Ever since the pandemic there has been a lot of volatility in the home technology market. Through the rise of buying group events and various road shows, the residential technology integration industry has invested substantial resources to reach the pre-pandemic attendance levels its benchmark CEDIA Expo show once produced.
Now, as lighting, home automation, and outdoor technologies continue to fuel growth in the home technology market, ostensibly, industry trade shows should grow as well.
Historically, the technology integration market has been divided along the lines of commercial and residential with the trade group AVIXA operating the InfoComm show in the commercial market, and first CEDIA, and now Emerald running the CEDIA Expo in the residential industry.
Since 2004 however, those lines have slowly begun to blur when the CEDIA and AVIXA trade groups first partnered to introduce the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show. This combined event, which will take place in Barcelona in 2027, brings the residential and commercial technology markets together under a single roof.
An Honest Look at Trade Show Attendance
Six years past the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers indicate both the commercial and residential technology integration industries are working to regain pre-pandemic attendance levels.
Prior to COVID-19 in the years of 2017, 2018, and 2019, InfoComm drew 44,000, 43,000, and 44,000 attendees respective to each year. During the same period, CEDIA Expo respectively drew “nearly 20,000” attendees.
From 2022 to 2025 the InfoComm show drew almost 20,000 in 2022 with steady increases of attendance reaching about 31,000 in 2025. CEDIA Expo has maintained attendance figures from about 12,000 in 2022 to nearly 14,000 in 2025.
With those numbers providing perspective, the European-based ISE show figures indicate an event that has thrived, growing steadily over the years. Validating ISE’s overall health, the show surpassed its pre-pandemic attendance numbers in 2025:
- 2017 ISE attendance: 73,000
- 2018 ISE attendance: approximately 81,000
- 2019 ISE attendance: 81,000
- 2022 ISE attendance: approximately 43,600
- 2023 ISE attendance: 58,000
- 2024 ISE attendance: nearly 74,000
- 2025 ISE attendance: more than 85,000
- 2026 ISE attendance: 92,000
InfoComm 2027 Delivers All-in-One Residential and Commercial Event to U.S. Shores
For the record, it needs to be noted that since 2023, Emerald, the owner of CEDIA Expo and the CE Pro and Commercial Integrator media properties, introduced the technology integration market’s first domestic residential and commercial trade event: CEDIA Expo/Commercial Integrator Expo.
Once AVIXA announced the acquisition of the Lightapalooza lighting trade show, the newly acquired event quickly emerged as a possible competitor for the Emerald-owned combined event.
“HTSA saw a need for its community to connect in exploration of business growth opportunities. They created this space to bring the channel together to do that through product demonstrations, training, education, and professional networking,” stated David Labuskes, CTS, CAE, RCDD, chief executive officer of AVIXA, in the Lightapalooza press release.
“As the trade association for the AV industry, one of AVIXA’s roles is to help facilitate the marketplace. We do this in many ways, most notably through our trade shows around the world—the premier forum for connection.”
Following the late April Lightapalooza acquisition, AVIXA announced on May 20, that it has partnered with the buying groups Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA) and ProSource to produce RESIDE, which will debut at infoComm 2027 in Orlando.
In the announcement the trade group stated that technology-driven experiences shape how people work, live and play. The addition of RESIDE to the InfoComm platform according to AVIXA, will accelerate the convergence of technology in the home and at work that is already happening.
“This partnership brings together powerful communities that need a true connection point, one place to engage with peers, manufacturers, and solution providers through product demonstrations, training, education, and networking, “commented Jenn Heinold, president of expositions for the Americas, InfoComm, in the RESIDE launch press release.
AVIXA Prepares for a New Era of Technology Integration Trade Events
During an exclusive call with KMB Communications’ clients and staff members, Heinold and Tom Doherty, director, new technology initiatives, Home Technology Association (HTSA), took part in a conference call to elaborate on AIVIXA’s future trade events.
Heinold explained to the more than 40 people on the call that at the InfoComm 2026 show in Las Vegas, the event will be organized in two halls organized by “work” and “play.” In the “work” portion the event will host collaboration, command and control, digital signage, retail solutions, and education technologies. The “play” area of the show, AVIXA will host audio, staging, lighting and broadcast.
“In Orlando, instead of having two separate spaces, we have one very long continuous space. How we are mapping out the exhibitors and solutions is really through a journey of work, play, life, and work,” said Heinold.
“Play is what has traditionally been at InfoComm and Live will be broken up into two pieces. [One area] will be RESIDE and [another area] will be Lightapalooza. We felt very strongly that we wanted to maintain the community piece of Lightapalooza and give them their own home within the Orange County Convention Center. On the RESIDE show floor, you’ll see home automation, home theater, consumer electronics and other categories that are not covered within Lightapalooza.”
Adding more detail, Doherty emphasizes that attendees visiting the residential exhibits will have separate accessibility to home-related exhibits and technologies.
“There are two main entrances: The entrance to the residential and the main entrance. The main entrance is what has traditionally been the main InfoComm entrance and the Lightapalooza show floor is very close to the size; just slightly larger than what we had in Texas [2026]. It will remain curate,” he stated.
“We really don’t have the ability to accept new exhibitors on the lighting side based on the initial demand from previous exhibitors on the Lightapalooza side.”
To help ensure the residential exhibits experience the same level of attendee participation as the commercial side of the event, Heinold said AVIXA may run features such as show tours and networking sessions to make sure attendees can take part in everything the total event offers.
Further helping to incentivize the event Heinold responded to a question from Joe Piccirilli, founder and CEO of RoseWater Energy, by noting that currently InfoComm exhibit space prices at $50 per-square-foot, except for non-organization members. The rate for Lightapalooza will be $32-per-square foot after September 1 to reflect the differences between the commercial and residential markets.
InfoComm Combined Event Includes Educational Opportunities
Later in the KMB Communications call, Donnie McVicker, chief sales officer (CSO) for Nice North America, inquired about the education programs the newly announced event will provide.
Heinold told the call participants that AVIXA is building an education committee. The organization will also conduct separate calls for presenters for RESIDE, Lightapalooza and InfoComm.
Doherty pointed out the educational opportunities at InfoComm, RESIDE and Lightapalooza will also broaden because of the scope of learning AVIXA offers.
“If you are a professional in the commercial channel, AVIXA certification is critical for facility managers, institutions and more. Their [show] Saturday and Sunday are pre-exam periods for CTS [ certified technology specialist] certification,” Doherty told the call participants.
“AVIXA also has education that starts on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and the show floor is Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so depending on your role within a company we could see some people taking advantage of the CTS exam and sticking around for some other forms of education.”
Jason Knott, former CE Pro editor, and current data solutions architect & evangelist for D-Tools, asked Doherty about the role of the buying groups with the new combined event. Doherty answered by saying ProSource and HTSA are onboard with their support of the AVIXA-led show.
“HTSA renewed its contract a year ago for our Spring Conference,” responded Doherty. “I believe ProSource is not but both ProSource and HTSA intend on bringing their membership together for a dedicated gathering early in the week, prior to the show floor opening. Long-term … that is absolutely our intention. However, the details of that have not been figured out yet. So, exactly what both groups look like in 2028—whether we go to a single conference or whether we modify how we do one conference or the other, has not been finalized.”
Editorial note: Robert Archer is a former employee of Emerald and in 2026, he is a volunteer, helping the CEDIA Expo staff with show activities.
If KMB Comm client news and blogs aren’t enough, check out the new KMB Comm AV Trade Talk Podcast with Paul Bochner of AHT New York Metro and Joseph Cali of Gryphon Audio LA discussing the revival of stereo and the emergence of “analog rooms” here.