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The Home Technology Event which takes place at ExCeL London, from 28-30 June is most definitely the place to be for mechanical and electrical contractors and consultants seeking to find out more about the smart home, or residential custom installation, industry and grow their businesses within this fast-growing sector.
“For building services contractors and consultants seeking to learn about the smart homes industry, then a visit to the Home Technology Event is an absolute must” says Show Manager, Cheryl Carroll from Upper Street Events – the organisers of the show. “They can explore the very real business opportunities at the show, see the big brands, get to grips with all the major products and integration technologies, take industry and product-specific training and build relationships with suppliers. In our Hub Seminar Theatre, there are also a wide range of relevant talks led by expert presenters which will help them understand the various technologies, the issues and the sector.”
Dedicated to design
The Home Technology Event is the only annual trade show and education event in the UK dedicated to the design, installation and integration of home electronic systems, including the installation, integration, control and concealment of multi-room audio and TV distribution systems, home cinema, lighting, HVAC and security control, data networks and other electronic sub-systems.
Exhibitors taking part this year include ACA Apex, Aldous Systems, Alltrade, Amina Technologies, Asheridge Communications, AWE Europe, Bespoke Telecoms BPT Security, Brother UK Carlo Gavazzi, ControlFX, Crestron, DPL Electrical, Dymo, EuroNetwork, FS Cables, Future Automation, Futureshop, Genesis Technologies, Gira Giersiepen, Global Cellular, Habitech, Invision UK, LED Lights, Legrand, NEOD, Promax Electronics, Rako Controls, RGB, Redline Sound Solutions, Sensible Heat, Smart-E, Sonos, TDI Tremiver, Technoloje, Unicam, Vantage and Zennio.
New this year will be feature zones and interactive elements which will create a fresh, exciting feel to the show. These include show floor workshops so that manufacturers and distributors can host practical dealer training and demo sessions throughout the duration of the event.
Dedicated room sets also on the show floor will enable companies to showcase and demonstrate their latest products in action in front of visitors in real-world settings. Finally, the Hub Seminar Theatre is likely to prove a major attraction, with big name speakers set to pull in audiences from across the industry. This includes dedicated half day education sessions, specifically for those involved in new build residential and mixed use schemes, lighting design and contracting.
A smart home education
The series of half day talks are designed to help M&E contractors and consultants understand the smart homes market better.
Among the high-profile speakers presenting will be Jim Read, Associate Director - IT and Communications Systems Consultant at global engineering firm, Arup alongside Fraser Stride, Marketing Director at award-winning developers, CITU and Rob Pannell, Head of House Building from the Zero Carbon Hub.
Fraser Stride will present on The Greenhouse: A Lesson in Technology Integration. He will explain how this award-winning, low-carbon apartment project in Leeds makes extensive use of innovative electronic technologies to set a benchmark in sustainable property development.
In a session entitled ‘Are we ready for truly Integrated Technology in the home?’ Jim Read from Arup will explore the burning issues. What functions do modern homes need to support? What systems and services do occupiers really want and what benefits do they bring? Are they commercially viable and do building contractors understand what’s involved and the coordination required for success? Drawing on experience in the commercial buildings sector this session sets out the challenges of justifying, designing and implementing smart building technology as a coordinated part of multi-disciplinary construction projects.
Meanwhile, Rob Pannell from Zero Carbon Hub will talk about the roadmap to zero-carbon homes, and the role that electronic technology can play in cutting energy consumption and carbon emissions in the homes of the future. These three talks take place on the morning of Tuesday 28 June.
Contractors and consultants will also be attracted to the industry experts speaking in the interiors, lighting design and architectural sessions in the Hub Seminar Theatre programme on the afternoon of Tuesday 28 and all day on Wednesday 29 June.
Working with technology
Presenting alongside CEDIA Board member, David Graham from Grahams Hi-Fi, Iris Dunbar will provide an introduction to working with home technology, helping designers to understand the key questions which need to be asked at the briefing stage on a project to achieve a successful and functional interior. Staffan Tollgard and Sean Cochrane will follow with presentations looking at technology issues on live projects. They will argue how important it is to keep aware of the latest innovations in the sector and explain how home technology is capable of enhancing schemes and making designers look great in front of the client.
In the lighting design themed sessions on the afternoon of Wednesday 29 June, Dominic Meyrick from Hoare Lea, Lucy Martin from John Cullen Lighting and Lee Prince from Light + Design Associates will be talking about issues ranging from the use and control of LED’s and the impact of new Building Regulations to new generation lighting design and how ECOLuxury solutions can be achieved with lighting in residential projects. Among a series of architectural talks in the morning on this day, influential architectural firm, ADAM Architecture will be talking about the challenge of incorporating technology into traditional home projects.
“Building services contractors and consultants are hungry for information on the latest TV, home cinema, audio, lighting and other electronic technologies which are now so intrinsic to everyday family life” says Sally Bent, Marketing Manager for the Home Technology Event. “There is unquestionable demand for a better understanding of these systems, the advantages they bring and how they can be effectively included on developments to help create differentiation as well as save energy. This series of talks will help them achieve these very objectives with practical insight provided by experts at the top of their profession.”
Grow your business
Meanwhile, for those contractors looking to migrate their business successfully from electrical contracting into custom installation, or grow their company by partnering with successful custom installation firms, there will be a series of useful presentations, supported by the NICEIC, on Thursday 30 June.
Among the speakers will be Ian Myles from CEDIA member, Konextions, a company which originally began life as an electrical contractor. Tony Cable, Senior Marketing and Events Executive at the NICEIC and Peter Aylett CEDIA’s Director of Professional Development will also speak as part of the programme.
Following each of the talks, contractors and consultants will have the opportunity to take part in a tour of the show floor to familiarise themselves with the key brands and products in the industry.
Places for the seminar sessions are available on a first come-first served basis. To register for the event and for full details of the Hub Seminar programme, please visit www.hometechnologyevent.co.uk
