The multi-chapter event focused on the integration of technology and design.
The NKBA held its first regional chapter conference in Dallas last week at CEDIA Expo, the home technology trade show held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Conference Center. The conference, which pulled in from multiple Southwestern Chapters, was a one-day event that featured a highlight of NKBA’s technology trends research, educational programming, lunch, VIP Booth Tours at CEDIA and a networking reception.
The goal of the conference was to help NKBA members understand the role of the technology integrator in the design process, and how this addition to the team early in the process helps avoid costly mistakes later on. With technology becoming an integral part of consumers’ everyday home life and the resulting impact on interiors – specifically the kitchen and bath – partnering with an integrator is increasingly important to the success of a project.
During their discussion at the NKBA regional conference, Giles Sutton SVP Success and Sales at CEDIA, Fishers, IN, and Amanda Wildman, CEO of TruMedia, Ada, MI, talked about the importance of finding a technology integrator who is certified, open to answering questions, offers multiple references and fits comfortably with the design team. “You should find that type of integrator out there that’s willing to be that resource, that’s willing to answer questions and do that dance with you,” said Wildman, adding that it’s also a good bet to find more than one technology partner in case the first choice is booked on another project.
In discussing the relationship between designer and integrator, Wildman pointed out that whereas the designer needs to discover the look, the feel, the touch, the colors for the project, the integrator needs to know the client’s habits and how they function in the space. “If you can get those two pieces to work together, then the experience that your client has will be absolutely out of the park,” she noted. You can watch the full discussion here.
Additional Resources
-For questions to ask clients before you start a project, download here>
-To get a sense of the project’s technology budget, go here>
-To find an HTA certified integrator, go to NKBA.org here>
-To find an integrator via CEDIA go here >
Jamie Briesemeister, CEO of Integration Controls. St. Louis, MO, location, stressed the importance of partnering with a technology integrator before the starting on the project. “Before you open a wall, give me a call”, she told the audience, adding that retrofitting a space after a project is complete is much harder, costlier and really narrows down the set of choices. There are some solutions (like the image shown) that can only be contrived when she’s brought on before the project starts due to the wiring involved within the walls.
“We can do a lot more when we are brought in early…otherwise we are really limited in our solutions,”, said Briesemeister, whose 18 years in the home technology space has enabled her to work successfully with both clients and design teams. Her nearly two decades in the business has also driven her to want to educate and help designers understand that there are better, more design-friendly options for switches, outlets and other “wall acne”. “Today, there’s really no reason for any of that,” she said.
To hear the NKBA podcast hosted by Pamela McNally from CEDIA Expo with Jamie Briesemeister, go here.
