2:55

So with that, I think you asked Andrew, what are you most interested in seeing this year? Michelle, do you want to take that one step deeper?

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Mark and I experience CDIA a little bit different.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Radically different.

SPEAKER_00 3:07

Radically different. I enjoy seeing, I want to say all of the booths, but I like to definitely get a a more concentrated experience of what's there, what's new, what solutions are potentially there for our team. And I would say my favorite categories when I go are the sound rooms, which I'm excited about. Always excited about. I think also the lighting, the latest in what's new with lighting, just because it's a category that continues to grow. And many of our vendors will debut new products and new strategies while we're there, also. So that is kind of my favorite sound rooms and lighting.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

Years ago, we would come up with a like a list of things that we needed. I remember many, many years ago, it was mounts. And we would, you know, talk about the mounts and things like articulating arms and stuff, which is now just very commonplace. But back then we were gonna go, we're gonna go to all the different mount booths and see which one we like the best. Right. And we don't really do that much anymore, but we do look at new product for sure. And so that's cool. I also am very excited to see the continuation of the lighting part of our industry. It's growing just so quickly. And so I know there's a lot of new stuff coming out, and it's just amazing some of the things that we are able to do, some of the things that people are doing. So I'm interested to see that. Yeah, that's cool.

Video Walls Get Wild Fast

SPEAKER_00 4:31

Do you have a product maybe in the last five years that you went to Cedia and you were impressed by? You were like, oh, that is really cool.

SPEAKER_01 4:40

I mean, if you're talking about a technology, I would say because iPoint was a product back. I mean, now that's 10 years ago, but I do remember that was a very game-changing for us. Sorry for using that term. Oh gosh. What's the accordion TV?

SPEAKER_00 4:57

The CC stealth makes one as well, but C Seed TV dumb Alice.

SPEAKER_01 5:02

C seed. That's the one I'm thinking of.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

It's always pretty interesting to watch.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

The evolution of video walls is one that is. I mean, there's a lot of things over you know, speakers, you know, going from regular sizes to small apps to invisible. That's cool to follow too, and I like that. But video walls, when we started, it was literally like how do you put four, six, eight TVs together, literally just putting them together.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

And a video wall was different TVs put together, yes, versus what it is now.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Imagine any TV you have for a listener, any TV you have on your wall, whatever's on your wall when you're looking at it. Imagine four of those sandwiched together. So you have the little bezels, you know, in between them. There was some video technology that would shift the picture slightly and whatnot. Because a lot of times that that was right down the middle if you had four. And so, like literally when they became smaller bezels, that was a big deal because the space between them was less. Well, now you have, you know, oh my gosh, there's micro LEDs and there's it's crazy. And you can make it essentially any size you want. It's only limited by budget and imagination any shape, too. Yeah, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Yeah, that is one of my favorite categories. I love how they do the displays there now where you get a really good visual of things you hadn't considered before. So the whole room, the entire wall is a direct LED TV video wall, and it's just a different experience. It makes a strong impression. It's just it's a different thing.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

It's not for the faint of heart. They're very expensive. Well, I mean, very expensive is always relative, but they're more expensive than your average TV for sure. But if you're talking about evolution of a technology over a number of years that I've gotten to see, that is definitely one

Projectors And Smarter Long-Term Service

SPEAKER_01 6:42

of them.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

I like projectors as well. Projectors and the video walls, I will say, in contrast to a TV from a service standpoint, over time, you can have a projector serviced. Unless it's a laser, it may need a lamp, or if it's a video wall and some pixels die, you just pull out those little parts and pop in new ones. Whereas a TV, if there's an issue with it, you've got to take the whole thing down and try and get it repaired. So from a longevity standpoint and unlimited budget, that's where Michelle would spend her money.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

One other one that's not maybe quite as sexy is that is camera technology.

Cameras Get Sharp And Intelligent

SPEAKER_01 7:18

Some of the camera stuff, especially over the years. I mean, I remember early on, you know, it was now it's a joke compared to what there's now, but we were like amazed with the cameras, you know, 10, 15 years ago. Now the resolution is insane, the AI analytics that are built in it, the facial recognition, the I mean, it's just like it is crazy what some of these cameras can do. So that kind of stuff's cool too. And I mean, this is like, you know, not even that expensive camera. We're not talking about like crazy expensive cameras.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

So I think we can all agree the only footage though that ever makes the news is the grainy, terrible stuff that looks like it was shot 20 years ago. It's just such a shame because it's the difference of seeing what happened versus who actually did it.

SPEAKER_01 8:05

Yeah. Well, two things. One, if you're like a dateline 2020, like 48 hours person, no one ever gets killed in like uh where somebody's got a high-tech camera. It's always like a convenience store with the 1979 tape backup that it never replaced. There's that. And then here's a little fun fact. If you're watching on TV, you know, I don't know how prevalent it is now, but when we went to HD on the TV, you would see a computer screen on the TV, and the computer screen would always be flickering. That was because the computer screen was using a video display resolution called PAW, and it was different frame rate per second. So it wasn't actually flickering. For years I thought, why does my computer screen at home never flicker? But everyone on TV flickers. I learned that it was just a different scan rate. And so when you watched it on one scan rate and you were seeing another scan rate, that's why it did that. It was kind of a weird, weird thing. Well, fun fact.

Join The Hashtag Soundvision Pod

SPEAKER_02 9:15

Fire up those social media accounts and hit us up with hashtag Soundvision Pod. That's Soundvision P-O-D. And let's make this a podcast community. We can't wait to hear from you.

New Finds Like Modern Smart Fans

SPEAKER_02 9:30

Have you guys seen anything online or on socials that you are excited to see?

SPEAKER_01 9:37

What's interesting because of where we've gotten over the past number of years, and to a large degree, with tons of input and hard work from people like you guys on the day-to-day is CDO is really kind of, I don't want to say it's catering to the smaller crowd, but it is the show for the smaller integrator, in that a lot of the larger integrators have these different other shows that they go to, like buying group shows and stuff. And we get to go to some manufacturers. So for example, we were just at DMF and got to see a lot of the phase X stuff, like literally in their facility. That's right. Whereas a smaller integrator would never have that ability, you know, until they grew to like a certain size. So when they go to CDA, it is literally like life-changing to see this stuff. Yeah. And for us, in a lot of cases, we've seen a lot of the newer stuff or heard about it just because of our you know, our connections and and things. So no big deal. But it's really, really cool.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

I mean, I we're hard to impress, apparently.

SPEAKER_01 10:42

I guess. I no, do not read it that way at all. I just mean that when we go there, it won't be the first time we've seen it. Right. I am like blown away by right now, like WAC has this product called that they they don't make but they distribute. It's called Modern Fans. And these fans are they're so cool. They're so cool.

SPEAKER_00 11:01

You are the biggest fan of the fans.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

I'm a huge fan of the fans. They have a feature called Breeze, which I'm sure other fans have, but I have never had a fan that's had it before in my life. And so you put it on like one, you know, so it's just the spinning. But then about every, I don't know, 30 seconds or so, it'll just spin fast for like three seconds, five seconds, and it creates like a breeze in the room. It's incredible. It's like this is so cool. So I say that because I geek out on all this stuff. It doesn't matter if it's a fan, which is not like you know, whatever, or a video wall, which is incredible. You know, I geek out on all of it.

SPEAKER_02 11:35

So well, as cool as everything we've been talking about, we do have to discuss some exciting news about both Mark and Michelle who are attending this year, they will be speaking on some panels.

Mark’s AI Panel Tease

SPEAKER_02 11:49

What?

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Yes, Mark is going to be starring on an AI panel.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

I am I am literally so there's four people, and if you want to imagine, like four people. So there's senior, junior, sophomore, carry the bags in the water. I'm the carry the bags in the water freshman. I am the dude up there just to make sure that the other guys have what they need.

SPEAKER_02 12:16

I don't believe that at all. Yeah, at all.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

You kid. How about you offered to take my coat off? Like what come on?

SPEAKER_02 12:26

Well, if anyone doesn't know, all of us around here know how much you love AI, Mark, and exploring all the new capabilities. So you were asked to be on an AI panel. Why don't you give us just a quick tease on what you're going to be discussing?

SPEAKER_01 12:41

So I am into AI and I see a lot of possibilities and opportunities. And kind of going back to what I said before about CDA really catering a lot to the smaller integrator that doesn't get to see a lot of these things. Maybe they don't have the time, maybe they don't have the resources, you know, to do any of this stuff, but they've heard about it. And so this is a great way for guys to just see how other integrators are using AI specifically inside of our business. And the three guys that I'm up on the panel with are really impressive, have done a lot of stuff, and it's not all crazy stuff, like it's basic stuff too. And so I think that there'll be some action item takeaways that anybody can take back and use in their business.

SPEAKER_00 13:30

It's very exciting. That is exciting. I hope they do, and I'll mention this to the team over at CE Pro. I would suggest they hand out a QR code for that event so that people could actually go take a look at some of the stuff that you guys created, some examples, because hearing about it is one thing, but when you actually see a working model, I think that definitely helps crystallize what the capabilities are for people that may be AI nervous or just unfamiliar.

SPEAKER_01 13:59

Wait till you see after our three o'clock call, which by the way, we're about to get into here in a second, the build that I'm about to test on Technician's Day.

SPEAKER_02 14:10

Oh, good. Oh, that's very exciting. Have fun, Michelle. So thanks, Andrew.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Because it's an audio podcast. Michelle purses her lips, like, oh God, I gotta go through this again. But let me just tell you, because off camera, what'll happen is she'll go, oh God, just show it to me so I can get back and sit in my office. But then she goes, Oh wow. Oh, beep.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

I mean, I guess that's my processing speed.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

Yeah, that's that's cool. We all have a process. Now we're on a three o'clock call, so we have to kind of wrap this up here fairly soon. But why are we on a three o'clock call? What is that about?

Michelle’s Panels And Industry Honors

SPEAKER_00 14:54

The call is to see if Mark can make his appointment.

SPEAKER_01 14:57

Michelle is being honored. She is on two panels and an honoree for.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

You don't know.

SPEAKER_01 15:08

I don't know the whole time.

SPEAKER_00 15:09

The women in consumer technology. Legacy awards.

SPEAKER_01 15:15

Legacy. Legacy awards.

SPEAKER_00 15:17

Which means old.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Yeah, so Michelle won was a recipient of one of the top 40 women in the industry. This was two years ago now. Two years ago, is that right? It was two years ago. Two years ago, yeah. So she hasn't won anything a while, so she has to, you know, be on another.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Can I just chime in really quick? I am super excited that is going to be unofficial. You can't post that until after.

SPEAKER_01 15:43

Who is also up for shout out and team they're friends of ours. That's awesome. So that's awesome, yeah. But you are also on two panels. Yes. Give us a brief overview of what are these panels looking like?

SPEAKER_00 16:02

The first panel is the CE Pro Top 100 panel with some of our friends at Maxicon and Audio Command Systems. Tom and Andres are on it? Yeah, Andres. Andres is on it, and then Michael Restrepo from Rostrepo.

SPEAKER_01 16:16

Oh, Restrepo Innovations, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:18

And then the second panel is developing new talent in an art industry. And I'll be on that panel with Aidan, our technician, who was a Skills USA second place winner last year, and then he went back again and competed this year. But we're going to talk about workforce development.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

That's a pretty big deal. And that's really exciting. This is his first CDI, and he's getting to be on a panel. That is so awesome.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

And hold on, let me bounce back just for a second to the first panel because I don't want to gloss over that.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

So on the CE Pro 100 panel, there's Michael Restrepo from Restrepo Innovations, Andres Klein from Maxicon. Andres and Tom Clancy from Audio Command Systems.

SPEAKER_01 17:01

Not that Tom Clancy. Tom, shout out.

SPEAKER_02 17:06

Oh, that's very exciting.

SPEAKER_00 17:08

Yes, we're going to talk about things that we are doing in business to continue to grow over time. Just kind of a high-level discussion.

SPEAKER_01 17:17

And listen, people that attend that, that's going to be a really good one because Andres and their company, which is out of Miami, they just opened a location. They purchased a location in Madrid. Yes, in Madrid, Spain. So you talk about like expansion. That's expanding. Yeah, that's expanding. And Audio Command like literally deals with the entire Northeast. All of it.

SPEAKER_02 17:42

So and then now we have Michelle representing Sound Vision and Sound Decisions. All right. So that's cool. And so did I also hear you're presenting an award?

SPEAKER_01 17:53

Well, I'm hoping to. I'm actually not presenting the award. I am introducing and presenting a potential awardee.

SPEAKER_02 18:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:04

Who would that be? I've got it written down somewhere, Andrew. Let me get back to you.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

It's Michelle. It's Michelle.

SPEAKER_01 18:15

So my panel ends at the exact same time that the awards begins. And it evidently is, I mean, it's not like that far, but you gotta get through the whole thing and you gotta get down some stairs into a ballroom and it's gonna be a lot of people and blah, blah, blah. So it's a very razor thin margin.

SPEAKER_02 18:35

You're wearing your running shoes that day.

SPEAKER_01 18:37

Oh, I've got cool shoes. Part of your new style. Yeah. Yeah, cool shoes, yeah. So anywho, but we've got a backup just in case, right?

SPEAKER_00 18:47

Hopefully. Simpson said he will get on stage if he needs to. He said I put him next to me at the JVC table in the show.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

He's getting lunch like regardless.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

I have to drag him up there.

SPEAKER_01 18:57

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So he won't be eating like the hot dog and potato chip, you know.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

Oh, he totally would.

SPEAKER_01 19:04

He's getting a $75 lunch instead. So he'll be there just for that.

SPEAKER_02 19:09

Well, I think it's pretty impressive circling

Wrap Up And Follow-Up Plans

SPEAKER_02 19:12

back to why we keep going back, that you guys have gone from just attending the show to now being on panels, receiving awards. I think that is just a huge accomplishment in itself.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

So And I do want to shout out before we go, Eric Crawford, who for a second year in a row, I'm gonna be co-teaching his class, which is process, process, process, which comes full circle because that's how I met him. I took that class like 10 years ago, and that's how we met each other and have been very good friends since. And it's the last time that's gonna be offered.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

I'm not sure why I got to get that story, but I hope you have AI notes on that class because I would love to read it when you're done. All right.

SPEAKER_01 19:49

We'll be plotting it.

SPEAKER_02 19:50

Always ready. See, he's got his AI handle. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

He's gonna put it in a holstery under his mind. Oh, geez, yeah. I got it covered.

SPEAKER_02 19:58

Absolutely. Like, sir, what is in your jacket? Well, I know myself, and I'm sure the rest of the team are very excited to hear about you guys' trip while you're there and to hear if there's any potential new products that we can integrate into our market.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

So we will definitely update. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

I was gonna say we'll have to do a follow-up episode. Absolutely. All right, well, safe travels and can't wait to hear about it.

SPEAKER_00 20:26

Thank you, Andrew.

SPEAKER_02 20:26

Thanks, Andrew.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Bye-bye.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

Thanks for joining us for Simplifying Life Through Technology. To learn more about Sound Vision, visit our website at Soundvision Lakenorman.com. You can follow us on X at Soundvision LKN. Find us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube at Soundvision LLC.