CE Pro May 2022 - 10

Industry Pulse
NEWS | ANALYSIS
NYC-Area Tech
Summits Engage
Enthusiastic Crowd
Industry reps, local integrators share in
'amazing vibe' at initial in-person CEDIA
regional events of 2022. By Jason Knott
NEW YORK-AREA integrators
recently helped to " start
spreadin' da news " that after
a two-year hiatus the CEDIA
Tech Summits are back.
Suspended since early
2020 due to the COVID-19
pandemic, the CEDIA Tech
Summits are one-day events
designed for local integrators
to be able to bring their
technicians and other staff.
The first two events in 2022
held in the New York City
metro area were loaded with
high energy.
In all, nearly 400 integrators
combined packed into
the Long Island and New
Jersey one-day events on
March 15 and March 17 to
see products, network with
their peers and attend educational
training for the first
time in two years.
" The vibe is amazing, " says
Dave Silkin, president of rep
company Digital Sales Group
based in Plainview, N.Y.,
speaking at the New Jersey
Tech Summit that was held
at the Renaissance Newark
Airport Hotel on St. Patrick's
Day.
" We haven't seen this
much excitement in a very
10 | CE Pro May 2022
long time. We have a great
turnout. Everybody is asking
great questions and they are
so happy to just see each
other and have in-person
meetings. "
DSG was just one of the
key industry reps that acts
as the centerpiece of the
Tech Summits, driving their
local dealers to attend. The
remainder of the Summits'
spring schedule included
stops last month in Washington,
D.C., and Philadelphia,
plus events in Atlanta
and Charlotte, N.C., slated
for this month. In the fall,
the Summits take place in
Toronto, Denver, California
and Florida.
" I came to the New Jersey
Tech Summit because it
was a good opportunity to
bring some of my technicians
without committing to a
long trip, " says Nick DeClemente,
president of Elevated
Integration in Armonk, N.Y.
" It's a good way mid-year
to reconnect and keep us
all excited about the things
that we do. "
Jody Larsen, director of
business development and
sales at CEDIA, notes, " The
In all, nearly 400 integrators combined packed the March
events held in Long Island and New Jersey.
2022 Tech Summit events
are designed for a company
to be able to bring more
than one person. They are a
one-day event. We kick off
in the morning with a keynote
- this year it's Google
- but we wrap up our day
by 4 p.m. We provide free
education, we provide free
lunch, and we try to make it
as easy for the local integrator
to bring his whole team. "
The CEDIA Tech Summits
also included several educational
courses from the
association covering how to
close out projects efficiently
and how to parlay certifications
with customers.
There were several sponsor
training sessions as well.
The keynote was from
Google (see story, opposite
page), which gave out free
Google Minis to the first 75
attendees.
More than 60 companies
representing a cross-section
of custom industry technology
categories sponsored
the Tech Summits.
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CE Pro May 2022

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