Free webinars in February focus on smart home technology.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
We’ve witnessed technology become such an ingrained part of our lives so quickly, we can hardly imagine — or remember — life without it. Remember when families shared one cell phone? Or when the answering machine actually had a playback tape in it? So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the next wave of technology is coming fast, and professionals who don’t know how to use it, recommend it, or install it will be left behind in the remodeling and building sectors.
NKBA is offering three webinars in different aspects of smart-home technology in February. Each hour-long session provides 0.1 CEU, is free to members, and available for registration at nkba.org.
First up, on Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. (Eastern Time) is “Kitchen and Bath Technology Trends That You Can’t Afford to Miss.” This panel discussion is hosted by Ed Wenck, content marketing manager for CEDIA, the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association, and includes Jamie Briesemeister, sales & marketing director for Integration Controls; Adam Gibson, CMKBD, owner of Adam Gibson Design, and Chris Wright, CR, president of WrightWorks LLC.
The session will cover concepts of home technology integration and automation that have become necessities for comfort, safety and livability in today’s design, building and remodeling markets, and as such, the need for knowledge regarding emerging residential technology trends is imperative. Wenck, a former radio personality, will facilitate the discussion and offer attendees the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge from a kitchen and bath design professional, a remodeler, and a technology expert. With consumer expectations increasing and the inevitability of technology growing, kitchen and bath professionals must keep up-to-date with technology trends. The correct approach can increase profits, save production time and result in satisfied clients, referrals, and trend-setting impressions.
This session will highlight the rapid implementation of new technologies and explore their impact on the design/build community by outlining the most popular emerging technologies and trends available for today’s connected homes. Attendees will learn smart ways to explore current and emerging technology trends and their application to current and future projects; Determine how to use residential technology options to increase profits, save production time, and gain referrals; Establish a comfort level with emerging technologies and ways to communicate this information to clients, and learn “tricks of the trade” regarding the selection of trade partners, budgeting, and the design and implementation process.
This presentation, developed from a research project by Fletcher Building Laminates & Panels Group, was created by the global design team from Formica Group and Laminex. With an ongoing quest to find out what’s coming next, Formica’s global design team strives to anticipate customers’ future needs, and the kitchen of the future.
Kitchens have historically echoed the political, social and economic influence of the times in which they were built. The kitchen has since become the hub of the home. To try to understand how to decipher what the kitchen of the future will be like, Chmiel will explore macro trends, and then discuss directions including Design, Material and Technology with examples of trends like “Drivers,” “Forecast” and “Early Adopters.” After the session, attendees will be able to specify design trends for the kitchen of the future, describe the macro trends of future kitchens as the hub of the home and discuss design, material and technology trends with clients.
Briesemeister returns on Feb. 28 at noon (Eastern Time) for “Home Technology and Its Influence on Design and Life.” In this session, attendees will see how technology trends affect their designs when not incorporated at the right time, and offer suggestions on how designers can initiate the discussion with the homeowner about integrating it, design-friendly solutions and best practices for nearly every project, and when to bring in a professional for consultation.
After this session, participants will be able to incorporate technology into designs during certain phases of the project and learn to ask the right questions of clients and arrive at design-friendly solutions for the project. Finally, attendees will learn to apply the concepts from this session and know when to consult a home technology professional.
The tech boom is only going to get bigger, and savvy design and remodeling professionals won’t want to miss the wave. Register today for these important classes at NKBA.org.
