Appointed as CEDIA’s new CEO after a five-month recruitment process, Vin Bruno came on board in October 2015 – making this his first ISE in his new role. Previously marketing director at Crestron, he brings with him a clear vision of what he wants CEDIA to achieve.
“CEDIA will be the place where consumers come to find companies that can install, upgrade or even repair the technology in their homes,” he asserted. “We’ll have 10,000 licensed technologists. Our name is already synonymous with technology, and that’s something we can leverage.”
He also wants to change a mindset he believes exists that CEDIA is all about the show. “We need to separate CEDIA the show from CEDIA the organisation,” he said. “CEDIA is so much more than the event.” He is also looking for CEDIA to achieve wider awareness in the mainstream technology press.
Beyond that, Bruno sees CEDIA as having a role as a substantial contributor to its members’ profitability – and a key element in that is to expand the business opportunity for its members.
That’s the thinking behind a major project that has been under way, directed by Wendy Griffiths, EMEA executive director for CEDIA, to drive a British standard for structured wiring.
“That’s been a huge investment in both money and resource,” said Griffiths, “but at the end of the process – which will be in around a year – we believe we will have helped ensure that new residential builds will include the necessary technology infrastructure. We’ll be looking to ensure that CEDIA members benefit from that.”
Griffiths noted that, with a British standard in place, a European standard will be more straightforward to achieve.
Stand: 1-F21
