CEDIA’s new Awards and Leadership Conference will take place at the Drake Hotel in Chicago from July 24-25 and early bird tickets are now available.

Targeted at executive leadership, the conference will offer a full day of education seminars followed by the CEDIA awards celebration.

The day will kick off with a keynote address by David Rendall who will provide an unconventional seven-part framework for achieving competitive separation by embracing flaws rather than fixing them. Following that, attendees will have the opportunity to attend two courses that interest them most.

The lunch session will focus on the latest economic and housing forecast, with Metrostudy senior vice president and chief economist Mark Boud.

The afternoon will offer two additional courses to choose from, covering topics such as: attracting and retaining talent; successfully navigating the lighting business; and building a great brand.

CEDIA senior vice president of education and certification Tom Darling says the company wanted to think outside the box in terms of speakers and sessions that would appeal to a wide range of industry leaders.

“The goal was to offer a mix of both tactical and strategic sessions so that there was high-level thinking as well as tangible, quick-to-implement takeaways. From sessions on what’s next in privacy and security, to incorporating wellness products, to succession planning, we’ve developed a program that will provide value to attendees no matter their company’s size or role within the industry.”

Following the Leadership Conference, attendees will have a break before the awards celebration which begins at 8 p.m.

CEDIA senior vice president of industry engagement Giles Sutton says: “The Drake is going to provide such an iconic backdrop to recognise this year’s CEDIA award winners. We look forward to celebrating with our members at this event and all the way through CEDIA Expo.”