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Following up on a recent trip out to Phoenix for an up-close look at the ABB-NASCAR partnership, we sat down with a different division within the ABB umbrella to talk about the implications of electrification. Adam Mease, ABB's Business Line Leader for Electrical Distribution in the Smart Buildings Division, shares how the company is rapidly innovating to meet the power needs of the modern home, as well as the role integrators must play from both an installation and education perspective. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K147DYpi4I

For the last decade, Deako has aimed to provide the best smart home experiences to homebuyers nationwide by ensuring accessible and customizable smart home lighting solutions for everyone. Their innovative product has, in a way, reshaped how homeowners can adopt and maintain smart control solutions. To get a better understanding of the product and the brand, we sat down with founder and CEO Derek Richardson. From the Deako origin story through to today's latest products and solutions, Deako has been focused on making the smart home more attainable and adaptable.

There is no one-size-fits-all method to building and growing a successfull custom integration business. That said, from what Matt Bernath, President of Vital, has seen in his years of working with and coaching CIs, there are many similarities between a company stuck in that $1-2 million range, and those that have gotten over the hump and scaled their business. At CEDIA Expo, Vital was our booth neighbor, and we sat down with Bernath to talk about those challenges and so much more. https://youtu.be/2tatpXJudII?si=t6pXa-2BzTRkt9xd

This past CEDIA Expo in Denver was one of the more active Expo's in recent memory for the team at Wisdom Audio. During the show, we sat down with Joe Walters, the eastern regional sales manager for their team, to talk about some of the new launches, their American-made approach, and much more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFjBN8o1kJo

When we were pulling together our Women of Influence issue of RTT magazine, we knew that there was only one individual best-suited to help expertly craft the content alongside our team. With her background in the publishing business and her innate ability to pull the perfect story out of anyone she sits down with, MaryEllen Oswald was hands-down the best choice to step into this role and offer her influence over the message we were trying to deliver. And she more than excelled. After dropping the issue at CEDIA Expo, we sat down with MEO to recap the experience, talk about her own path through CI, and much more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8HBexgu8Yk

Skyler Meek and the rest of the team at Just Video Walls are just a bunch of former integrators looking to make life a little easier for their custom installation brethren. Their approach and their style results in a winning culture that impacts everything from their bottom line to the relationships that they forge and grow with their partners.

It feels cliche to say, but data truly is king no matter the industry you're talking about. Having strong data can help you forecast how a particular market will evolve, allowing you to position yourself for success in the future. That's exactly why the team at Portal has placed such an emphasis on gathering the best data possible and leveraging it to make decisions that will positively impact their partners throughout the CI channel. We sat down with Josh Willits of Portal to talk about that and more during CEDIA Expo in Denver. https://youtu.be/YkaL255__uY

There are so many nuances and rabbit holes that you can explore when at a show like CEDIA Expo—from the high-end audio world, to video walls, lighting and shading, to media servers and more. One of the hottest topics in recent years has been the methodical rollout of 8K displays and 8K content. While in Denver for the show, we sat down with representatives from the 8K Association and IMAX to talk about the advancements in the space, accessibility of content, mind-blowing demos, and more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbcUZupavh4

After they got done helping us properly install the short throw projection screen that served as the backdrop for our podcast setup at CEDIA Expo, Elite Screens sat down with us for a podcast. During the chat, we dive into the latest advancements in screen technology, what's new with their brand, trends they're following, and more.

Distribution companies sit at a unique intersection of the industries they represent. They see the comings and goings of product, which, when tracked and analyzed properly, allow them to understand which categories, SKUs, etc., are performing best—ergo, they are uniquely qualified to share valuable insights on the ebbs and flows within their particular space. That's why we like to keep close tabs with Dennis Holzer and the team at Powerhouse Alliance. Dennis sat down with us at CEDIA Expo in Denver to discuss the latest trends they're noticing and much more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1FQ_HJb1sI

A show like CEDIA Expo is always going to create a lot of news and excitement around new introductions, and new opportunities for custom integrators. In our chat with Alex Weaver of Legrand AV, we dove into one of the hotter topics swirling around the world of CI—that being light commercial, or resimercial work. Seeing the commercial category make its way into a show like CEDIA Expo speaks to how important and relevant it is in the channel today, and we wanted to understand how Legrand is helping integrators succeed in this booming area, and more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5HiZbHFp_4

Blackwire Designs is a special type of distributor in the CI channel, in that they have a team that's intimately aware of the challenges faced by a custom integrator—because they're all former installers in their own right. At CEDIA Expo 2025, we sat down with Cody Crossland, Vice President, Sales and Customer Service at Blackwire Designs, to explore how they leverage that collective experience both internally and in how they work with integrators and manufacturers. In addition, Cody shares some business updates, and we talk trends in the channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsWYWTT_-Jk

Patrick Coleman and his team at Future Automation & Design have built a reputation of being a very hands-on and white-glove type of integrator. That approach has helped them build clients-for-life and one of the most knowledgeable teams around—all as the business prepares to enter adulthood in its 18th year. Now, Coleman and his team are working on a new initiative to help other integrators learn not only the tricks of the trade, but improve their own customer relations. Their recently redesigned showroom (which we detailed here) includes an active training center that'll allow the group to host rotating classes in their Integrator Academy. The first class, which kicks off in October, will be the start of something special for their business and the entire channel. Learn more about Future Automation & Design here: https://futureautomationdesign.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcoYTiDGQh4

Massive displays and impressive audio might draw all the attention at a show like CEDIA Expo and in the world of custom integration. But the channel wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the products and solutions that come out of a brand like Just Add Power. The brand brought a bunch of new Audio and Video over IP solutions to the event, showing how there's still plenty of innovation to be had from what many might consider a mundane category. https://youtu.be/1cBc96sg5I8?si=rBGlnhmUt5b0WlRw

At CEDIA Expo 2025, Lutron rolled out a massive new partner program that has the potential to change the course of the channel. The first major product to launch out of the program was a collaboration between Lutron and Coastal Source. We sat down with Ben Bard, VP of Luxury Residential at Lutron, to dive into the program, it's intended benefits to the integrator, and much more. https://youtu.be/lZJkr6C_FYM Our CEDIA Expo episodes are supported by and made possible thanks to: The 8K Association | Elite Screens | Hisense | Oasys Residential Technology Group