CE Pro July 2024 - 4

From the Editor
by Arlen Schweiger
CEDIA Chair Has Sights Set
on Innovative Industry Growth
[Alex]
Capecelatro
would seem
to be an ideal
person to do the
job - after all,
he was several
years ahead
of the rest of
the industry on
seeing where
AI was heading
and even put it
in the company's
name.
AS THE CUSTOM INTEGRATION industry
evolves, so too must its leading association.
It's a good thing CEDIA has entrusted its
executive leadership to be chaired by Alex
Capecelatro, someone who knows a thing
or two about staying ahead of the technology
curve.
You probably know Capecelatro from
Josh.ai, which he co-founded and has
brought purpose-built voice control to the
industry while also expanding into remote
controls.
The company was on the cutting edge
when it launched, and as a visionary the
CEDIA Board of Directors Chairperson
Capecelatro would seem to be an ideal person
to do the job - after all, he was several
years ahead of the rest of the industry on
seeing where AI was heading and even put it
in the company's name.
Capecelatro has been involved in CEDIA
for years. After volunteering for years,
he accepted a leadership role as Treasurer
heading up the Finance Committee, then
joined the Governance Committee and later
the Executive Search Committee which
hired CEDIA CEO Daryl Friedman, and then
in 2024 was elected Chair.
As the new Board Chairperson, Capecelatro
is already setting his sights on steering
the association ahead and continuing his
efforts to make the industry attractive to
Arlen Schweiger is
Editor-in-Chief of
CE Pro. He can
be reached at
arlen.schweiger@
emeraldx.com and
@ArlenSchweiger
on LinkedIn.
future techs and project managers, etc.
" Although the year is still early, there has
been a lot of change already happening!
This year CEDIA had its first Lobby Day in
Washington D.C., doubling down our focus
on advocacy and fighting for the rights of
our members, " Capecelatro notes.
" In addition, CEDIA made a big decision
to leave Indiana (note: CEDIA still owns the
building, but the team is distributed and remote)
for the first time I am aware of, holding
its first board meeting in Washington
4 | CE Pro July 2024
D.C. earlier this year, its first Global Offsite
in Indy, and the June board meeting in L.A.
where we are connecting with and hosting
local members for a VIP reception. "
He says that the focus on getting out and
seeing members where they are is adding an
exciting new dynamic for CEDIA. In addition,
these moves have opened up the training
facility in Indianapolis to be utilized by
HTSA to further help advance the industry.
The association also has plans in the
works to roll out an initiative that helps give
back to the community, so keep your eyes
out for that in 2024 as well.
Plus, CEDIA rebranded the Tech Summits
to the CEDIA Tech + Business Summit this
year with a focus on education and helping
businesses connect with experts to grow
and learn. Toward that end, CEDIA just hired
a new Vice President of Education & Training,
Paul Dolenc.
" I am excited about doubling down on
our focus of 'ACE' - Advocacy, Connection,
and Education, which our Global President
& CEO Daryl Friedman has been leading
with, " he comments. " This means improving
the way we build and educate the community,
building on our government advocacy
work, and making sure to improve and grow
events like the Tech + Business Summits,
regional gatherings, and some new initiatives
we aren't quite ready to share publicly yet. "
He's also enthusiastic about the hiring
of Mitch Klein as Vice President of Business
Strategy to help CEDIA uncover new
opportunities; and work more closely with
stakeholders like buying groups.
" CEDIA has transformed over the last
several years and continues to improve with
an exceptional board, amazing staff, and
strong leadership. I'm excited about the
new programs in place, our focus on ACE,
and our mission to make this a more robust,
thriving, and connected industry. "
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CE Pro July 2024

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