by Bob Archer | Feb 20, 2026 | Blog, KMB Communications, Meridian Audio
Trade shows and the Olympics have dominated the headlines with the KBIS/International Builders’ Show and Lightapalooza 2026, taking center stage, along with the U.S. Women’s hockey team here at KMB Comm this past week.
However, there has been plenty of other newsworthy items, including some big economic news stories with data that indicates how the government shutdown impact economic growth.
Looking past the newly announced economic figures, here is a roundup of some of the noteworthy items to cross the desk of KMB Comm team members.
Home Audio Ramping Up Acceptance of Active Speakers
At one time not too long ago, there were a handful of companies from the consumer audio market that offered active or powered speakers. Some of those companies include the European brands Meridian, KEF, and Linn Products. Since the rise of streaming services, a select number of affordable products have hit the market such as Audioengine, and consumers have also discovered “prosumer” brands such as KRK and Adam Audio, which are available from retailers such as Guitar Center and Sweetwater.
Based on a story from the audiophile website eCoustics, it appears that luxury manufacturers beyond the trio of Meridian, KEF, and Linn Products are warming to the idea of active speakers in today’s era of streaming media.
Learn more about Kii Audio and its luxury SEVEN wireless speaker here.
Looking at some of the trendier topics that are driving smart home industry growth, Residential Systems just published a column from David Warfel from Light Can Help You.
In the column Warfel offers three suggestions integrators can utilize to help grow their lighting revenues. The well-known lighting designer goes on to emphasize these upgrades can be impactful, especially when clients are reluctant to spend for substantial upgrades.
Taking a quick look at the commercial AV market, Cindy Davis of SCN magazine recently returned home from the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE 2026) and picks her favorites booths from the residential and commercial electronics industries event.
KMB Comm Technology Week in Review National News
LinkedIn is reporting that TV viewership has hit its highest levels in a year, increasing almost 4% from December 2025. Citing data from Nielsen, the report cable viewership increased from 20.2% to 21.2%, while broadcast rose to 21.5%.
The LinkedIn story points out that streaming services continue to lead the way with consumers achieving a figure of 47% led by the season finale of the Netflix show, “Stranger Things.”
Speaking of streaming media, LinkedIn published a report that Warner Bros. Discovery is examining the possibility of restarting negotiations with Paramount Skydance after receiving an offer to buy from the company.
According to the story, which cites Bloomberg, the bid has provisions to cover the $2.8 billion fee that would need to be provided to Netflix if Warner Bros. Discovery walks away from their deal.
Over in the new construction market, Builder Magazine says that based on data it collected, the current employment picture will affect the housing industry in 2026. The story provides much more information, and it forecasts the top three housing markets using numbers collected from Zonda that includes data from the 2024 U.S. Census.
Factors that Zonda utilizes as part of its housing forecast formula include non-farming employment, high-income employment, health care employment, the year-over-year labor force, and statistics such as median household income.
Finally, a non-electronics or housing industry KMB Comm Technology Week in Review item the AV foodie community may find interesting from Yahoo Finance.
Picking up a story from Bloomberg, the Yahoo Finance post points out that while inflation has eased up from pandemic-era peaks, prices at the grocery store continue to soar. Bloomberg states in the post that beef costs have risen faster than many other items within the consumer price index. Citing the figure of 15% over the past year, the number is said to be at its highest since COVID-19.
Conversely, the price of chicken has risen only 1.1% over the past 12 months, while the price of milk has remained relatively stable.
The article goes on to point out the cattle industry runs in cycles and currently the contraction of the market has lasted longer than expected. Another factor impacting the U.S. market is the stoppage of live cattle imports from Mexico due to the presence of the New World screwworm parasite.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Feb 19, 2026 | Blog, KMB Communications, SONOS
Recently, Spotify reported a record number of subscribers. The streaming service says the surge in users can be attributed to several factors, including its free tier. Other streaming services such as Apple Music and Netflix are also reporting increases in their subscriptions.
This type of news shouldn’t surprise anyone, streaming content has long been established as king of all media, but it’s not all peaches-and-cream with the streaming services. There’s a term associated with the streaming market known as “churn rate.” Summing up the term, it means a consumer will subscribe to a service for a certain period, for example to watch, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” on HBO Max, and then once the season is over, they drop the subscription.
Conversely, with physical media, once someone buys a record, CD or Blu-ray disc, they typically keep those purchases so they can build a content library.
Physical Media Produces Intangible Emotional Connections
Dealers looking to form relationships with their clients can leverage the allure of records, as well as CDs and Blu-rays, Ultra Blu-rays, and DVDs to become a resource to help maximize the playback of all these forms of media.
A good example of the bond between enthusiasts and physical media can be seen in this newly released video from the YouTube channel Drumeo. In the video, the drum education channel goes into a record store with Chad Smith of The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Chad is seen walking around the store picking up his favorite records and recounting stories about each of the records that sparked his initial interest in music. Chad’s reactions to these records are not uncommon. Physical media and vinyl often illicit these types of responses from fans. Streaming media while convenient and readily available, doesn’t produce the emotional connection that vinyl does.
Dealers looking to tap into the intangible connections with physical media can start by setting up turntables, CD players, and Blu-ray disc players in addition to streaming boxes and digital media systems to cover all the bases. The best part about today’s generation of turntables is they perform better than ever and they offer connection versatility.
Yes, dealers can still take the audiophile approach by installing a high-end turntable, a phono preamp and amplification, but companies such as Victrola and Sonos provide installer-friendly modern wireless connectivity solutions. Additionally, there is an ever-growing number of turntables that include built-in phono preamplifiers and factory setup with pre-fitted phono cartridges that ship from the factory already aligned.
These turntable products deliver near-turnkey setup flexibility to pair with AV receivers, integrated amplifiers and multizone audio components.
Regardless of what type of physical media the user favors, the important takeaway is today’s consumer has the best of both worlds at their fingertips with accessibility of streaming content and the performance and value of a new era of source components.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.
by Bob Archer | Feb 18, 2026 | Blog, KMB Communications
In the world of Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ), it is often said that participants need to learn how to be comfortable in uncomfortable circumstances.
For those that don’t train in BJJ the expression can still have deep meaning. One such case for example is the relationship between integrators and building trades that include interior designers and architects.
Looking at these relationships—or more succinctly—lack of relationships between designers, architects and integrators, and it is clear these professions recognize the need for one another. The problem however is these respective groups have had difficulty forging those increasingly important relationships.
This past fall, KMB Communications founder and CEO Katye McGregor Bennett joined the “To-The-Trade” interior design podcast with hosts Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson. In their more than hour-long discussion, Bennett, Laizure and Johnson share their views on ways the integration, design and architectural communities can come together to meet the evolving needs of modern homeowners.
To-The-Trade Podcast Emphasizes How Integrators and Interior Design Professionals Complement One Another
Laizure noted during the discussion these relationships are slowly gaining momentum, but it is not enough she says to simply acknowledge cooperation between the professions is essential.
“Loving design and respecting what the designer is doing is a big part of it. I think that is something that has been missing; the missing link with integrators sometimes,” says Laurie Laizure.
Moments later, she went on to describe what is likely a typical reaction from the interior design community when a designer encounters some form of technology or the presentation of home electronics.
“The golf simulator room, a lot of designers are lost on that, [but] talk about wellness, the environment and how the client is experiencing—leveling up of that environment for their client—they love that aspect,” she notes.
As the podcast continued, Johnson summarized what people can expect if they do integrate technology within their homes by comparing the experience to a stay at a luxury hotel.
“It’s the hotel experience,” comments Johnson.
“When I walk into The Encore and they hand me that iPad and the blinds will open, the drapes, it’s the whole thing, the lights. That is what you will get.”
Towards the end of the end of the podcast, Bennett stressed that beyond the health and lifestyle benefits that home technologies offer homeowners, electronics can also be used to aid quality of life. Citing an issue that most people are forced to deal with at some point, Bennett raised the topic of aging parents and how technology can be used to support homeowners that may no longer have the physical capabilities to engage in normal daily activities.
“Aging parents … start thinking about how if the needs of the home have to rapidly change to adapt to someone with less mobility. What does that look like, what does that feel like, how are they going to access technology,” adds Bennett.
“Voice control— [you] may not want it now, but when you lose capacity to use your hands or fingers for whatever reason, then having technology that is responsive to hands and fingers, then you are going to need to change that. Voice is a lot of fun, and a lot of people are like, ‘I don’t want to talk to my house,’ and it is a little weird when you talk to your house, [but] you are just talking to a digital interface.”
The complete podcast episode can be streamed on YouTube or Spotify.
Check out this blog from KMB Communications’ Katye McGregor Bennett on the importance of reliable products and systems.
by Bob Archer | Feb 18, 2026 | KMB Communications, News, Nice
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Smart, Scalable, and Always in Stock: Nice Showcases Intelligent Sun Shading at Lightapalooza 2026
Carlsbad, Calif. — February 12, 2026 — Nice North America, a leader in Smart Living Solutions, will exhibit its premium sun shading portfolio at the upcoming Lightapalooza 2026 show.
The smart home trade event takes place February 16–19, 2026, at the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Round Rock, Texas, and the show offers lighting education and networking opportunities for integrators, designers, architects, manufacturers, and other professionals in the custom integration channel.
Attendees are invited to visit the Nice booth on the curated exhibitor show floor to discover how Nice Sun Shades combine modern design, advanced motor technologies, and seamless smart-home integration to offer users comfort, style, and energy management in residential and commercial spaces.
Intelligent Sun Shading Enables Comfort and Control
Nice Sun Shades bring together premium fabrics, proprietary motors, and intuitive controls to create a modern standard in shade performance. With options ranging from custom interior roller fabrics to durable exterior screens, the Nice portfolio allows designers and integrators to tailor light modulation and thermal comfort while enhancing aesthetic appeal. Every system is engineered for whisper-quiet operation and integrates smoothly with leading smart-home and automation platforms to offer effortless control via mobile apps, voice assistants, or centralized automation.
“We’re excited to engage with the custom integration community at Lightapalooza,” says Chris Lynch. “Our Nice Sun Shades reflect Nice’s commitment to marrying design excellence with cutting-edge technology — and events like Lightapalooza give us the opportunity to demonstrate that combination live to professionals who foster more user-friendly home and business spaces.”
Standing out within a crowded marketplace, Nice’s portfolio of shade solutions not only offer custom print options to allow the products to blend into any home or office environment, but its inventory of fabrics, which ranges from 16 to 20 materials, is always in stock. Always having inventory available means that Nice can support integrators and other design professionals without delaying project timelines. As part of its custom shade program, integrators and designers can match print shades based on samples such as a Pantone chip or the RAL color chart to perfectly complement interior color schemes. Further supporting smart home professionals, the shades are offered in a choice of wired AC or DC; RG and lithium battery power choices to help integrators unobtrusively install the products into interior spaces.
Experience Nice Sun Shades In-Person at Lightapalooza 2026
During the four-day event, representatives from Nice will be available to discuss product features, smart-home integration strategies, and how Nice Sun Shades can complement lighting design, energy control, and holistic home automation. Make sure to stop by Nice Booth #538 to get hands on experience with Nice Sun Shades and integrated control features.
In addition, Lightapalooza also offers extensive educational tracks and CEU opportunities focused on lighting, natural light optimization, and smart system design to help industry professionals bolster their skills.
For more information about Nice Sun Shades, visit https://www.niceforyou.com/na/solutions/sun-shading.
To learn more about Lightapalooza 2026 or to register, visit https://lightapalooza.com.
About Nice
Founded in the early 1990s, Nice is a global leader in Home Management Solutions, offering a complete range of integrated solutions for gate automation, garage doors, solar shading systems, parking systems, wireless alarm systems and home security, for residential, commercial and industrial applications; smart and connected systems for residential and commercial applications, for the security, access control, AI (Artificial Intelligence), comfort & wellness, control and power/AV sectors. Nice has embarked on a strategic path of expansion and extension of its portfolio of connected solutions and platforms, to offer a wide choice of customizable solutions and ease of use for the end user. This is complemented by strengthening and expanding in markets with high growth potential, as well as a renewed branding activity to compete in new market segments. Today Nice can rely on an organization of over 2,000 people on 5 continents, boasting a wealth of different skills and cultures, as well as 15 R&D centers and 15 production plants serving its partners and customers in over 100 countries worldwide.
About Nice North America
Nice North America, LLC, a subsidiary of Nice, is one of the largest manufacturers of smart residential, commercial, and industrial solutions in the world, providing integrated smart living experiences. They offer seamless and easy-to-install technology for smart home control, security & automation, perimeter access and protection, including hostile vehicle mitigation, sunshade solutions, power management, and entertainment. Based in Carlsbad, CA, at the heart of Southern California’s innovation corridor, the company drives innovation through a network of advanced R&D and manufacturing centers across the region, with major operations in Kent, Olive Branch, and Montreal, Canada. Supporting professional integrators, dealers, and distribution partners, the company offers award-winning programs, hands-on technical support, field training, and CEU-certified education initiatives designed to help accelerate business growth. Nice North America lives out their mission of creating environments where individuals truly feel unbounded, safe, and free through smart solutions – an impact exemplified by its support of the Gary Sinise Foundation R.I.S.E. program for wounded veterans – and strives toward building a brighter and more sustainable future.
Nice North America Media Contacts
For interviews, reviews, and more information please contact Katye McGregor Bennett of KMB Communications at (406) 446-1283 or katye@kmbcomm.com.
Nice North America Corporate Contact: Holly Tessmer, Sr. Marketing Manager, Events & PR, Nice North America: holly.tessmer@niceforyou.com
All products, product names, trademarks, and registrations mentioned are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
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by Bob Archer | Feb 18, 2026 | Illuminated Lighting Design, KMB Communications, News
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Illuminated Lighting Design Returns to Lightapalooza 2026 as a Trusted Guide for Integrators Expanding into Lighting Design
Designed for “Comfort, Counsel, and Conversation,” Illuminated Lighting Design offers a welcoming show floor exhibit for integrators to explore lighting design without pretense or pressure.
Lightapalooza 2026 (January 27, 2026) — Illuminated Lighting Design, a nationally recognized lighting design firm founded by seasoned industry professionals with more than a century of combined experience, announces its return to Lightapalooza 2026. At this year’s event, Illuminated Lighting Design will provide a welcoming, pressure-free booth experience and targeted educational opportunities designed to help systems integrators explore, understand, and confidently strengthen their lighting design capabilities.
The fifth annual lighting-focused trade event serving the custom integration market takes place Feb. 16–19, 2026, at the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Round Rock, Texas. Lightapalooza brings together integrators, designers, architects, manufacturers, and other professionals for hands-on lighting education and meaningful industry networking.
Exposing the Opportunities in Lighting Design
As lighting design continues to evolve from a commodity into a cornerstone of luxury living, wellness, and experiential design, many integrators recognize both the opportunity and the complexity of entering the category. Illuminated Lighting Design will address that reality head-on by positioning its booth as a place of comfort and counsel: a safe, approachable space for honest conversation, practical guidance, and collaborative problem-solving for integrators at every level of experience.
“We know many integrators are curious about lighting design but hesitant to take the next step,” says Lynne Stambouly, founder of Illuminated Lighting Design, widely known as The Light Lady. “They don’t want to risk their reputation, their margins, or their confidence. Our message is simple: You don’t have to be an expert to begin, and you don’t have to go it alone. Whether an integrator wants to enhance a single project or make lighting design part of their standard offering, we can help them move forward with clarity and assurance.”
Building Collaborative, Relationship-Focused Partnerships
Unlike transactional design services, Illuminated Lighting Design prioritizes long-term partnerships rooted in trust, curiosity, and shared growth. The firm regularly collaborates behind the scenes with integrators, interior designers, and builders, empowering partners to remain front-and-center with their clients while leveraging Illuminated Lighting Design’s lighting expertise.
“Our best partners are curious, self-aware, and motivated to grow,” Stambouly adds. “We prefer the integrator who’s asking thoughtful questions over the one pretending to have all the answers. Lighting design is a craft, and we genuinely enjoy helping others learn it.”
Scalable Support for Projects and Businesses of All Sizes
Illuminated Lighting Design supports small- to mid-sized integration firms, growing regional companies, and larger organizations navigating complex or high-stakes projects. Whether an integrator is frustrated by the limitations of free design services, exploring a fractional alternative to hiring in-house lighting staff, or facing a project whose scope feels overwhelming, Illuminated Lighting Design offers flexible, scalable support tailored to each project and business model.
Rather than imposing “whole-home or nothing” expectations, the team at Illuminated Lighting Design works incrementally, designing select spaces, advising on specifications, supporting client presentations, or guiding teams through their first lighting-forward projects. This approach allows integrators to expand their capabilities responsibly while elevating outcomes for their clients, empowering teams to learn while actively working rather than requiring mastery before participation.
Designing for Real People, Real Needs
At the core of Illuminated Lighting Design’s philosophy is a deep understanding of the homeowner—the kind of client integrators strive to attract and retain. From discerning clients building 6,000–12,000 square-foot forever homes, to art collectors, wellness-focused professionals, and homeowners with specific health or visual sensitivities, Illuminated Lighting Design creates bespoke lighting environments that enhance comfort, beauty, functionality, and long-term livability.
This human-centered strategy enables integrators to move beyond basic illumination toward lighting experiences that support circadian health, visual comfort, art appreciation, entertaining, and emotional connection to space—benefits that resonate strongly with today’s luxury and wellness-driven clientele.
Education That Empowers, Not Intimidates
In addition to offering conversation and counsel at its booth, Illuminated Lighting Design will deliver two educational sessions at Lightapalooza 2026.
The first, ““Understanding the Interior Designer and Best Practices for Creating Your Best Technology Cheerleader,” will focus on the evolving relationship between interior designers and integrators, and the critical role lighting design plays in bridging that gap. Presented by Stambouly on Feb. 18 from 9-10 a.m., the 60-minute session will provide practical insights, real-world examples, and actionable strategies for building trust, fostering collaboration, and creating lasting partnerships with the design community. By aligning earlier in the design process, prioritizing designers’ needs, and maintaining an ongoing dialogue about what is possible, integrators can help shape the future of lighting while elevating the role of technology within interior design itself.
Following this session, on February 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Stambouly will be joined by Bruce Clark of Kaleidolight to examine one of the most critical and often misunderstood communication tools in the project workflow: the reflected ceiling plan (RCP). This panel discussion, “RCP: Respect This Ceiling Plan,” will provide practical, real-world insight into the role RCPs play in successful lighting design and what it takes to create documentation that serves all stakeholders, including integrators, lighting designers, electricians, and clients. A clear, well-developed RCP reduces ambiguity around fixture placement, switching logic, control zones, ceiling conditions, and coordination points, streamlining execution and helping ensure exceptional project outcomes.
Visit Illuminated Lighting Design at Lightapalooza 2026
Attendees are invited to visit the Illuminated Lighting Design booth to sit down, have a conversation, and explore what lighting design can be, without pressure, pretense, or obligation. Whether an integrator is just beginning to explore lighting design or looking to elevate complex projects, Illuminated Lighting Design offers decades of real-world experience, a proven strategic approach, and a collaborative spirit grounded in generosity and trust.
To register for “Understanding the Interior Designer and Best Practices for Creating Your Best Technology Cheerleader,” “RCP: Respect This Ceiling Plan,” and learn more about events and educational opportunities at Lightapalooza 2026, go to https://lightapalooza.com/.
About Illuminated Lighting Design
Founded by lighting veterans Lynne Stambouly and Bruce Clark, Illuminated Lighting Design brings together more than 100 years of combined industry experience across lighting design, integration, and construction. The Florida-based firm partners nationally with AV integrators, architects, and designers to deliver lighting strategies that are both visionary and executable. Illuminated Lighting Design specializes in supporting projects from concept to completion, with a refined methodology that ensures accuracy, efficiency, and stunning results.
To learn more, visit www.illuminatedlightingdesign.com or contact info@illuminatedlightingdesign.com.
Media Contact
For more information about Illuminated Lighting Design contact Katye McGregor Bennett of KMB Communications by calling 406-446-1283 or emailing katye@kmbcomm.com.
