CEDIA Communicates magazine - Quarter 4 2020 - EMEA

QUARTER 4 2020

BOUTIQUE AV: A GLOBAL WIN FOR AN AUSTRALIAN FIRM I AM CEDIA: MICHAEL HEISS, LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT THE BEST OF THE EXPO EXPERIENCE

Every Industry has its gold standard

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CONTENTS

CEDIA: 8 IMeetAM the recipient of this year’s Lifetime

Art Deco Delights 12 Boutique AV took a global win with this

Propel 22 CEDIA Discover how CEDIA’s new affinity

Recaps 34 Expo Details on what you may have missed from

Achievement Award, Michael Heiss

programme can accelerate your business

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The Psychology of Success Two business strategists on the mindset you need to succeed

2020 CEDIA Awards 18 The No in-person celebrations? No problem

incredible media room

the Virtual CEDIA Expo Experience

Q&A 30 PDAC Meet Mal Fisher, Chair of CEDIA’s Professional Development Advisory Council

Any Upturn 52 Leveraging A recap of the Business Recovery Planning 2.0 webinar

Information 26 Certification A dive into the development of the new CEDIA Certifications

Versus Should 54 Shall The fundamental difference between “standards” and “best practices” CEDIA COMMUNICATES

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A NOTE FROM THE EDITORS Thanks for opening up this issue of Communicates. Ed Wenck here, CEDIA’s Content Director. I’m “co-managing editor” along with CEDIA’s James Bliss, EMEA Brand and Communications Manager.

The publication you’re reading means a lot to us. We’re constantly refining the content and the manner in which it’s presented so that Communicates makes for an entertaining and informative read.

And we’re lucky in this regard: When it comes to finding content, you all make it easy for us.

CONTACT 8475 Nightfall Lane, Fishers, Indiana 46037 USA Email: info@cedia.org Telephone: +1 800.669.5329 Unit 2, Phoenix Park, St Neots Cambridgeshire, PE19 8EP, UK Email: info@cedia.co.uk Telephone: +44 (0)1480 213744 www.cedia.net

SOCIAL

FRONT COVER Boutique AV Unit 18 / 137-145 Rooks Rd Nunawading Victoria 3131 Australia +61 1300 933 933 boutiqueav.com.au

COPYRIGHT All material in Communicates is the copyright of CEDIA and any reproduction of said material would require written permission from the association. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of content published, CEDIA cannot accept responsibility for any factual errors that may occur. CEDIA cannot accept responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors.

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Let’s start with the project profiles we feature in these pages.

One look at the Bespoke Art Deco Media Room — a multiple CEDIA Award-winning project that picked up a global accolade for the Australian firm Boutique AV — and you know there’s a great story behind that space.

How about our Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 2020, Michael Heiss? If you’ve met Mike — heck, even if you’ve just seen him in that impossible-to-miss blazer — you know that the tales he’ll tell will be priceless.

There’s info inside that we think you’ll find useful when it comes to managing your business — as always, we want this quarterly to be more than just a fun read. We want it to be another resource for you as a member. We’ve included stories on leadership techniques, advice on navigating the current economic rollercoaster, and a piece on the “Psychology of Success” — changing your mindset to grow your business despite a downturn.

You’ll also find recaps of the Expo Online Experience and the virtual CEDIA Awards shows, and we tell you about some pretty exciting developments when it comes to CEDIA’s efforts to update our all-important Certifications, as well as our new affinity programme, Propel.

By the way, if you’ve got a story idea, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line. You can reach me at ewenck@cedia.org.

Thanks again for reading. And thanks for being part of CEDIA. All the best,

Ed Wenck Content Director, CEDIA

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NEWS IN BRIEF CEDIA Appoints Interim Co-CEOs CEDIA has announced that Giles Sutton, Senior Vice President of Member Success and Sales and Kory Dickerson, Senior Vice President of Operations, will step up to take over as Interim Co-CEOs, replacing Tabatha O’Connor who departs the Association in January.

“The appointment of Interim Co-CEOs, elevated from within CEDIA's Senior Management Team, sends a strong message of continuity, experience, and leadership to the CEDIA community,” says CEDIA Board Chair, Rob Sutherland. “Giles and Kory have been part of a staff team that has worked tirelessly in response to the COVID-19 crisis to help members stay informed and connected. Together, they have a depth of operational and financial expertise, industry awareness,

Giles Sutton

and valuable experience in member engagement that can continue to take CEDIA forward until the time a new CEO is appointed.”

Sutton has led the drive for increasing member engagement around the world, facilitating strong partnerships across the industry, and delivering value-add initiatives and programs for CEDIA members. Before joining CEDIA, he spent 13 years as an integrator and served as Chair on the CEDIA EMEA Board, prior to global alignment, and later Treasurer and Vice Chair of the CEDIA Global Board. During this time, he has also represented CEDIA members on the Membership Advisory Council and the Governance and Finance Committees.

As Senior Vice President of Operations, Dickerson has been responsible for the worldwide finance and accounting, human resources, and administrative operations at CEDIA, having previously been Senior Director of Finance at the organisation. Before CEDIA, Dickerson Kory Dickerson worked for more

than seven years at the healthcare insurance company, Anthem, Inc. There, he first held the position of Portfolio Director within the IT organisation before promotion to Director of Corporate Accounting and Analysis, where he led the Telecom Sourcing and Accounting and Analysis teams for six years. Additionally, Dickerson served as Controller and Chief Accounting Officer of a financial services organisation and as a Manager with the global professional services firm, Deloitte.

Sutton and Dickerson will collaborate closely with the CEDIA Board Executive Committee, the CEDIA Board and global CEDIA Staff, operating with clearly defined responsibilities in their new roles. Their focus will remain the implementation of the CEDIA strategic plan with its pillars around education, workforce development, and cross-industry collaboration.

CEDIA is committed to developing and delivering educational pathways alongside standards, guidelines, and best practices to support the goal of building a professional and well-trained workforce; creating new talent that will enable the industry to grow; and reaching out beyond the industry to help build awareness of CEDIA members.

2021-2022 Elected Director Positions on CEDIA Board CEDIA has announced four new elected directors who will serve on the CEDIA Board of Directors for the 2021-2022 term. Michael Sherman was elected to fill the open EMEA position and Shannon Bush, Albert Mizrahi, and Eddie Shapiro were elected to fill the open positions for the rest of the world.

"The four elected directors bring to the table a wealth of knowledge, an infusion of new ideas, and a track record of dedication to the industry,” says CEDIA Board of Directors Chairman, Rob Sutherland. “CEDIA membership, the industry, and the world continue to evolve and the CEDIA Board of Directors is rising to the challenges. We welcome Michael, Shannon, Albert, and Eddie to their two-year terms and look forward to getting to work with them on behalf of the members and the association.”

The two-year terms of the newly-elected directors will begin from 1st January 2021. cedia.net/leadership

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Eddie Shapiro

Michael Sherman

Shannon Bush

Albert Mizrahi

CEDIA Launches Career Center CEDIA has opened the tap on the industry job search and recruiting pipeline with a new tool for jobseekers and employers. The CEDIA Career Center will offer an intuitive and robust platform to help showcase available jobs and talent in the industry.

“The workforce pipeline is a crucial element to the industry’s present and future and the launch of the CEDIA Career Center represents a major milestone in CEDIA’s tireless efforts to ensure highly-qualified talent is engaged with the industry and connecting with employers,” said CEDIA Director of Workforce Development, Tommy Tabor. “The CEDIA Career Center offers practical, easy-to-use resources for anyone looking for work in the industry or anyone hiring. The platform is the latest valuable tool designed by CEDIA to deliver the opportunities, training, and connections to drive the industry to the next level.”

Jobseekers, CEDIA members, industry employers, and collaborator companies will be able to handle the following tasks on the new CEDIA Career Center: • Create a customisable company profile that includes a company logo, overview, social media links, and more.

• Post open positions, including internships, apprenticeships, and contractor/gig work.

• Search candidate profiles and CVs. • View resources on topics such as talent attraction, recruitment, development, advancement, and termination.

• Create a personal profile for jobseekers to showcase their professional information, including CVs and references.

• Apply for jobs with CEDIA member and collaborator employers.

• Review jobseeker resources on topics including employability skills, CV development, job search assistance, interviewing skills, skills training, and more. careers.cedia.net

CEDIASTRONG Scholarship Fund CEDIA has announced the establishment of the CEDIASTRONG Scholarship Fund. CEDIA will begin accepting donations with the intent to award education grants in 2021 to up and coming home technology talent: high school graduates, community college and vocational school students, as well as displaced techs who are keen to build their skills and careers in the smart and connected home space. With more consumers working from home, demand for home technology is escalating. Integration companies across the globe are going to need technical professionals at all levels to meet this rising demand.

CEDIASTRONG Scholarship grants will cover CEDIA Academy and Bootcamp tuition fees as well as supplemental expenses for certification testing and travel.

CEDIA will begin awarding scholarships in 2021.

The CEDIA Academy has been built in tandem with improvements to the CEDIA certification programme, and with industry standards in mind. By combining these important areas, CEDIA is able to ensure that learners are equipped with effective exam preparation and ultimately, professional accreditation.

The CEDIASTRONG Scholarship Fund is an important capstone to the overall CEDIASTRONG campaign that the association implemented on a global scale earlier this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the last several months, CEDIASTRONG has been a rallying cry for the industry, bolstered by virtual events, roundtable discussions, and webinars to empower dealers with new tools to help them build skills and their businesses. To date, thousands of members have participated in CEDIASTRONG events and accessed CEDIASTRONG resources. cedia.net/cediastrong

CEDIA Recognises Exemplary Volunteers CEDIA has announced three 2020 CEDIA Volunteer of the Year honourees.

The awards spotlight contributions that enhance, develop, and refine the global organisation’s programmes and offerings. Selected from nominations by CEDIA staff, the honourees are recognised in three categories: new volunteer, education volunteer, and overall volunteer.

“Volunteers altruistically drive our industry and the success of the CEDIA organisation in a myriad of ways, giving up valuable commodities, time, and knowledge,” says CEDIA Vice President of Engagement and Global Development, Wendy Griffiths. “Stuart, Janeen, and Peter represent the selflessness and generosity that are hallmarks of our industry. We deeply appreciate their contributions to CEDIA and we thank the many volunteers who give countless hours of dedication and expertise to make the industry better for us all.”

The 2020 CEDIA Volunteer Award winners are: • Volunteer of the Year — Stuart Robertson, Australia-based Sound Living • Education Volunteer of the Year — Janeen Gaskins, United States-based G.A.S.K.I.N.S. Charity • New Volunteer of the Year — Peter Trauth, United States-based Nirvana Home Entertainment “This year's three Volunteers of the Year showcase what our industry is all about: exceptional service,” says CEDIA Global Member Services Manager, Jenn McGuire. “From dedication to business development causes to enhancing educational opportunities to efforts involving volunteer recruitment and certification, Stuart, Janeen, and Peter poured themselves into their volunteerism.

We thank the honourees for their commitment and we're grateful for the efforts of all volunteers who give their time and energy.” cedia.net/volunteer

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that can help: Simply put, one needs to move from “planning” to “preparing.” “Most of us are great planners,” she explains. “If you're an integrator, you get the lay of the land in a certain city: there are X amount of homes over $X million, for example. But now, the variables are still emerging. So we've got to shift our mindset of how we think about business planning to business preparation.”

“The question around the executive team table should not be, ‘Is this a good idea?’ The question is, ‘What has to be true for this to be a good idea?’” Then, the process becomes fairly straightforward, according to Rebecca: “As a team, you write down those variables. Rank those variables in order from most important to least important and go down then one by one and say, is this true? If you look at those variables and you say, I feel pretty comfortable that this world will emerge, we can proceed.”

Positive/Negative Asymmetry

The Psychology of Success Two business strategists on the mindset you need to succeed – especially when things are tough

D

r. Rebecca Homkes has a blunt bit of wisdom for those running a business: “Your opinion doesn't matter.

“Only the market opinions matter.”

It’s a hard bit of reality at any time, but especially during a downturn, when the notion of “predictability” has essentially vanished. And it’s one of the key pieces of Rebecca’ strategic guideline called “Survive, Reset, Thrive,” which proceeds from the premise that, yes, you can actually grow your business when market forces have gone negative.

But in order to get there, you’ve got to reassess your mental approach.

Rebecca — a high-growth strategy specialist and lecturer at the London Business School — talks about a shift in thinking

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Jason Griffing, Director of Product at OneVision Resources, has a take on how we process that data in the first place. “There’s a term in psychology known as a positive/ negative asymmetry, and that's just a fancy way of saying that as human beings, we are very drawn to solving problems,” he says.

(To really simplify it, bad things impact our brains more than good things.)

“That’s not inherently a bad thing,” explains Jason, “but if we're not deliberate and mindful about our approach, what this can lead to is a myopic focus on fixing problems. And that often comes at the expense of zooming out a little bit and saying, ‘Hey, what is working?

Where are the places in our organisation where we are having success? And what can we learn about where that's happening?’”

Jason gives a concrete illustration: “You might have an individual who is particularly good at selling service plans, for example. And if you're focusing all of your energy on the people who aren't even including that plan in the proposal and kind of bashing them over the head and trying to fix that problem, and you're completely ignoring where it is working well.”

The next step? “Ask yourself how can we replicate and scale what’s working — maybe that individual has found successful hacks to the conversation. Maybe they have a really creative way of framing it or presenting it in the proposal. And if you can go dig into those bright spots and figure out what is it about this individual that's driving that success, you'll find that that's a great way to propagate those best practices out across the organisation.”

Rebecca and Jason have a lot more to say on this subject and several others: Rebecca is a guest on the CEDIA podcast “Survive, Reset, Thrive” and Jason appears on the episode “Creating Lasting Change.”

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CEDIA COMMUNICATES

Michael Heiss A conversation with the 2020 CEDIA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient — longtime CEDIA volunteer, board member, and proud owner of that Outrageously Wild Jacket What got you interested in this business in the first place? How did you fall into this thing, Mike?

It started in high school — I was on the AV Squad. Today it would be the Nerd Herd.

When I got out of college, one of the fellows in our programme was getting married. He went down to Brazil for the wedding, to his then new bride. He said, “Hey, Mike, you want to take over for me at my gig?”

That was for a company called Computer Television, which was the inventor of in-room hotel movies. At that point, pay TV was in its infancy. We hardwired 15 Hilton hotels, including the Conrad Hilton, now the Chicago Hilton, which was then the largest hotel in the world. We ran RG 59 coax to every one of the 3,281 rooms in that hotel. Thankfully, I didn't do the installation, but the planning helped me learn to make sure that the union installers didn't drill through the marble floors or the woodwork. That’s served me well.

In order to do the other part of that job, I did film to tape transfers. I worked in conjunction with one of the local production houses in New York and supervised the film transfers.

Then they offered me a job and said, “Hey, you know this, you want to help us start a home

video company?”

After my time there, a friend of mine from college offered me a job in the advertising and promotion department of NBC. Hopefully there'll be an Expo next year and we'll have a couple of drinks and I'll tell you the stories I can’t tell you here.

You joined Harman in 1988. CEDIA essentially begins with the first show in Florida in 1989. You were there at the beginning, right?

Well, actually, before that, the first formative meeting was at the old Summer CES (Consumer Electronics Show). We met in a steamy humid Chicago June afternoon, after the show.

The next meeting was at the Sahara in Las Vegas. We had many more people. The biggest thing about that meeting was to decide what the heck to call the damn thing.

So we spent half a day until the late John Sternberg, who was a great mediator for this said, “Stop it. Here's what we're going to call it: Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association, CEDIA.” Amelia Island was the first CEDIA Expo.

It was mostly table tops.

CEDIA CEDIA COMMUNICATES

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Images top and bottom courtesy of PWP Studio Staff

These two things dovetail into each other, right? Your experience at Harman and your experience with CEDIA?

What I did for CEDIA, even though I was one of the educators, I learned stuff that I was able to take back into my roles when I ran Harman Video or later as the vice president of marketing for Harman Kardon.

It was definitely something where CEDIA was a benefit to me, both where I helped CEDIA and the things I learned at CEDIA were able to help me make better business decisions. Not as a designer/ integrator, but as a product manager — I was able to learn from the CEDIA members that I dealt with to give them the merchandise and products that did what they wanted so that we could all make money.

I think the Tech Council and the way that it helps keep the membership informed is maybe one of the most important things I’ve helped achieve.

MICHAEL HEISS

You've spent a lot of time as a volunteer with CEDIA and on the board. What accomplishments throughout that experience are you really proud of?

During the time that I was on the board, as well as my continued involvement in CEDIA, we went back and forth across the way the organisation was organised, where we had separate, regional associations: CEDIA this, CEDIA that, and CEDIA somewhere else. That was cool because I got to go to a lot of places.

But the international expansion with CEDIA — which I was part of in a very small degree — was important. There were things that we did that people laugh at now. Fortunately, not too many people remember the CEDIA Dome. The idea for that was, “Let's have an outreach to designers and architects.” So we spent a significant amount of money to build a really cool exhibit. It didn't work out in terms of its impact the way we wanted it to.

But it proved that we had to reach out to the home builders, the architects, the designers. It laid the foundations for the outreach that CEDIA does do now to those communities, which has been very successful.

The other thing is the Tech Council. I'm a big fan of letting people know what they need to know as soon as they can possibly know it, from root sources. I think the Tech Council and the way that it helps keep the membership informed is maybe one of the most important things I’ve helped achieve.

How has your family shaped your trajectory through this career?

@captnvid

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michaelheiss.com

I have a very understanding wife. In fact, my wife Leslie is an architect. As an architect, a member of the AIA, she was very familiar with the awards process and she helped CEDIA get their judging system to where it is today. I benefit by having her at my side and so does CEDIA.

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PROJECT PROFILE

AN ART DECO MASTERPIECE

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Boutique AV's "Bespoke Art Deco" Media Room won multiple 2020 CEDIA Awards, including a Global win for Best Media Room

B

outique AV from Melbourne, Australia, managed a spectacular feat at the 2020 CEDIA Awards — the firm won seven awards in total; making them the highest awarded company in this year's CEDIA awards globally. Five of which are for a single project, their “Bespoke Art Deco Media Room.” This masterpiece won Best Media Room Level II, Best Lighting, Best Documentation, and Technology Meets Design in the Asia Pacific region, as well as picking up the Global Media Room trophy. It's the best in the world, and it's easy to see why.

The Director at Boutique AV, Reuben Rego, outlined the team's performance objectives and the process for this project. Some highlights noted: “The initial performance objective stemmed from ‘Mr. Client.’ He was looking to work from home more frequently and expressed an interest in replicating his three-screen computer station at the office (on a larger scale). He further thought this design could seamlessly cater to the media requirements of the two other family members in the home, his wife and son, to be able to creatively watch TV together as a family, or allow each family member the ability to view their own content. After consulting with each family member to identify their AV use cases and cross-referencing their requirements, we complied a unique functionality brief. Our team then pressed on designing an 84inch Tri-Display with a well thought through AV system.”

“The family can now watch and listen to a matrix of options through the surround-sound system or on one of three dedicated headphones, which can be individually switched to any AV source they are interested in watching or listening. A dedicated custom-built PC has been installed as a secondary input to the displays, to meet the professional use cases that Mr. Client specified.”

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PROJECT PROFILE

“The next performance objective was the overall room design with 'Mrs. Client,' who has a beautiful design eye for her Victorian-style home. After many architects attempted to work with Mrs. Client to design her Art Deco themed room, Mrs. Client was left with no solutions that satisfied her. Our in-house design team was ordered to assist. Our knowledge of Art Deco was not vast. Still, our creativity and lateral thinking alongside Mrs. Client allowed us to collaborate passionately to draft Art Deco design concepts for the room and our technologies, that brought this room to life.”

“We also had to consider the client's age and familiarity with technology solutions. The clients requested that the control interface be straightforward and visually easy to navigate. The iPad user interface solution that we arrived at was built entirely in-house through our graphics and software team. This interface was built from the ground up, which involved timely Art Deco style boarding and software engineering.”

“Through our teams' close workings with Mrs. Client on designing the room, we had a unique opportunity to bring the room to life through creative lighting concepts. Mrs. Client was very keen on having immersive, colourful lighting features to be used in some areas of the room. Since she didn't want to be left with the same colours every day, she asked if we could make it animated and attractive. We chose MA Lighting for this application, as it is second to none in terms of its programming capabilities. This is a system that is generally reserved for running Olympic opening ceremonies,

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Media Room Level II

Best Lighting

Best Documentation

Technology Meets Design

“This interface was built from the ground up, which involved timely Art Deco style boarding and software engineering.”

or the Superbowl halftime show, but has the ability to scale down to a smaller application like ours. The system has a variety of lighting shows stored for the media room that run each night automatically, also allowing favourites to be selected from our bespoke iPad interface. The building façade lights also run every night, and have specially scheduled shows in the media room for Easter, Christmas, and NYE, along with exclusive shows for Summer or Winter months.”

CEDIA's judges noted immediately that this media room, with its fantastically intuitive user interface, clever audio delivery, sound isolation applications, and brilliant — pun intended — lighting solutions, was as they put it, “SUPER creative.”

@BoutiqueAV boutiqueav.com.au CEDIA Member Since 2015

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Kickstart the Economy and Your Business As I write this article, there are more than an 602,000 unemployed young people (16-24-year-olds) in the UK. According to the latest parliamentary briefing paper, the COVID pandemic increased youth unemployment to 14.6%, compared to 4.8% for the whole UK population. In September, the UK Government responded by announcing it was putting £2 billion into a new “Kickstart” scheme, aimed at creating thousands of 6-month job placements for young people.

What is the Kickstart Scheme?

Aneta Armova-Levin EMEA Education Manager, CEDIA

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This scheme is specifically designed to reduce youth unemployment by helping employers hire them into new, temporary positions to expand their business, and drive the UK’s economic recovery. To qualify, employers must demonstrate that the position to be filled is additional, not replacing any existing or planned vacancies. Qualified businesses will get up to £6,500 to take in young job seekers, give them six months of work experience, and teach them the skills employers expect from every permanent employee. The scheme will cover National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week (although the employer can offer and fund more hours on their own), plus National Insurance contributions, and pension contributions normally covered by employers. In addition, £1,500 of the scheme’s funding is specifically designated toward jobrelated training and qualifications.

Why should you get involved?

The scheme is like a “try before you buy” programme for employers, letting you get a new hire trained and test their suitability with no commitment to a full-time job offer.

There is no obligation to offer permanent employment if the person is not right for your business, yet you could use government funding to find and train your next star employee. Not only will that funding help give them the skills necessary for the job, making them more useful to your business, but instil a sense of pride and loyalty to your company. If you DO decide to keep the young person in your business, you could get an additional up to £3,000 when you enrol them into our industry apprenticeship — check out cedia.net for more info on the UK Smart Home Technician Apprenticeship.

How Can CEDIA Help?

CEDIA is here to help you: we are absolutely committed to bringing in and supporting new talent within our industry, and we strive to break the stigma often associated with skilled trades. CEDIA is acting as a gateway between the government and the employers who would like to participate in the scheme.

We will not only get you started by applying on your behalf, but we will also help you to train your new hires by creating a career skills package tailored to this programme as well as offer basic industry related training.

Email me at alevin@cedia.org and we will be happy to get you started!

You know how to use it before you even touch it

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The 2020 CEDIA Awards One night, three virtual celebrations, and dozens of trophies for CEDIA’s finest Despite a worldwide pandemic, the CEDIA Awards went on — a little later than usual, and very much online.

The 2020 Awards all hit the CEDIA HQ YouTube channel as “live” premieres at various times on Thursday 8th October, with regional shows dropping in the Asia Pacific, EMEA, and Americas regions.

Hosting duties were split across the shows. The Asia Pacific programme featured the dynamic duo of Paul Skelton, the association’s Regional Development Consultant for Australia and New Zealand and CEDIA’s Vice President of Engagement and Global Development, Wendy Griffiths. CEDIA EMEA Managing Director, Matt Nimmons, hosted that region’s show, and CEDIA’s Interim Co-CEO, Giles Sutton, handled duties for the Americas.

Giles had this to say regarding the shows: “Once again, the innovative spirit and technical brilliance of CEDIA members were on display in grand fashion as we saluted the 2020 CEDIA Awards winners. The high level of work — submitted in the face of a global pandemic — continues to elevate the industry to new heights. CEDIA member integrators, manufacturers, distributors, and thought leaders should be duly proud of their accomplishments and we were honoured to provide a sparkling, global platform to honour them at the CEDIA Awards virtual celebration.”

Besides stunning projects, the

shows featured vignettes highlighting everything from advice from CEDIA’s thought leaders to CEDIASTRONG stories of firms pitching in to help during the pandemic — making masks, providing high-tech solutions to hospitals and food suppliers, and folks who volunteered to fight fires during the other crisis that befell Australia earlier on in 2020.

There were cocktails, too. As a way of thanking the evening’s sponsors, some classic recipes were adjusted for a series of boozy tie-ins. (Example: The classic “Sazerac” cocktail became the “Savanterac” for the evening.) Tom Faden of local cocktail bar “Bears and Tales” handled the pours with dizzying speed for the EMEA and Asia Pacific bar scenes, while bourbon expert, Meredith Barry, served as mixologist for the Americas.

Big Winners

A number of firms scored massive hauls. Some examples: The team from the UK firm, SONA, walked away with an entire case full of EMEA trophies for a single project, dubbed “The I’s Have It.” Awards included: Integrated Home Level III, Best Dressed Rack, Best Documentation, Best Lighting, Life Lived Best at Home, and a Global win for Best Integrated Home.

In the Asia Pacific region, the team from Boutique AV had a spectacular run themselves, winning Best Media

Room Level II, Best Documentation, Best Lighting, and Technology Meets Design trophies for the “Bespoke Art Deco Media Room,” which you can find on pages 10-13. That project also took the Global Award for Best Media Room. Another project by Boutique AV, “Advanced Hilltop Living,” won APAC Best Integrated Home Level II and the Life Lived Best at Home Awards.

California’s AudioVisions submitted a brilliant project called “The Best of Everything,” a massive job that focussed on wellness as much as entertainment.

The integration at work — designed to help sell a $40 million residence in SoCal — won Americas' Best Integrated Home Level IV, Technology Meets Design, and Life Lived Best at Home Awards, too.

Another California firm, Audio Images, continued a tremendous run of Global Awards for their work. After winning worldwide acclaim for their work on media rooms the past two years, 2020 saw the team pick up both Best Home Cinema, Level III, Americas; and the Best Global Home Cinema trophies.

Manufacturer and product awards rounded out the shows, along with recognition of this year’s CEDIA Fellow, Dennis Erskine, and this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Michael Heiss.

You can find recordings of all three shows on the CEDIA HQ YouTube channel, and a complete list of winners and finalists at cediaawards.org.

CEDIA COMMUNICATES

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2020 Honourees EMEA Home Cinema Level 1

Sound Sense

Winner Winner

Home Cinema Level 2 Cyberhomes Intuitive Homes & Ultamation

Winner

Integrated Home Level 2

Henri

Winner

Integrated Home Level 2

Awicon Technologies

Integrated Home Level 1

Integrated Home Level 3

SONA*

Integrated Home Level 3

Perfect Integration

Highly Commended Winner Highly Commended

Media Room Level 1

MEGA AV Installation

Media Room Level 2

Perfect Integration

Winner Winner

Multiple Dwelling Unit

Perfect Integration

Winner

Best Dressed Rack

SONA

Winner

Best Documentation

SONA

Winner

Best Documentation

Perfect Integration

Highly Commended

Best Documentation

Sound Sense

Highly Commended

Best Lighting System

SONA

Winner

Technology Meets Design

Henri

Winner

Life Lived Best at Home

SONA

Winner

APAC Auto/Marine/Aircraft

Liquid Automation

Winner

Home Cinema Level 2

The Digital Picture

Winner

Home Cinema Level 3

McCormick Concepts

Winner

Integrated Home Level 1

Argus Technologies

Winner

Integrated Home Level 2

Boutique AV

Integrated Home Level 2

Electronic Living

Winner

Integrated Home Level 3

Len Wallis Audio

Winner

Integrated Home Level 4

Shanghai Sentiment

Winner Winner

Highly Commended

Media Room Level 1

The Digital Picture

Media Room Level 2

Boutique AV*

Winner

Showroom

Wired Life

Winner

Best Dressed Rack

The Digital Picture

Winner

Best Documentation

Boutique AV

Winner

Best Lighting System

Boutique AV

Innovative System or Solution Liquid Automation

Winner Winner

Technology Meets Design

Boutique AV

Winner

Life Lived Best at Home

Boutique AV

Winner

Americas Home Cinema Level 1

La Scala

Winner

Home Cinema Level 2

Thoughtful Integrations

Winner

Home Cinema Level 3

Audio Images*

Home Cinema Level 3

Audio Images

Winner

Integrated Home Level 1

Graytek Winner

Integrated Home Level 1

Smartlab

Integrated Home Level 1

Land & Sea Entertainment Highly Commended

Highly Commended Highly Commended

Integrated Home Level 2

La Scala

Integrated Home Level 2

Wicked Smart Homes

Highly Commended

Winner Highly Commended

Integrated Home Level 2

Union Place

Integrated Home Level 3

Land & Sea Entertainment

Integrated Home Level 3

All Digital LLC

Integrated Home Level 4

AudioVisions Winner

Winner Highly Commended

Integrated Home Level 4

Admin One Home Systems Highly Commended

Integrated Home Level 4

Cantara

Highly Commended

Media Room Level 1

Union Place

Highly Commended

Media Room Level 2 Cantara Media Room Level 2

Winner

Land & Sea Entertainment Highly Commended

Multiple Dwelling Unit Smartlab

Winner

Showroom

Cinegration Winner

Showroom

Echo Systems

Highly Commended

Showroom

Quality Audio Video

Highly Commended

Best Dressed Rack

Audio Images

Winner

Best Integrated Home | Global

SONA Best Home Cinema | Global

Audio Images

Best Documentation

Admit One Home Systems

Winner

Best Media Room | Global

Best Lighting System

La Scala

Winner

Boutique AV

Innovative System or Solution Cantara Winner

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*GLOBAL WINNERS

Technology Meets Design

AudioVisions Winner

Life Lived Best at Home

AudioVisions Winner

CEDIA COMMUNICATES

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CEDIA Launches Propel, a New Affinity Programme

C

EDIA has announced the launch of CEDIA Propel, an affinity programme designed to connect members to new brands and products in emerging categories.

CEDIA’s integrator members will receive preferential pricing and product training across all brands enrolled in Propel. The Propel programme will enable current CEDIA manufacturer members to drive adoption of their most innovative products and services, while also attracting new brands to the CI channel.

Propel is open to all manufacturer members, existing and new, providing a whole new platform to connect and engage with CEDIA integrators.

CEDIA Interim Co-CEO, Giles Sutton notes, “A recent survey found that

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CEDIA COMMUNICATES

47% of our members are seeking new products and services to add to their portfolios to bolster revenue potential, but more than 50% were struggling to make those connections and negotiate new deals. We prioritised creating a business affinity programme that will connect manufacturer members, as well as new brands, with our CEDIA integrator members and the support and distribution networks in each market, aiming to raise the tide across the entire industry.”

“Propel is the right programme at the right time for our industry,” said cyberManor, Inc. Founder and President, Gordon van Zuiden. “At cyberManor, we know we need to think beyond core applications like AV, lighting, and security to remain competitive. Propel will provide new vendor relationships and expertise in emerging categories. These are the kind

of relationships that allow us to be whole home integrators, anticipating and fulfilling all of our clients' technology needs.”

CEDIA launches Propel with both leading and emerging brands in the world of IoT and the explosive growth category of health and wellness: Amazon, Ring, Bryte, and Immersive Gym. Immersive Gym has developed a way to deliver ultra-wide content dynamically to users as they train on rowing machines, treadmills, and stationary bikes — offering integrators a way to create immersive training experiences for their customers.

CEDIA global members are the only group of integrators that have access to the Immersive Gym product in the residential channel and additionally, Immersive Gym is offering a free WaterRower to CEDIA members as

“Propel will provide new vendor relationships and expertise in emerging categories.�

GORDON VAN ZUIDEN, CYBERMANOR, INC.

an offer to their clients to promote the concept of connected content and exercise equipment.

Amazon is offering CEDIA integrator members in the U.S. access to preferred pricing on select Echo and Ring devices, with deep discounts of up to 25% off when ordered through Amazon Business. Through the Propel programme, CEDIA members will benefit from additional savings on select Echo or Ring products in their customer

projects. Amazon also recently launched Amazon ProPortal to provide a one-stop shop for information on their devices.

Bryte has designed an AI smart bed to optimise restorative sleep. Through Propel, CEDIA integrators can add a smart sleep solution to their offering, a perfect addition to their smart home line-up. As part of the programme, CEDIA integrators in the U.S. will receive 20% commission of the retail price of the Bryte Restorative Bed

purchased. Additionally, member customers will receive free shipping and white glove delivery by Bryte, which is not included in general online orders.

CEDIA is working hard to continue to develop the Propel programme, including mechanisms to connect new brands in the channel to appropriate distribution and support partners, based on regional market nuance, as well as broadening the offering of new brands for integrator members across the globe.

Participation in the Propel programme is open to all CEDIA members.

Companies interested in learning how to participate in the programme should reach out to the CEDIA membership team at member@cedia.org or by phone at 800.669.5329. Visit the CEDIA website to register at cedia.net/propel.

CEDIA COMMUNICATES

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Leading with Emotional Intelligence Understanding “EQ,” the “IQ” of Emotional Maturity I don’t know what this year’s experience has been like for you, but for me, it’s been a confusing, fast moving rollercoaster of events.

We have turned to the internet for work, social interaction, reassurance, entertainment, and often just to occupy our minds with anything that relieves us from the nagging worry of ongoing crisis and all it entails. As a result, we have placed ourselves on a quickpaced treadmill, but in this case, the treadmill is on loop with our survival depending on our ability to keep up with its pace.

People often choose one of three paths when faced with difficult circumstances: freeze, fight, or flight. For the first time in my life, I’ve seen many attempting a combination of all three to try to carve out some semblance of control.

This is when we as leaders need to understand the profound significance of leading our teams with Emotional Intelligence (EQ), even when we ourselves are grappling with our own very real challenges.

The nature of our current situation forced us to produce and perform without having the proper time and resources to successfully get through the phase of preparing our people for crisis. Good leaders know this is exactly what you should avoid at all costs. This has caused our followers to feel unsettled and confused, not knowing exactly what to focus on, if “good enough” is OK for now, and wondering if their jobs are going to be secure

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CEDIA COMMUNICATES

Samantha Ventura Vice President of Education and Training, CEDIA

“Negative opinions are good to share if you are also willing to rally together to come to a better understanding of the pathway(s) to solutions.”

if they are performing them “differently” than they were before. All of this has resulted in disenchantment and anger within organisations, even those who typically foster transparency and open collaboration.

Right now, your teams do not need another spreadsheet, reminder email, or meeting, they need you to show up, be present, listen to them, share their worries and concerns, and, quite simply, care. This crisis is pulling back the many layers of leadership, and revealing the leaders who can communicate, show empathy, rally teams with positive influence, all the while reassuring them that all is going to be OK. As leaders, we can always get better at EQ. Here’s how: 1. Reflect often. How can you bridge employees’ differences of opinion, workloads, and conversations? Zoom out, think from the perspective of each, and work to strengthen good resolutions, without taking the side of one over the other unless absolutely necessary.

2. Support those in personal crisis.

People are experiencing sicknesses, children schooling at home, worry over elderly parents, and in some cases, even deaths in the family. If you can afford to buy a gift card for them to order dinner, do that, and tell them to log off and enjoy some free time with their families. Or, if you can’t do that, let them log off without the gift card, but with your thanks and wish for them to have a worry free evening.

3. Encourage dialogue. Negative opinions are good to share if you are also willing to rally together to come to a better understanding of the pathway(s) to solutions. Remember, whether you hear it or not, there is always going to be some type of friction in your organisation.

Addressing it head on and with an open mind for solving it together, you are actually relieving people of stress and carrying the burden of secret irritation.

4. Be honest. If there is going to be downsizing, if there will be no pay raises for the year, if you are cutting back in areas to move money to something else, be willing to tell people as much of the truth as possible.

Communicate, listen, encourage collaboration, and be honest and present.

Modeling good EQ for your employees will ultimately allow for the culture of your organisation to foster those same values.

Throughout 2021, being emotionally intelligent can mean the difference between your team staying to weather the storm with you vs many who will instead choose to jump ship in search of a better one, despite knowing the seas are going to be rocky in both.

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CEDIA'S

NEW A dive into the thought process behind the development of the CIT and IST designations

CERTIF As the new CEDIA website was being updated — including the new CEDIA Academy education platform — another project has been progressing: the revamping of CEDIA Certification.

With the assistance of the CEDIA Certification Commission and the Technician Job Task Analysis (JTA) task force, David Whitney, the association’s Director of Certification, is seeing the results of a months-long process. “The first thing we did was ensure we had the right volunteers involved,” says David.

David and those volunteers then looked carefully at the actual work that was being performed in the field — and how technology had advanced since the last certification update. “Every few years, it’s critical that we go back and look at what jobs there are and how we define them,” says David. The decision was made to start reverse-engineering those certification requirements at the entry level. “We wanted to first make certain that the best practices for those coming into the industry were very clear.” That work — including reviews of more than 1,000 job descriptions and a survey of those in the field — yielded the new CEDIA Certified Cabling and Infrastructure Technician (CIT) and CEDIA Certified Integrated System

Technician (IST) Certifications. (You can find more of the “nuts-and-bolts” aspects of the designations at cedia.net)

Next Steps

Another critical goal of the new CEDIA certification development: ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board) accreditation, specifically to the ISO/IEC 17204 standard. As CEDIA Certification Commission Chairman, Dennis Erskine notes, “We’ve heard a common thread for many years, namely, ‘What’s the true value of CEDIA Certification?’

“When somebody sits down with an architect, a home builder, an interior designer, or any allied trade and they tell that person, ‘I hold a CEDIA certification,’ what does that mean to them?” Dennis continues. “In many cases, those other tradespeople hadn't heard of CEDIA, much less CEDIA Certification — but if we can have the same body that recognises their trade recognising ours, that’s a new level of credibility.”

Achieving that accreditation — especially for a global workforce — is no small task. “I thought I was busy when I was Chairman of the CEDIA Board,” says Dennis. “This is a brand-new level. There's an incredible amount of work involved and time spent developing policies and

“The first thing we did was ensure we had the right volunteers involved.”

DAVID WHITNEY

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CEDIA COMMUNICATES

FICATIONS procedures.” That work includes (and is certainly not limited to) creating policy manuals that will be audited against ANSI requirements, the development of committees to review and update standards and ethics, and, of course, creating the certification exam. The accreditation application process will begin after CEDIA has published the CIT certification exam.

The Test

Creating the exams for these certifications comes with their own set of challenges. First and foremost, there must be an absolute firewall between CEDIA’s Education and Certification departments — the association can’t have its instructors “teaching to the test.” The next issue is building an exam that challenges technicians to show their competence, but is also reliable, fair and does not stray from the defined level in the blueprint. “We beta-test the exam with an army of volunteers and candidates who fit the profile,” says David. The Certification team then uses the data and feedback from the beta test to establish a passing score and create multiple test forms that all hit a “sweet spot” of difficulty. “Obviously, if you’ve got a really high pass rate, you’ve made the exam entirely too easy,” David explains.

This process, and the ultimate result,

is a point of pride for all involved, and the realisation of a key part of CEDIA’s strategic plan. “We will be the leading standards organisation within our industry,” says Dennis. “We will be the leading education and certification body within our industry.”

“The organisation is actually growing up and becoming a force to be reckoned with,” Dennis adds. “The other thing that is important to add is that this is the result of long two years of board discussions about setting these goals and objectives.” In order to do that, says Dennis, “We had to define ‘What is our industry?’ And it became very simple. Any place a family would spend a night is our turf. That could be a hotel room. It could be a yacht, it could be an airplane.

“But most importantly, it’s the family home.”

“We will be the leading standards organisation within our industry.”

DENNIS ERSKINE

CEDIA COMMUNICATES

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Together for Cinema Completes Milestone 25th Project

T

he White Lodge Centre in Chertsey is the 25th project for Together for Cinema. The centre provides services and support that help enable those with a range of disabilities, their families, and carers to lead fulfilling lives. Its vision is for "a world which is inclusive to all, regardless of ability."

Amy Amesbury, PR and Marketing Manager of proAV, first mentioned White Lodge to Ian Morrish, Together for Cinema Founder, in December 2018.

Amy and Ian met with Mike Hey, Head of

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Marketing and Fundraising at White Lodge Centre and looked at various options for the location of the cinema room. Having chosen a room in the Rendezvous building, the team identified that a certain amount of reshaping was needed to make the space work as a cinema room, whilst also retaining its multi-functionality.

With the ‘weight’ of proAV and the contacts that both Amy and Ian have in the industry, it was reasonably straightforward to gather all of the products required. Continued generosity from various companies quickly got the team into a position whereby they had promises of everything that was required.

Pictured left to right: Wendy Griffiths, Ian Morrish, Melanie Malcolm, Jeff Hayward, Shereen Russell.

BRAND LIST: • Crestron • Dataflow AV • Marantz (donated via AWE) • Middle Atlantic (donated via RGB Communications) • Monitor Audio • NEC • QMotion • Sony (donated via Midwich) • Many other products and accessories were generously donated by proAV Many other products and accessories were generously donated by proAV. “We support children, young people, and adults with such a broad range of disabilities and accessing normal cinema complexes can be very challenging,” comments Mike Hey “It’s not just the accessibility, it’s also the environment of being in a public setting. Living with disability can be tremendously isolating and having the confidence to go to theatres can be a barrier. In the past, when we have taken children and adults to the cinema, it’s become a complex and logistical task. Some cinemas don’t have close disabled parking and some only have limited disabled spaces in the theatres. Also, what space they do have is very close to the screen, which for some children and adults, who cannot lift their heads, is quite uncomfortable. We also support many high functioning children from the autistic spectrum. They have very challenging behaviours, and many are very light and noise sensitive.”

The cinema room was officially opened in September 2020. Due to Government directives, the event only allowed for six people to attend, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of those who attended.

“The cinema room is transformational. Having this new facility is incredible as we are now bringing the power of cinema to White

Lodge,” adds Mike. “We can easily accommodate 10 or more people at one time and having the ability to manage the light and the noise levels to suit our users is brilliant. Also, having the ability to bring the full cinematic sensory experience to White Lodge is such a gift. We can share some movie blockbusters and Disney classics, but also use the big screen to show some special interest nature programmes like the BBC’s Frozen Planet, which so many of our members love and adore.

Thank you, Together for Cinema, proAV, and all the industry donors for making this happen. We are already embracing this facility to the full and will do for many years to come.”

The Together for Cinema Journey Continues Having successfully completed the target of 25 cinemas by 2020, Together for Cinema has now expanded its team of professionals to ensure it can continue bringing the industry together and deliver cinemas to hospice projects across the UK. Ian Morrish will remain a key figure in the organisation and will now be supported by Wendy Griffiths from CEDIA, Melanie Malcolm from Bespoke Home Cinemas and Shereen Russell and Jeff Hayward from Wildwood PR. The new team has already started planning the next batch of installs, with the 26th project due to begin at the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice in Huddersfield in 2021.

Together for Cinema is actively looking for integrators and brands to get on board for future installations. www.togetherforcinema.co.uk CEDIA COMMUNICATES

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CEDIA COMMUNICATES

Spotlight Q&A: A Chat with the Chairman of the CEDIA PDAC A few minutes with Mal Fisher, Chair of CEDIA’s Professional Development Advisory Council CEDIA: What’s the mission statement of the Professional Development Advisory Council?

Mal Fisher: It’s best if I just read it for you: “The PDAC serves as the global voice of the industry to the education team at CEDIA. This globally focussed advisory board works with staff to develop new channels of business for education advisors on topics for the education portfolio, identify as current and future skill needs, and manages the working groups of the PDAC. CEDIA: What working groups report to the PDAC? Mal: That includes the Technical Education Working Group, Business Working Group, Instructor Working Group, and the Workforce Development Working Group.

CEDIA: How often do you all meet, and what’s the primary point of discussion lately?

Mal: We meet once a month, varying the meeting time to accommodate the wide variety of time zones for our PDAC members. It’s the most diverse group ever in terms of global representation.

We're trying to build a body of knowledge that can be used irrespective of events. We’ve got to shore up the content base and improve the educational platform that CEDIA provides. In any given meeting, we could be discussing a technical topic, Wi-Fi 6 perhaps, or a business class. We’re often discussing ideas that people have brought into the group that they think would be a valid topic for education — or the process of the education itself. What format are we using to deliver the material? How are we making certain that curriculum is ensuring competency?

CEDIA: Couldn’t agree more. What’s been the biggest challenge?

Mal: Ensuring the virtual CEDIA Expo Experience was on point when it comes to education — we created two days of learning in a medium we’ve not used before. We asked a lot of volunteers to really go above and beyond.

This pandemic has been quite something. Back in early March, I’d put together several pages of notes of what I’d hoped to achieve — and then within two weeks, 90% of it became almost irrelevant.

CEDIA: What’s the best part about volunteering for CEDIA? Mal: The sheer amount you learn in this process is far more than you're ever going to teach. You're listening to voices from all over the industry, from manufacturers to distributors to all levels of integrators. Many of those voices become valuable contacts and above all, friends. And getting such a broad range of industry feedback is incredibly valuable for both what you do with CEDIA and in your own role at your day job.

I’d encourage our industry to offer what time they can, as they’ll get far more in return.

The other benefit is being able to work closely with the CEDIA staff. After getting to know all these people in the education and workforce departments, you suddenly understand why they're in the position they’re in — and how qualified they are for that position.

There’s one more thing I’d like to add — it’s something I think people should know about: There are dozens and dozens of volunteers who never appear on a podcast or a webinar.

They’re the quiet volunteers. The remarkable amount that those individuals contribute to our association and industry should be celebrated.

CEDIA: What have been the biggest gains the PDAC’s made of late?

Mal: The launch of the CEDIA Academy has taken a huge team effort over the past few years and I’m proud of the contribution that the PDAC has made, even if it’s minor compared to that of the staff.

(Editor’s note: As of 1 June 2020, there were more than 145 member volunteers serving in the CEDIA working groups, advisory councils, committees, and the Board of Directors.)

Mal Fisher is the CTO of AWE Europe LTD. www.awe-europe.com

Meet all the members of the PDAC cedia.net/advisory-councils

CEDIA COMMUNICATES

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A love letter to Amsterdam from ISE Mike Blackman Managing Director, ISE

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I

n February 2020, we hosted ‘¡Hola Barcelona!’ in celebration of Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) moving to its new location in 2021. While the move is an exciting milestone for ISE, it is also an emotional one as we had to say farewell to the RAI in Amsterdam — our home for the past 15 years. Amsterdam and the RAI have been very good to ISE, so good in fact that we physically outgrew it, hence our relocation to the Fira de Barcelona in 2021. This marks a monumental new chapter in the history of ISE, but we must not forget Amsterdam and the achievements it enabled us.

So, it is with great pride that ISE, in partnership with our co-owners, CEDIA and AVIXA, will be leaving a legacy in the city we once called home. Het Jeroen Pit Huis (The Jeroen Pit House) is a new transitional care unit for chronically ill children and their families, who are being treated at Emma Children’s Hospital — the RAI’s chosen charity — located within the grounds of Amsterdam University

Medical Centre. We are supporting the project alongside multiple AV brands and two integrators, AVEX Technology and CEDIA Member of Excellence, Woelf.

Thanks to the ongoing generosity from industry contributors, we are bringing together the best in technology, design, and installation expertise to deliver a hi-tech entertainment space within the transitional care unit. Including a sensory room and home cinema, the project will provide an area of escapism for chronically ill children and their families to enjoy. Work is due to begin in January 2021, with completion scheduled for the first quarter of 2022.

The aim of Het Jeroen Pit Huis is to make the transition from hospital to home for sick children and parents easier, safer, and steadier. This care unit will help families to adapt to the changes that will be required at home, providing education and support for the journey ahead of them.

Our hope is that Het Jeroen Pit Huis will be a cherished resource for the people of Amsterdam for many years to come.

Let the pros lend a hand.

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33

EXPO RECAP

THE CEDIA EXPO EXPERIENCE, DAY ONE: THE KEYNOTES Although the 2020 Expo Experience happened in cyberspace, the show had some familiar elements: notably, the opening keynotes. After the announcement of the “CEDIASTRONG Fund” (find more info on cedia.net), keynote speaker, Linzi Boyd began her first of two presentations, “Building Brands to Shift Industries: Today, Tomorrow, The Future.”

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Ed Wenck Content Director, CEDIA

The Changing Business Model Linzi’s fundamental question is as complex as it is brief: “What if we could build a brand that shifts the world?”

Linzi — who sold her fashion shoe brand at the age of 24 to embark on her current career — notes something incredible has happened with the dawn of the digital age: Everyone could be seen at a moment’s notice. The old mode of selling something has now morphed to match the instantaneous, saturated nature of the internet. Margins for goods are squeezed as price comparisons become a quick search.

“Want to grow your business?” asks Linzi. “The fastest growth can be found when you shift from sales-led to a brand-led to ultimately a ‘purpose-led’ business.”

As Linzi notes, any economic downturn carries with it three phases: “Shock, Recovery, Rebuild. We saw some companies lose 90% of their revenue in the ‘shock’ phase, the first three months. And those companies that used that time to engage with people as humans, as people — not customers, but people who needed connection during a terrible upheaval — those companies are roaring back.”

“You can change from a business leader to becoming a world leader,” says Linzi. “Ask yourself, ‘What do you want to be known for? How do you want to leave people feeling?’”

even when they’re not triggered by a sudden viral disruption. What Shirlaw sees is an “L-shaped” recession; the drop we’ve all experienced and then a period of pain. The good news? The arch turns northward in September 2021, and Shirlaw is predicting no less than ten years of economic growth.

So how do you prepare for that upturn?

“The 20th century was all about making money. If you could load up food with chemicals to preserve it or bring higher yields, if we generated tons of cheap plastic — if we could make money at it, we did.”

“The 21st century will be about cleaning all of that up.”

And in that cleaning up, the companies that connect with that concept as a purpose will likely thrive.

The best way to illustrate commitment to that purpose? Human connection.

“B2P,” — business to people — as Linzi calls it, not the antiquated notions of B2B or B2C. “You can present yourself in so many channels at once now — so many that the concepts of B2B and B2C are dying.”

Linzi likes to ask businesses who sign up for her “BoB (Business of Branding)” school: “Do you Google people?” Hands go up.

Then she asks, “Are people Googling you?”

The answer is, “Of course,” no matter how many of those business owners are willing to admit it. “People don’t go looking for your company brand — your website — they look for you.”

“This is especially helpful for a small business,” notes Shirlaw. “It’s so much easier for your team to establish those human connections in a place where everyone is working toward a singular purpose.”

Linzi Boyd

Cleaning Up the 20th Century Linzi’s second keynote was a conversation with her business partner, Darren Shirlaw in a presentation entitled Economic, Societal, and Consumer Trends for a 21st Century Mindset.

Shirlaw — a former fund management exec — saw this recession coming, pandemic or not. “Look back through history,” he notes, “and you’ll see a pattern of 14 years of flat economic activity, followed by 18 years of growth.

“You can trace it back to Egyptian grain prices from 3,000 years ago,” he adds. What’s even more fascinating is that those 18-year cycles are often abruptly interrupted by corrections, CEDIA COMMUNICATES

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THE CEDIA TALKS 2020 A look at the CEDIA Booth Talks presented at the Virtual Expo Experience.

CEDIA’s U.S. Director of Government Affairs, Darren Reaman was the opening act with an overview of what his department has been up to — legislation continues in the midst of a pandemic, after all. Darren’s been handling this particular desk for decades, keeping watch for legislation (especially at the U.S. state level) that might impede CEDIA members from doing their business.

Darren notes that, “The majority of state legislation that we look after deals with state-wide electrical licensing related to PoE and low-voltage licensing, alarm and security legislation related to home automation, connected devices, and workforce development.”

Darren says that he’s currently registered to lobby in eight states: Arizona, California, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Oklahoma.

(He registers as a lobbyist when a state has legislation pending that needs to be addressed).

“In 2020, CEDIA lobbied on legislation and regulations related to the industry in Maryland, New Jersey, and Oklahoma,” says Darren, noting that the busines of governance has been disrupted by the pandemic.

“During the 2020 legislative sessions, CEDIA has tracked 605 legislative bills in all 50 states and Canada, and 70 regulations in 28 states.” Notably, about half of the legislation that’s gotten on Darren’s radar has been COVID-related.

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The Surveillance Show, Workforce Updates

Voice Control – The Good, The Bad, The Difficult

CEDIA Board Director, Michael Cogbill began the Wednesday slate of sessions with a talk on “Trends in Video Surveillance.” The headline: It’s all digital now, of course.

Josh Capecelatro, the brain behind Josh.ai (and a CEDIA Board Director), knows the business of voice control – the Josh platform, is after all, just such an interface.

“The sweet spot for cameras will be 4K very soon in the IP universe,” says Michael, and the technologies that are advancing in this realm make the images better and better. Recording solutions and lens technology are making strides, too, as are video analytics — it’s an area that Michael finds incredibly interesting, since analytics will ultimately replace a human’s attention span (which is limited) when it comes to monitoring a security camera system.

“When we talk about AI, it’s important to understand the difference between ‘machine learning’ and ‘deep learning’,” he explains. “Machine learning means that you send a set of rules and that the device follows those rules: Thing A moves like a car, thing B moves like a person. Deep learning means the device is being trained to create its own rules and learn from the massive crush of data it receives.

“We’ll see cameras with deep learning capabilities by the mid-2020s,” says Cobill. “And by the later ‘20s, cameras won’t just recognize a ‘car,’ they’ll be able to ID, say, a vintage 1990s Ferrari.”

CEDIA’s Ian Bryant checked in on the work he’s doing as VP of Technology Application and Workforce – particularly that last part. “By end of 2021, we’ll have hands-on CEDIA training via a network of providers, and we’re establishing links between jobseeker pipelines and member employers,” notes Bryant. “We had a big win at ISE 2020 this past February — we connected with 400 students, and that outreach is planned for other events such as next year’s Expo and Tech Summits.”

In his CEDIA Talk at this year’s “virtual booth,” Josh was trying to answer the question: “Why is Voice Control so Hard?”

VUI does have its critics, which is to be expected given its growth: 157 million Americans now own smart speakers, up from 67 million in December of 2017. And naturally, as its popularity expands, so does that vocal group of naysayers.

Josh covers the mechanical issues inherent in these controls. A perfect VUI device environment would be free of dust, vibrations, ambient noise, and objects placed between microphone and speaker. Of course, that’s not possible.

The bigger problem here, though? ASR, or Automatic Speech Recognition.

“ASR takes a word, converts to text, then translates it with a probability formula,” says Josh. Of course, it’s easy to trip up those formulas. “Think of words like ‘would’ and ‘wood,’ or even ‘we can’ and ‘weekend.’” Mix in accents and the like, and the issues multiply.

“Now think of a phrase like ‘turn on the lights,’” says Josh. “The lights in a room? Sure, but there’s a show called ‘The Lights,’ several songs called ‘The Lights,’ a band called ‘The Lights,’ and so on.” It’s why Josh and the other folks developing these interfaces are working doubly hard to provide the perfect voice experience for the customer — it ain’t easy, but when it works, it’s a jawdropper.

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Wi-Fi 6 Update Nathan Holmes, Director Of Training and Development at Access Networks, had the latest details on Wi-Fi 6 – the new name of next-gen wireless was to eliminate consumer confusion. (“802.11ax” does seem a trifle clunky, after all.)

“Wi-Fi 6 has dual band support: 2.4GHz and 5GHz,” says Nathan, “And there’s some good news for IoT devices: Wi-Fi 6 includes something called High Efficiency Extended Range Single User format — simply put, that’s a stronger signal for gear at the very edge of its range — that’s especially great for outdoor devices at the perimeter of a property.”

Another advancement due in the next year and a half, says Nathan, is Wi-Fi 6E. Nathan tells us, “The FCC approved an additional 1200MHz of bandwidth for 6E, mainly in the 6GHz spectrum — this gives you up to seven channels that are 160MHz wide.

“It’s the first time we’ll be able to achieve data rates that these standards are capable of.”

Wi-Fi 6’s efficiencies also include tech borrowed from the cellular world: Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). “With legacy Wi-Fi, a device used a whole channel,” explains Nathan. “Using OFDMA, each client device only requests the amount of bandwidth it needs for its given broadcast. Now, one can send or receive from multiple client devices.”

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Company Culture and the Lifecycle of the Employee Joe Whitaker — also on the CEDIA Board of Directors and the owner of the firm Thoughtful Integrations — had some thoughts about how a company’s culture and the life-cycle of its employees are intertwined.

“Company culture is critical,” says Joe. He cites a survey that found 39% of employees would leave a firm if they had negative views about that culture.

But what is “company culture,” exactly?

According to Joe, the components are: Values – Perhaps this is summed up with words like honesty, integrity? What’s the “moral centre?”

Ideals — What is it that your firm does — what do you offer to the client base?

Attitudes — How do your people work with each other, how do they do things for clients — does the tech greet the customer with a smile?

“We sell a lot of the same boxes, and at the end of the day, most clients pick you based on your people,” notes Joe. It stands to reason that finding and then retaining those people is really the key, and there’s strategies for doing that. One obvious one? Joe says, “Look for life milestones.

Empathise. Is the employee getting married? Buying a house? Coping with a divorce? Just by asking that simple question: ‘Are you OK?’ can go a long way toward building employee loyalty.”

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Learn more at crestron.com/home All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Crestron is not responsible for errors in typography or photography. ©2020 Crestron Electronics, Inc.

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PROJECT PROFILE

TOWER OF

BILINGUAL CONTROLS AND GREAT ATTENTION TO DETAIL GAVE GRAYTEK A TROPHY FOR BEST INTEGRATED HOME, LEVEL I, IN THE 2020 CEDIA AWARDS (AMERICAS) 40

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G

raytek took a one-size-fits-all building-wide automation system and customised the integration to meet the client’s needs. The system that had been pre-installed in this condominium just wasn’t quite up to spec, as Graytek tells us: “The system had limited lighting and motorised shade control, no audio/ video, inadequate touch panel size and functionality, and unsatisfactory shade fabrics.”

The firm says, “Our objective was to deliver a solution that the client could use to entertain guests or allow a variety of business visitors to stay shortterm while easily and intuitively navigating the system, even users who may be unfamiliar with this type of home automation. We also provided remote access through a secure VPN (virtual private network) so he could assist guests staying in the home easily and efficiently, regardless of his location.”

From English to Simplified Chinese

POWER

One of the most important aspects of this project — in the eyes of both the customer and the CEDIA Awards judges — is the Crestron controls’ ability to toggle between English and Simplified Chinese.

Since the homeowner is bilingual, and many of his guests hail from the Chinese mainland, controls and interfaces had to reflect the comfort level of a variety of users.

AV, network, HVAC control, security, and many more elements are all a part of this brilliant integration. The team from Graytek has the details: “There are eight audio zones including the media system. Each bedroom features Totem Tribe on-wall speakers and a dual-8-inch subwoofer. The kitchen features invisible Sonance speakers hidden in the bulkhead with a dual-8-inch Totem subwoofer vented out of the kick in the kitchen cabinets.

“Crestron DigitalMedia (4K compatible) distributes video to all bedrooms and the media system. TV source selection is available on all remotes, iOS and Android devices, and touch panels.

“The client wanted exceptional sound for his media room but large, bulky speakers were not an option because of the room’s high traffic. In-wall speakers wouldn’t work, either — one wall was partially concrete and the other was glass. The ceiling is concrete, which meant in-ceiling were out.”

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The Media Room

EQUIPMENT LIST Arlington Autonomic Carlon Cisco Control4 Crestron GiantTech Plastics ICM Corp Kanto Legrand Leviton Metra

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Middle Atlantic Neutrik Panamax Panasonic Samsung Sonance Thomas & Betts, LTD Totem Acoustic Ubiquiti Yamaha

Graytek found the answer. “We selected low-profile wall-mounted Totem Tribe 3 and 5s flanking the 75-inch 4K QLED television and Totem Tribe 3 speakers on stands for surround channels. The media room is controlled by a TSR-302 Crestron remote with a touchscreen interface that also has access to the shades, lighting, and climate. The room was calibrated once all the furniture and throw rug were in place to ensure precision.

“We used Crestron’s infiNET wireless lighting solution with engraved lighting keypads, with access to shades and drapes where applicable.

Different coloured lighting keypads were used in each area depending on wall colour and trim. Lighting system controls are available on touch panel, iOS and Android devices, and media room remotes.”

Shading is part of the environmental solutions here, too: Automation helps keep the west-facing condo — 60 storeys up — comfortable regardless of the time or weather. Plus, says Grayek, “The unit’s climate control is tied into building’s HVAC system. Scheduling can be done on mobile devices and touch panel. We are monitoring and controlling humidifiers because some of the custom finishes in the condo require a specific air humidity to prevent drying out or cracking.”

“We integrated the building’s intercom and lobby camera into the home’s system and made it functional on the 10-inch touch panel in the main living area.”

The final result: A win for Graytek for Best Integrated Home, Level I, in the 2020 CEDIA Awards (Americas).

Graytek graytek.ca CEDIA Member Since 2004

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INDUSTRY Q&A

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE

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our team's work. Entering the awards drives us to keep improving and pushing the envelope to be the best we can be as a company.

Why do you enter the CEDIA Awards?

Scott Sauer, The Digital Picture, Australia: We enter the CEDIA Awards every year, mainly because it's great to have our work measured against the best of our peers. There's no other place where we can see how the quality of our work is benchmarked against everyone else in the industry us to see how the quality of our work can be benchmarked against everyone else in the industry — and that's not just Australia, but across the world.

Michael Sherman, Henri, France: We enter the CEDIA Awards for our team. We do it to highlight the amazing and precise job they can deliver by working all together.

But most of all, we enter to reward them. When we win a CEDIA Award, there is a true feeling of pride from the team, knowing they compete with the best and that they are one of them.

Kassa Harrison, Harrison Home Systems, Lakewood, CO, USA: We enter the CEDIA Awards to showcase

Terry Morton, Land & Sea Entertainment, USA: There's no other place that we know of in the world where your work can be judged by the top people in the industry, so a win from CEDIA means everything to us.

How do the Awards elevate your business?

Oliver Hall, Ultamation, UK: We've been to a few of the Awards dinners now, and every time I come away buzzing with new ideas of things that we could do better.

“…every time I come away buzzing with new ideas of things that we could do better.”

Oliver Hall, Ultamation

Stephen Nevison, Intuitive Homes, UK: I feel based on what we see from our peers and how they do things, the CEDIA Awards gives everyone a chance to see how they can raise the bar.

Jan Erik Eden, Atlantic Control Technologies, USA: I believe that the CEDIA Awards really help to elevate the entire industry, maybe even the entire building industry, because their rigorous inspection of best practices and documentation really resonates CEDIA COMMUNICATES

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with the idea of professionalism with our industry partners. And also, a little friendly competition amongst peers never hurts, right?

Dean Belton, Argus Technologies, Australia: The CEDIA Awards have been a great form of promotion for our business. We've only been members for a very short time, but to be able to leverage the Awards and to showcase some of our winning projects to new builders and new clients has been a great way to attract new business.

What does it mean to be nominated for a CEDIA Award?

Mark Bridger, Bridger Automation, Australia: To be nominated for a CEDIA Award is a great accolade for our business. It puts us on a stage where we're recognised for all the hard work that we do.

Simon Clarke, Clarke Infinity, UK: We're really proud to be nominated for an award with CEDIA. It elevates our business to a new level and it's good to be recognised within our industry.

Jason Voorhees, Cantara, USA: At Cantara, we've been fortunate enough to have won a few awards from CEDIA over the years and each year it's special for us.

It's a moment for us to take just a little bit of a pause and reflect on the quality of work that we get to do for our clients.

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It’s official...

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Introducing Zebra Home Cinema

Dr Atif Ghaffar Zebra Home Cinema

Starting a business in home cinema rejuvenated my career as a Doctor

M

y passion for home cinema arose during a demo in a Hi-Fi shop shortly after graduating from medical school in 1998. I took in my VHS copy of The Empire Strikes Back and I was simply blown away by the image projected onto the big screen with surround sound effects while sitting in a Chesterfield armchair. I remember the experience vividly, thinking… “Wow I’ve got to have this at home one day!”

My favourite pastime has always been listening to dance music and watching movies — something that I developed a fondness of in my teens. I became an avid enthusiast for AV technology during my university days and would often visit Hi-Fi shops with my brother and spend money on upgrading my home audio systems.

Over the last two decades, after spending lots of money on these upgrades, attending numerous demos, and reading lots of publications, I too dreamt of having the most awesome

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home cinema system that I could afford.

That dream was partially fulfilled when my family and I converted our double garage into an award-winning home cinema in 2012. We had so much fun entertaining family and friends in this space — it was something that was really special.

During this time, my roles and responsibilities as a General Practitioner running a practice changed considerably.

Politics and economics became more apparent at the forefront of delivering care and this affected me personally. I was earning well from the practice, but my passion and reasons for why I became a doctor were quickly diminishing.

This drove me to give up my partnership so that I could breathe again.

It also allowed me to indulge in hobbies and passions. It was at this time that I had an epiphany — I wanted to be able to share my passion of home cinema and music. I was privileged to be given the opportunity of representing and selling the most prestigious and technologically advanced audio systems in the world. An opportunity that was too good to ignore!

And thus, Zebra Home Cinema was born in June 2019.

By chance, my brother-in-law put me in touch with Kaine Pritchett from Virtus Integration. After an initial meeting and exploration of what we both wished to achieve, we decided to join forces — I would concentrate on generating client interest and sales of audio equipment and he would provide all the installation work. And so, the association between Zebra Home Cinema and Virtus Integration was established.

I took out a business loan as well as investing my savings into redecorating the family entertainment lounge and installing an outstanding AV system, designed to impress and entice. I printed 500 invitation letters and signed them all before delivering them to local residents. I acquired my first client within three weeks because they liked the paper that I used for the invitation!

The thought of running my own business in an industry of which I had little knowledge other than as a consumer, was daunting. There was so much to learn. I had a lot of support from my distributor, Rob Sinden from Gecko Home Cinema. He sent me a list of reading material to get to grips with the basics of audio technology and I spent a lot of time familiarising myself with the different set-ups that he had developed over the years.

Welcome to CEDIA

Rob also recommended that I join CEDIA — this was pivotal for two reasons. Firstly, CEDIA offers a tremendous amount of support and educational material which was crucial for me, and secondly, I felt that becoming an official member of CEDIA provided the business with an element of professional kudos and responsibility and it instils a certain level of reputability and trust for clients.

I started my CEDIA journey by attending the Home Cinema Design course. This was a fantastic session — the presenter was brilliant, the venue (Pulse Cinemas) was perfect for the course, the content was engaging and informative, and I loved being able to meet likeminded people.

From here, I took advantage of the free resources and webinars that CEDIA offer its members — with a focus on increasing my technical knowledge and business skills. I particularly enjoyed the “Discounts: The Kiss of Death” webinar.

I decided to sit the CEDIA Outreach Instructor (COI) course to allow me to provide presentations to interior designers and architects. Peter Aylett

presented this session and he did a great job. I could tell that I had improved my presentation skills by the end of the day, which has set me in good stead for meeting with design build professionals.

I’m looking forward to utilising more CEDIA tools, including The CEDIA Designer, and I’m aiming high — I’ve got the CEDIA Awards on my radar.

During the start-up stage, I completed a three-day intensive course on social media and branding and I also joined a twelve-month business academy programme, covering a whole host of topics as well as business mentoring and support. There was so much to learn, but this really helped me understand how certain processes worked, particularly in the

“CEDIA offers a tremendous amount of support and educational material which was crucial for me” DR ATIF GHAFFAR

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current digital age and social media explosion. With some expert help and advice from my peers, I had a website designed, set up social media profiles, started a dedicated YouTube channel, and began networking in person as well using LinkedIn and other referrals to widen my connections.

I was already in the process of inviting friends and family for music and film demonstrations, but now, I had developed the confidence of inviting members of the public as well as musicians, producers, interior designers, and architects.

Since commencing the business in association with Virtus Integration in June 2019, we have successfully completed our fourth project with two more to go by the end of the year. Business is gaining traction and I am receiving more enquiries.

The excitement and sense of achievement I feel upon completion of a project and surpassing the client’s expectations, is just priceless.

As a result, I feel invigorated and refreshed and this positively impacts upon my professional role as a doctor.

It helps me to maintain the enthusiasm and commitment to serving my patients in the best form of myself.

@home_zebra

Establishing and conducting my home cinema business has many similarities to my education and career as a doctor:

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•

I embarked upon a parallel journey of learning and professional development in another field.

•

My consulting experience in dealing with patients’ concerns and expectations and sharing patient-centred management options is very similar to the approach I take with clients.

•

It is crucial to maintain those client relationships based on trust and provision of an excellent level of service just as I would want to treat my patients and be treated myself.

•

During my career, I have always worked amongst teams and peers, gaining valuable insight, expertise and feedback along the way. I have continued to adopt the same approach in establishing similar connections within the AV industry.

•

“Closing the deal” or “the sell” is very similar to negotiating a plan of management or offering different treatment options. Sometimes patients expect me to make the decision for them and I will do so taking their feelings and concerns of their loved ones into careful consideration. And when something is not available, not possible or unrealistic, being able to respond and explain this in a sensitive but clear way is also a skill in itself.

•

We need to maintain the highest ethical standards in all aspects of life. We depend on feedback, dealing with complaints appropriately, admitting our mistakes, learning from them, and establishing measures and procedures to avoid them in future.

•

At the basis of it all, it’s so important to maintain the passion and drive, and to make the most of every given opportunity.

CHALLENGE & SOLUTION

Leveraging Any Upturn for the Next Potential Downturn

A recap of the Business Recovery Planning 2.0 webinar from Luke Desmond of the UK firm Crisp Accountancy

Luke Desmond has a saying: “Smooth seas don’t make skillful sailors.”

Luke, whose firm, Crisp Accountancy has guided integrators through choppy waters in the past, is presenting his thoughts on the “new abnormal” in a webinar called, “Business Recovery Planning 2.0.” For a good many firms, Luke notes, as lockdown restrictions ease [editor note: these restrictions continue to fluctuate almost weekly depending on your location!], there’s a torrent of business that’s being unleashed.

Integrators have suddenly seen pent-up demand released back into the marketplace, and the ones that survived are suddenly flush with work orders.

The problem? “This is likely temporary,” cautions Luke. “We’re very likely to see another economic dip, and you need to prepare. There’s a false sense of security when demand spikes. You can’t become overconfident. Otherwise, the consequences could be dire.”

Four Ways to Improve Your Prospects

Ed Wenck Content Director, CEDIA

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Depending on the kind of business you have, Luke believes there are four paths one might take to adjust your business model, from the radical to the immediately practical: Innovate. “I know of one business that sold travel gear, and obviously, that business has collapsed. They’re transitioned to at-home hair clippers,” says Luke.

Re-engineer. “Alcohol brands have been making hand sanitiser. An F1 race team has been making ventilators for the UK health service.”

Adapt. Luke says this is one that he’s seen as most prevalent among integration firms. “I’ve seen CEDIA companies using drones to scout big jobsites that are still under construction, and then walking their clients through what might be placed where when things loosen up.”

Widen Your Lane. Simply put: Broaden your product or service offering. Are you selling service contracts with every job?

Why not?

Turning the Checklist on Its Head

Luke presents a slide that ticks off all the items one might find in a business budget, from gross revenue (at the top, see list below) to an increase or decrease in cash (at the bottom). “The bottom is where you need to start,” explains Luke. “What were you making pre-COVID versus post-COVID? Has the cash caught back up yet?”

Your revised business budget • • • • • • • • • • • •

Gross Revenue Gross Profit Gross Profit % Overheads Net Profit before tax Tax Net Profit after tax Drawings (not included in wages Asset purchases (sales) Loan principal repaid (drawn) Other cash movements Increase (decrease) in cash

As you’re accounting for losses (or gains), Luke says the small business owner should really focus first on his or her personal budget. “What do you need to remain comfortable? Do you have enough to account for catch-up repayments if you have loans?”

Next up: Build your resources. “Are your accounts up to date? Has everyone paid on time? Is there equipment you no longer need?

Do you need an office? Can you cut or abolish your rent payout, maybe even sell a building if you own it?” Luke says that the key to your cash flow — even if times are strong just now — is to build a big enough “war chest” to survive any sudden plunge.

Build Your Lists

Luke says you could be regularly checking on a few numbers. “Get some sort of reporting on your finances right away that you can understand and stay on top of it. It’s different for every business,” he explains, noting that the numbers you track should total no more than five or six items that can give you a very quick, back-of-theenvelope calculation on your financial health.

“Perhaps it’s sales, profit, cash on hand, stats on jobs in the pipeline — it’s what you think will paint that picture quickly.”

One also needs to develop a “risk register,” a matrix built on an x-y axis to determine the likelihood of various scenarios and their potential impact. Could your operation be affected by a lawsuit? Could supply chains be disrupted?

And once you’ve filled in all the blanks, Luke walks through a sample business plan – which you can see in the complete webinar: https://youtu.be/btbrU1BMw6c crispaccountancy.co.uk

@Crisp_Acc

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Ed Wenck Content Director, CEDIA

The fundamental difference between “standards” and “best practices”

THE CEDIA PODCAST:

Shall Versus Should

A For more on CEDIA’s Best Practices, check out CEDIA Podcast episode 178.

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s CEDIA marks its approval

by The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as an Accredited Standards Developer (ASD) (more details at cedia.net) it’s likely a good time to explain the difference between a “standard” and a “best practice.”

The quickest way to delineate the two? “Shall” versus “should.”

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines “shall” in this case as a word “used in laws, regulations, or directives to express what is mandatory” (definition 3b). “Should” is less definitive: That word is “used in auxiliary function to express obligation, propriety, or expediency,”

propriety being likely the operative word in this instance (definition 2).

The Audio — and the Auto — Example

Walt Zerbe, CEDIA’s senior director of technology and standards, explains the difference with the illustration of a “best practice” set of guidelines developed for audio, CEDIA’s CEB 22.

“If you have a standard for speaker placement, that means you can only put that specific speaker in that particular spot in a room — and we know that ‘perfect placement’ isn’t always desirable or even possible.”

Client desires for aesthetics, the room’s limitations due to construction or cost — all of those factors make for

a situation where “should” is vastly more reasonable an ask than “shall.”

Peter Aylett (HTE), who volunteers as part of the committee developing these practices, likes to use an automotive analogy. “I would argue that if someone that had never driven a really decent car drove an Audi, BMW, or Mercedes, they would think, ‘Wow, this is amazing! This is the last car I ever want to buy.’

“However, if you then let them drive the other two from that trio, the chances are they're going to have a preference. Now that doesn't make the original one bad and you can't really criticise the engineering of any of those cars.”

“Every single time you design an audio-visual experience for a customer you're having to balance compromises.”

PETER AYLETT, HOME THEATRE ENVIRONMENT

The Difference Is…

The cars all perform within a set of parameters — from acceleration to braking to suspension and handling — that put them in a particular performance category. In “practice,” however, they’re different: different fits, finishes, looks, and “feels,” from sporty to more sedate. Perhaps an even better example: all three comply with safety and emissions standards, but the seat-belt buckles and exhaust systems may be vastly different.

“They're fundamentally incredibly well-engineered, but the art is all about a balance of compromises,” says Peter.

“And as we know, every single time you design an audio-visual experience for a customer you're having to balance compromises. There are certain things that are art — but you can't argue the physics. The physics of sound is the physics of sound.

“You can discuss the implementation of the physics, how it's interpreted, but you can't say the physics of sound is somehow errant.”

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THE LAST 5% WISDOM FROM OUR MEMBERS (AND SOME OTHERS, TOO) “The toughest part of a job? Sometimes it’s the last 5%.” – Anon.

I’m a great believer in the notion of “Do what you say and prove it.” Being able to prove that you're technically competent and able to work within a set of industry wide-guidelines — and meet and exceed them — is really the ultimate goal for any company.

Nic Black, The Pyramid Group, from the CEDIA Awards panel presented in the 2020 CEDIA Expo Virtual Booth

Groucho Marx said, “I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member.” On the other hand, being in the club of recipients of the CEDIA Lifetime Achievement Award is certainly something I really am honored to be a member of.

Michael Heiss, from the CEDIA Podcast “Michael Heiss, Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient”

We do this to help our neighbours, so they might help us when it’s our turn. Because it will be our turn one day. Living in the bush, we know it’s not if, but when.

John O’Brien, industry consultant and writer, on why he volunteers as a firefighter with the CFA (Country Fie Authority), Australia

The best piece of advice I ever got? Leave 10 bad jobs and pick one good job. One good job for a client, and that client will become your promoter without you spending an extra penny.

Manoj Soni, AV4U (India), from the “Tips, Tricks and Tidbits” vignettes featured in the 2020 CEDIA Awards Show

I don't do any programming with the system until I've had a formal manual handover of the system from the electrical contractor to myself as the installer. The second that you inject some kind of programme into it, you've accepted responsibility for the entire job and that leaves you responsible for everything.

Simon Buddle, CEDIA EMEA head of standards and curriculum, from the preview of his class on Lighting System Documentation on the CEDIA blog

I feel fancy. Do you feel fancy?

Meredith Barry, guest bartender for the 2020 CEDIA Awards Show, Americas, enjoying one of her champagne-based creations

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