The evolution has been slow and steady, despite the resistance of some stuck in the past, but nevertheless, the tides are changing.
That change is the approach the technology integration market has taken to market to consumers, and the recently completed CEDIA Expo 2026 show provided the perfect platform to underscore that shift from gear and tech to experiences.
For years enthusiasts and their nomenclature dominated home technology discussions. Sure, some thought those discussions were fun, but many people were lost in the talk of resolution, pixels, Dolby Digital, throughput, standards, and protocols.
CEDIA Expo 2026 Empowers Winds of Change
It may seem like a distant memory, but let’s give credit where credit is due, Emerald (now Forge), shortly after acquiring the Expo, made efforts to leverage its connections in the design industry (Emerald/Forge runs the KBIS show) to bolster the growth of the technology integration market.
Consequently, many factors—most notably the pandemic—set Emerald’s efforts back. However, right around the same time, another force was helping to propel the technology market into the visibility of the building and design communities: lighting.
Fast forward to 2026 and that movement that had begun in the late 2010s has picked back up after that momentum had been interrupted.
That momentum could be seen throughout CEDIA Expo 2026, with a growing number of lighting manufacturers exhibiting on the floor, as well as the rapid updates to the many home control solutions that were on the floor.
Further supporting the concept of smart home experiences, rather than smart home technologies, there were a wealth of presentations and educational sessions available at the event.
For example, KMB Communications’ Katye McGregor Bennett led a panel discussion called, “Sound of Wellness.” This presentation not only featured Bennett as the panel moderator, but the session also included Sharon Sherman, founder and principal designer, Thyme and Place Design, Caitlin Stewart, director of residential sales, Leon Speakers, and Frank DeFillipis, builder, lead channel, Sonos.
The all-star panel discussed how sound influences mood, focus, comfort, peoples’ overall health, and the importance of the design and integration communities working collaboratively to address the topic.
Don’t Forget about Design
One last observation about CEDIA Expo 2026, the creation of consumer experiences was the big takeaway from the show. Supporting these experiences are the new product industrial designs that were literally in every manufacturer booth during the event.
Some of those designs may have been retro, think of manufacturers like Yamaha, Advance Paris, and Leon speakers. Other products, like solutions from WALL-SMART as an example, offer integrators the ability to integrate traditional products like wireless access points and surveillance cameras into residences without those products looking out of place.
Of course, there were other buzz-worthy topics, including industry politics and AI that were also important takeaways for some people.
Politics, AI, and related topics like the economy, which at this point are negative in tone, aren’t worth the investment in energy right now. At this moment, what is worth our time and energy is the effort to move forward. Thankfully, given the evidence from the CEDIA Expo 2026 show in Denver, the industry is moving forward despite the numerous challenges it faces right now.
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