What are the primary features of CEDIA that you focus on (i.e. Show floor, training, seminars etc.)?
The main focus for the Z-Wave Alliance at CEDIA will be the show floor itself, where Z-Wave will have a commanding presence that's commensurate with its leading role in the smart home market. There will be over 20 member companies exhibiting in the Z-Wave Alliance pavilion, and another 15 to 20 companies that will be showing Z-Wave solutions elsewhere on the show floor. Several Alliance members are also providing trainings and seminars on their Z-Wave solutions. This year, we also are sponsoring a truly unique promotion — a mountain climbing expedition, where the climber will control Z-Wave products in real time during the show from the summit of Cho Oyu in the Himalayas. It's the sixth highest mountain in the world at nearly 30,000 feet. The Z-Wave Himalayan Expedition by Kwikset will demonstrate how easy and powerful it is to control your home from anywhere — even the most remote and inaccessible places on earth.
What makes CEDIA an important show for your company?
Z-Wave is by far the number one, most broadly-deployed technology for home control and automaton in North America. CEDIA is the number one show for home control and automation integrators in North America, so we go together like peanut butter and jelly. CEDIA is the perfect show to demonstrate the power of the Z-Wave ecosystem of interoperable products, which now numbers over 900, and to show the integrator community ways to expand their businesses, as well as our continued technology advancements, and new manufacturers, products and solutions.
Who are you trying to attract at CEDIA and how do you go about it?
We are primarily reaching out to integrators and installers at CEDIA. To attract their attention we've put together a pavilion with over 20 Z-Wave Alliance members and over 80 different products all in one central location, booth 512. We will have an interoperability wall to demonstrate the cross-brand compatibility you get with Z-Wave. We will also have Z-Wave guides, and graphics that point attendees to the over 15 additional members who are exhibiting in their own booths.
Why is Z-Wave important to CEDIA attendees?
The world of in-home technologies for consumers is rapidly expanding, and smart home functionalities are increasingly in demand. We believe that smart home benefits — home control and automation, wireless security, energy management, solutions for aging in place and the like — has already become an important avenue for integrators and installers. We believe it's an easy and logical way to increase business and provide value to customers. If you're not already installing smart home technologies, you should be, because you're missing out. If you're already installing smart home technologies, or wanting to add it to your service offerings, Z-Wave offers by far the largest and most mature ecosystem of home control products. This gives both the installer and their clients a lot of choices and possibilities.
Do you attend other tradeshows and if so where does CEDIA rank in order of importance for you?
The Z-Wave Alliance attends and promotes tradeshows around the world. We do shows focusing on home automation and control, on home security, on smart energy and on aging independently. In 2013 we will produce shows and events in; China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, and the US. CEDIA is one of our largest and most important shows, as it encompasses all of the above categories of interest, and presents them in the world's largest market.
What does CEDIA do right and how could they improve?
CEDIA puts out a top notch event and has found the right mix of trade show, training events and industry networking. It is nice to be back in Denver, we very much like the location. The third week of September is an ideal time for such an event, as everyone's back from summer, the kids are back in school and everyone's ready to rock into the final quarter of the year. It would be great to see CEDIA expand its presence internationally, perhaps partnering with some of the larger European shows such as CeBit and Light and Building. These are great shows already, but they could really benefit from CEDIA’s know-how and focus on the installer. It would nice to see CEDIA place more of an emphasis on the future markets, such as aging independently. The growth demographics of an aging population are undeniable, and pose a lot of new opportunities for integrators.
What will you be introducing at CEDIA this year?
The Alliance will be announcing the 900th certified Z-Wave product — again, we are by far the largest interoperable ecosystem for home control. Our unique promotion will be featuring remote home management in real time from the top of Cho Oyu, a 26,900 foot peak in the Himalayas that's the sixth tallest mountain in the world, as a part of the Z-Wave Himalayan Expedition by Kwikset. Our members will, of course, be introducing new products. Overall, we will be sharing the power and brand equity of the interoperable Z-Wave home control products, representing over 200 of the best brands on the planet.
What advice would you have for this year's CEDIA attendees?
Understand the importance of smart home technologies, and what a natural extension they are of the services that you're already providing. This is a completely organic way to expand your business, using techniques and technologies that you're already likely familiar with, such as lighting controls and security controls. With Z-Wave, there's no special programming certifications required, it's affordable for the consumer and profitable for the integrator. If you're not already selling smart home products and services with Z-Wave, you're leaving money on the table.
Mark Walters
Mark, has over 20 years experience in all aspects of electronic product solutions, including a background in product design and development having served as V.P. of Engineering for products as diverse as high-end sound reinforcement, vehicular sensing and controls, premise wiring solutions and automated building controls. Currently, Mark serves as the Chairman of the Z-Wave Alliance, an open consortium of leading global companies dedicated to establishing Z-Wave as the standard in wireless controls. Mark holds bachelor’s degrees in Biology and Chemistry from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a MBA from City University, Seattle
The Z-Wave Alliance
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The Z-Wave Alliance is a consortium of over 250 leading manufacturers and service providers worldwide that are dedicated to interoperable wireless home control products based on the Z-Wave open standard. Z-Wave is a key enabling technology driving the "Internet of Things."