CE Pro January 2022 - 14

Industry Pulse
of different boards over
the years and have met many
colleagues in the industry
that I can call my friends. "
At CES, Lind and his team
typically will have two agendas:
meeting with current
vendors to solidify relationships
and exploring new technology.
Due to the pandemic,
most of the vendor meetings
have already taken place, so
at CES 2022 the NFM team
will be primarily seeking out
new technologies.
" We are always looking
for leading-edge stuff. A few
years ago, it was big, thin TVs
and smart fitness equipment.
We want to find things that
will make a big impact on our
showroom floor, " he says.
For CES 2022, Lind will be
looking at wellness technology,
voice control and lighting
in particular. He cautions all
integration companies not to
ignore the DIY portion of the
smart home industry, which
he cites as the biggest change
in the market he has witnessed
throughout his career.
In-Person InfoComm
Welcomes Back Pro AV
Industry
AFTER 28 MONTHS without an in-person InfoComm show in
North America, InfoComm 2021 welcomed the pro AV industry
back together Oct. 22-29 at the Orange County Convention
Center in Orlando, Fla.
" InfoComm is the home for commerce, networking, and
learning in the AV industry, " states David Labuskes, CTS, CAE,
RCDD, CEO of AVIXA. " It was incredible to be back in person
and play host for AV professionals to help them grow their
businesses, careers, and knowledge base. "
InfoComm 2021 total registrations came to 14,017, with 7,335
total in verified attendance, according to AVIXA. The commercial
and resimercial technology show hosted 254 exhibitors
and spanned across 124,100 net square feet.
In 2019, the last InfoComm before the pandemic, there were
a record 44,129 attendees and 950 exhibitors, meaning the
show was reduced in size by 83.4% and 73.3%, respectively.
Over 90 courses were available, including AVIXA's highly
regarded Certified Technologist Specialist (CTS) Prep Course.
Many AV professionals took their CTS exams at the show,
and a total of 44 professionals earned their CTS, 11 attained
CTS-D (Design), and 15 became CTS-I (Installation), according
to the association. Setting a record, Phil Ayache, President of
Bespoke Technology Group, passed all three exams in one day.
InfoComm 2021 hosted 811 unique attendees in education
sessions, offering a wide variety for commercial integrators as
well as residential custom integrators who do resimercial and
commercial work.
14 | CE Pro January 2022
" More people are becoming
aware of how these
products can improve their
lifestyles. I look at this as a
good thing. Increased awareness
in the home automation
market boosts the opportunity
not only for sales but for
integrated service offerings
as well, " he explains.
Lind believes one of keys
to the success of NFM's
Smart Home Services is fostering
a team concept.
" From our sales teams
to our install and support
teams, we all share a
commitment to service our
customers, " he notes.
When a new category or
product is being considered,
Lind believes the best way
to get full buy-in from your
organization is to establish a
small team to investigate the
technology and then report
back to the larger group.
" That approach gives
everyone a vested interest
in the technology and gets
their full support, " he adds.
-Jason Knott
Leviton Appoints
President & COO
Larizadeh as New CEO
LEVITON HAS NAMED Daryoush
Larizadeh as its chief executive
officer, effective as of December
1, 2021, the company announced.
He will continue his responsibilities
as president and COO, in
addition to assuming the CEO
role, Leviton adds.
Larizadeh takes the reins of
CEO from Don Hendler, who held
the title since 2007 following the
passing of Harold Leviton, whose
father founded the company in
1906, the company notes. Larizadeh
becomes only the fourth CEO
since Leviton's founding 115 years ago.
For the past six years, Larizadeh has overseen Leviton's continued
growth and built on the company's successful history
and culture of innovation, his responsibilities proving especially
beneficial during the challenging pandemic crisis since early
2020. Hendler will now be chairman of the Board.
" Daryoush has been instrumental to Leviton's success as
Daryoush Larizadeh
will be the company's
fourth CEO, a position
held by Don Hendler
since Harold Leviton's
passing in 2007.
president and COO and played a pivotal role in helping to
navigate our employees and customers through a global pandemic, "
states Hendler. " Daryoush's proven performance and
leadership skills will continue to shape Leviton's future as an
innovative leader in the industry. "
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