CEDIA 2007: Highlights from the A/V expo

Thousands of custom designers, installers and home theatre enthusiasts flocked to the Gold Coast last week for the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) trade show, an expo showcasing the latest in home electronics and A/V systems.

Across two halls of the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre, 87 stands had on display everything from waterproof TVs to leather-clad iPod speakers.

NEC also announced at the event a new range of LCD and plasma screens with built-in HD tuners for the home theatre market.

Despite a slight decline in exhibitors compared to last year's show, attendance at this year's expo was up by around 200 people to over 2800 visitors.

Over 50 education courses were offered to CEDIA members to improve their skills in areas such as TV calibration, media servers, projection screens, HDMI basics and home cinema acoustics.

The CEDIA Olympics were held on the second day of the expo, where members competed in events such as who could toss a 20kg amplifier the farthest and who could load a van full of A/V gear the fastest.

CEDIA hosted an awards dinner on Friday night, which included best home theatre and best integrated home installation categories, with price brackets in each ranging from under AU$50,000, between AU$50,000 to AU$100,000 and over AU$100,000.

CEDIA will next be held at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre on 31 July to 1 August, 2008.