CE Pro April 2021 - 60

EXCLUSIVE RESEARCH
OUTDOOR TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE STUDY

gration companies (64%) anticipating more
outdoor business.
The outdoor market is not for everyone,
but almost. Just 5% of integration companies reported that they did not do a single
outdoor project in 2020. That is the identical
percentage that reported doing no outdoor
jobs in 2019. On the flip slide, 17% of dealers did 21 or more outdoor jobs last year.
That is up slightly from last year's study.
The market for outdoor projects is not
isolated to warm-weather climates. According to the survey, dealers across the United
States, Canada and internationally are performing outdoor installations routinely.
Perhaps not surprising, the highest
concentration of outdoor installations is
among dealers located in Pacific Coast
states of California, Oregon, Washington,
Hawaii and Alaska. The Upper Midwest
states of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan
and Wisconsin also have a strong chunk
of integrators doing solid outdoor work,
while the Rocky Mountain states of Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming,
Idaho, Montana and New Mexico were a
stronghold for outdoor jobs as well.

AUDIO, NETWORKING,
SURVEILLANCE ARE
MOST COMMON

The outdoor market is becoming much
more wide ranging from a technology
standpoint. A decade ago, the common
equipment would have strictly involved
surveillance cameras and speakers and
that's about all. While audio and security
are still among the top dogs when it comes
to subsystems, today's outdoor installations
cover video entertainment, landscape lighting, outdoor shades/privacy/insect screens,
networking and control equipment, and
even smart furnishings and structures.
According to the data, nearly two out
of every three outdoor jobs (65%) involve
audio equipment. Within that category,
obviously buried cable is the most commonly deployed element as it is for projects
including buried in-ground speakers (34%
of projects), followed by above-ground
subwoofers (32%), 70V speakers (30%),
under-eave speakers (29%) and staked satellite speakers (29%). Other types of out60	

NUMBER OF OUTDOOR
PROJECTS IN 2020

COVID-19 EFFECT ON
OUTDOOR BUSINESS

Zero

Diminished
Greatly

5%

21+

17%

1 to 3

25%

11 to 20

Diminished
Slightly

9%

Boosted
Greatly

19%

14%

12%

7 to 10

26%

4 to 6

15%

The median number of outdoor projects
done in 2020 was 10. That is the same
number dealers reported doing in 2019.

No Effect

30%

Boosted
Slightly

28%

For the most part, the pandemic helped
drive some increase in outdoor business,
albeit not dramatically.

Light Up Systems for More Usability,
Uniqueness & Peace of Mind

The use of outdoor living spaces continues to grow, with
homeowners spending more and more on making these
areas beautiful and functional. However, many homeowners
neglect to think about lighting.
Lighting increases the usability of outdoor spaces, makes
properties safer to traverse and more secure from criminals,
and adds uniqueness and beauty.
Because AV integrators are already on property and have
the customer's trust, they have a real opportunity to offer a
more complete service to their customers by incorporating lighting.
However, many integrators are concerned about how to design lighting systems.
Garden Light LED, a U.S.-owned and -operated company, manufactures high quality
landscape and architectural lighting fixtures available, including unique specialty
fixtures ideal for outdoor living.
We are a perfect partner for AV integrators, offering comprehensive support and
instruction - including design-specific guidance - with webinars, lighting plans
and site visits. Our sales kit contains 10 of our most popular fixtures in a variety of
finishes, ideal for showing customers the range of solutions you can provide. You
will rarely wait for product to arrive - we are fully stocked, with items ready to ship
the next day.
Our diverse product line includes multiple styles and finishes. One example is
our exclusive Micro Max, a matchbook-sized, self-contained wonder, available in five
beam patterns and with limitless applications.
Our fixtures are built to withstand extreme weather conditions, manufactured
using CNC machining from 6061 anodized stainless aluminum and raw brass that's
e-coated for a clean, smooth finish. -Bruce Kenison, National Sales Manager,
Garden Light LED

CE Pro 	 APRIL 2021	www.cepro.com

C2104 pp56-72 Outdoor Tech Deep Dive.indd 60

3/10/21 3:13 PM
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CE Pro April 2021

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