What Cedia Expo does

CEDIA Expo is an annual trade show and conference organized by Emerald X, LLC that serves the residential systems integration industry. The 2026 edition is scheduled for September 1-4 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO, with over 300 exhibiting brands, 100+ manufacturer product training sessions, 20+ live sound rooms and theater demos, and 22,000 square feet of outdoor exhibition space. The audience consists of systems integrators, AV installers, home automation manufacturers, designers, architects, and IT professionals who discover new products and earn certifications through the CEDIA Education Conference.

The business operates as an event-driven platform monetized through four primary streams: exhibitor booth and floor space rentals, attendee registration (Expo-Only Pass and CEDIA Education Conference Pass), sponsorship packages (featured sponsors include AVPro, Josh.ai, Origin Acoustics, Stealth Acoustics, and URC), and conference/workshop fees with additional charges for certifications such as IST and CIT. Supporting infrastructure includes Cvent for registration, SmallWorld Labs for the exhibitor directory, and AV-iQ for product listings. Marketing and media reach are amplified through partnerships with CE Pro and Commercial Integrator, the Inside Buzz Podcast, and CEDIA Association membership channels.

CEDIA Expo sits within the broader Emerald Holding events portfolio, which is merging with Questex into a new Apollo Global Management-managed entity effective 2027. Under the new structure, the show will rotate between Las Vegas, Orlando, and Dallas. Recent program additions include Destination Outdoors, the IMCCA AI Lab, The Launchpad for new-to-market brands, the Best Booth Awards, and the Day of Discovery for designers and architects, indicating incremental product surface expansion rather than a fundamental business model shift.

Name

Cedia Expo

Legal name

Emerald X, LLC

Website

https://cediaexpo.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CEDIA Expo is an annual B2B trade show and conference, managed by Emerald X, LLC, that brings together over 300 smart home and AV manufacturers with residential systems integrators, designers, and architects for product launches, training, and networking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Show & Conference Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & Innovation Expos Organizers (THAHABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA), Professional & Association Conferences (MPAGAGAB)

Keywords

• Trade show management
• Smart home integration
• Residential AV events
• Professional conference services
• Systems integration exhibits

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Exhibitor Booth/Space Sales: Primary revenue stream from manufacturers and brands renting exhibition floor space. The expo features over 300 exhibiting brands across categories including AV, lighting, automation, security, and networking.
2. Attendee Registration Fees: Revenue from professional attendees purchasing expo-only passes or CEDIA Education Conference passes. Registration is managed through the official registration portal.
3. Sponsorship Packages: Featured sponsors include AVPro, Josh.ai, Origin Acoustics, Stealth Acoustics, and URC. Additional sponsorship opportunities exist for activations and branded experiences.
4. Conference and Education: CEDIA Education Conference sessions, workshops, and certifications. Additional fee for workshops and certifications beyond the base conference pass.
5. Women in Consumer Technology Luncheon Tickets: Ticketed networking luncheon event priced at $75 per attendee, featuring awards presentation and networking reception.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CEDIA Expo operates an annual trade show and conference for residential systems integration professionals, held September 1-4, 2026 in Denver, CO. The event brings together more than 300 smart home, AV, lighting, automation, and security manufacturers with integrators, installers, designers, architects, and IT professionals for product launches, hands-on training, conference education, and networking. Revenue is generated primarily from exhibitor booth/space sales, attendee registration passes, sponsorships, and paid conference/workshop/certification fees.

Product overview

CEDIA Expo is an annual trade show event (not a unified software platform) that brings together the residential systems integration industry. The event features multiple concurrent programming elements including the Smart Stage for thought leadership, the CEDIA Education Conference with technical and business sessions, over 100 Manufacturer Product Training sessions, the IMCCA AI Lab for AI education, Destination Outdoors showcasing outdoor technology, CEDIA Town Hall for industry research, and various awards programs (CEDIA Smart Home Awards, CE Pro BEST Awards, Integration Awards, Best Booth Awards). The Launchpad highlights new-to-market exhibitors. Supporting features include the Women in Consumer Technology Luncheon, Opening Party with CE Pro All-Star Band, Day of Discovery for designers and architects, Live Audio & Home Theater Demos, and a mobile matchmaking app. The show runs annually with over 300 exhibiting brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CEDIA Expo/CIX: Combined branding for CEDIA Expo and Commercial Integrator Expo
• Smart Stage
• Destination Outdoors
• IMCCA AI Lab
• The Launchpad
• CEDIA Education Conference

Products and services

• CEDIA Expo Trade Show Annual trade show bringing together smart home and AV manufacturers with residential systems integrators, installers, designers, architects, and IT professionals for product discovery, launches, and industry networking. Features over 300 exhibiting brands across AV, lighting, automation, security, and networking categories, plus over 100 free Manufacturer Product Training sessions, 20+ live sound rooms, and a 22,000 sq ft Destination Outdoors experience.
• CEDIA Education Conference Multi-track educational conference offering business, technical, and emerging technology sessions curated by CEDIA Association, plus paid workshops and certifications (IST and CIT credentials) for residential systems integration professionals.
• Manufacturer Product Training (MPT) Over 100 manufacturer-led training sessions providing integrators hands-on experience with new products, system design strategies, and integration tips from brands such as ADI, Crestron, Lutron, Samsung, Savant, and Sonos.
• Destination Outdoors 22,000 square foot immersive outdoor innovation experience at CEDIA Expo featuring connected outdoor living solutions, high-performance audio demonstrations from Coastal Source, and smart outdoor lighting from Lutron.
• Sponsorship Packages Featured, official, and activation sponsorship packages sold to manufacturers and brands for prominent positioning at CEDIA Expo, including outdoor co-sponsorships (e.g., Destination Outdoors), featured category sponsorships, and branded activations.
• Women in Consumer Technology Luncheon Annual ticketed networking and awards luncheon ($75/ticket) celebrating women in consumer technology, featuring the WiCT Legacy Award presentations, networking reception (11:30am-12:00pm), and awards luncheon (12:00pm-1:30pm).
• Expo-Only Attendee Pass Attendee registration pass providing exhibit hall access, manufacturer product trainings, Smart Stage sessions, opening party with the CE Pro All-Star Band, and mobile app/matchmaking access. À la carte educational sessions available for additional fee.
• CEDIA Education Conference Pass Higher-tier attendee registration pass providing access to all CEDIA Education Conference sessions; workshops and certifications require an additional fee. Includes all Manufacturer Product Trainings when added during registration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ exhibiting brands in one venue
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, featured and minor.

• Emerald X, LLCcoreOthersEmerald X, LLC is the parent company and show management operator for CEDIA Expo. The company also announced the merger of Emerald Holding and Questex into a new Apollo-managed entity which will oversee the show's future rotation between Las Vegas, Orlando, and Dallas starting in 2027.
• CEDIAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEDIA (The Association for Smart Home Professionals) curates educational content and conference programming for CEDIA Expo. The association also runs the CEDIA Smart Home Awards and provides research insights through the Town Hall session.
• CE ProcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCE Pro is the leading publication supporting CEDIA Expo, curating Smart Stage content and covering industry news. The publication runs the BEST Product Awards and Home of the Year Awards.
• Commercial IntegratorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommercial Integrator is a supporting publication for CEDIA Expo, co-curating Smart Stage content and covering industry news. The publication runs the Integration Awards.
• AVProfeaturedGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured sponsor of CEDIA Expo 2026.
• Josh.aifeaturedGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured sponsor of CEDIA Expo 2026, showcasing smart home AI solutions.
• Origin AcousticsfeaturedGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured sponsor of CEDIA Expo 2026.
• Stealth AcousticsfeaturedGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured sponsor of CEDIA Expo 2026.
• URCfeaturedGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured sponsor of CEDIA Expo 2026.
• Coastal SourceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Outdoor Co-Sponsor of Destination Outdoors, showcasing connected outdoor living solutions including high-performance audio.
• LutronminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Outdoor Co-Sponsor of Destination Outdoors, showcasing smart outdoor lighting solutions.
• ADI GlobalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDistributor providing manufacturer product training sessions covering Control4 platform updates, Wi-Fi design, and lighting controls.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• CES (Consumer Electronics Show): Operated by the Consumer Technology Association, CES is the largest consumer electronics trade show globally. Many CEDIA Expo exhibitors (Sony, TCL, Samsung, Lutron) also exhibit at CES, making it a broader, more consumer-leaning alternative for reaching the smart-home category.
• KBIS (Kitchen & Bath Industry Show): Co-located with IBS, KBIS is the leading US trade show for kitchen and bath designers and remodelers. CEDIA Expo's Day of Discovery program for designers and architects overlaps with KBIS's audience of residential design professionals.
• NAHB International Builders' Show (IBS): Operated by the National Association of Home Builders, IBS is the largest annual light-construction trade show in the US. CEDIA Expo explicitly targets the design/build community via its Day of Discovery program, making IBS a comparable builder-facing venue.

Direct peers

• ISE (Integrated Systems Europe): Owned and operated by AVIXA and CEDIA, ISE is the largest AV and systems integration trade show globally and the international counterpart to CEDIA Expo. Directly competes for the same exhibitor and integrator audiences across residential and commercial integration categories.
• LightFair: The leading architectural and commercial lighting trade show in North America. Lighting controls is a core CEDIA Expo category (Lutron is a key exhibitor at both events), making LightFair a directly comparable adjacent trade show with overlapping sponsors.
• Reece Safety / ISC Security Events (ISC West): ISC West is the leading US trade show for security and access control integration. Security is a stated exhibitor category at CEDIA Expo (DoorBird, Josh.ai security integrations) and the two shows compete for overlapping security-focused integrators and manufacturers.
• InfoComm / AVIXA: InfoComm (owned by AVIXA) is the flagship North American trade show for professional AV and commercial integration. Targets overlapping AV manufacturer and integrator audiences, with stronger commercial tilt but increasing overlap with residential custom integration.

Regional players

• NAMM Show: The leading US pro audio, music technology, and AV trade show. CEDIA Expo features 20+ live sound rooms and theater demos and shares enterprise audio exhibitors (Sonos, Yamaha) with NAMM, making it a comparable US-centric event for the audio portion of the integration stack.

Others

• Mobile World Congress (MWC): Owned by GSMA and operated under a similar B2B trade show model. While focused on telecom, MWC is a comparable large-scale enterprise trade show with similar booth-sales, sponsorship, and conference revenue mechanics relevant to understanding Emerald/Questex-style event portfolios.
• SXSW: A major US-based festival combining technology, film, and music programming. While broader and consumer-leaning, SXSW is a comparable large-scale experience-driven event owned by a corporate parent (Penske Media), illustrating the kind of multi-vertical event venue CEDIA Expo could evolve into under PE ownership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CEDIAExpo_CIX
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCS75IRCW8MocABjU5-c1vsA
• Facebookfacebook.com/cediaexpo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cedia-expo
• Instagraminstagram.com/cediaexpo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cedia Expo