CEDIA looks to the future, the future is Amazon
As many of you are aware, CEDIA Expo is currently taking place in San Diego. The floor is pumping, there are lots of new products on show, training is underway and the ~100 Aussies and Kiwis in attendance are getting a glimpse at the direction we will be heading in the next few years.
In the middle of all of this, CEDIA has announced a new initiative with Amazon that will fundamentally shift the way our industry is perceived in the market. (To be clear, this is possibly the biggest announcement to come from the association in a very long time.)
On Thursday (US time), Amazon Smart Home Servies general manager Sarah Zenz gave a keynote address to a roomful of eager show attendees. About half way through her presentation, she dropped the news that CEDIA and Amazon will be working together to bolster the profile of the CEDIA channel through the Amazon website while at the same time using CEDIA’s expertise to grow its Smart Home division.
The first part of this partnership involves exclusive discounts to CEDIA members on the Amazon Business site (simple enough).
The next part will see Amazon profile the work of integrators to its extensive customer database as well as refer customers to integrators in their area to complete more complex installs. This service will only be available to CEDIA-certified integrators, so you really should look to update your certifications now before Amazon launches in Australia.
“This was a decision the Board came to after seven months of debate and negotiation,” explains CEDIA chairman Dennis Erskine.
“This partnership with Amazon will solve two primary concerns held by some of our members. First, this will increase customer awareness of our industry and second, it will go a long way to explain the benefits of using a CEDIA-certified integrator. If you’re not certified, you can’t be part of this intiative.”
Dennis explains that this move is indicative of the member-centric mindset CEDIA has adopted in light of selling the Expo to Emerald Expositions.
“We now have the resources in place to truly focus on our members and help to grow their businesses and our industry,” he says.
“Leveraging Amazon’s platform is too good of an opporutnity to pass on.”
More will follow on this story but be sure to check out this video with Sarah Zenz taken at CEDIA 2017.
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