CEDIA View: Survival of the Fittest Expo Preview

I have found that it is best to have a plan, certainly when it comes to life, but specifically when it comes to CEDIA EXPO. With so much to see and do in Atlanta, now is the time to plan your week. What is most important to you? This year’s Survival of the Fittest program offers you two great benefits for planning your EXPO.

Certifications Demystified
First, I invite you to join our August Webinar, “Increasing Business Opportunities through Certifications: The In’s and Out’s of Certifications,” scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, at 12 p.m. I’ve heard from members who have admitted that they are confused about all the different certifications that CEDIA offers. This Webinar will help you learn more about each of the certification programs, includeing PMP, LEED, Lead, SBCA, Installer, Home Theater, etc.

Ken Erdmann, CEDIA chairman, will facilitate a valuable discussion on the process and benefits of certification. We will hear from several experts, including Paul Eisenhauer, who will explain the EST/ESD program. Dean Callis will discuss the PMP program, and Grant Mydland will clarify the ESPA program. Each expert not only knows these programs, but has first-hand experience on how the certifications are beneficial to their own careers.

The timing of this Webinar is perfect; it will help you make the most of CEDIA EXPO. Registration is now open and this is the time to commit to the educational aspect of EXPO. Even if you don’t plan on attending EXPO, or won’t have time to take all the classes you want, you will still want to attend this Webinar where you’ll hear more about other opportunities to get certified, from CEDIA University on the Road to on-demand or instructor-led e-learning courses.

Panel at EXPO
The second exciting opportunity from the Survival of The Fittest program is the Business Survivability Panel, which will take place on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 10 a.m. at CEDIA EXPO 2009. This event is FREE to all CEDIA members. Last year’s project manager, Keith Cottrell, said that the 2008 panel was “an outstanding opportunity to learn from other members and find out how they have survived and even thrived in this economy.” We had more than 150 attendees last year, and expect this year to be just as popular. Did I mention it is FREE?