Top Italian home technology integrators, installers, manufacturers and distributors find paths to growth and market development at THM Summit.

Oct. 20, 2011 – At the inaugural CEA TechHome Mediterraneo Summit, the top home technology integrators, installers, manufacturers and distributors met for three days to network, share best practices, and find new opportunities and business partners.

The event, held October 3-5 at the Regina Palace Hotel in Stresa on Lake Maggiore, featured General Session presentations on business and technology, Boardroom Presentations from leading industry manufacturers and distributors and one-on-one meetings between attendees and vendors in the Showcase Meeting Space.

“The first CEA TechHome Mediterraneo Summit was a huge success,” says Leonardo Norsa, Executive Director of CEA THM. “The feedback we received was extremely positive, with both attendees and sponsors confirming their commitment for next year’s event.”

Sponsors of the first CEA THM Summit included:

ADEO Group Epson Lutron NuVo Technologies ADEO Screen AMX Art of Music Chief Control4 Crestron

Domotica Integrata HAI HDL HTE Integra Intermark Sistemi srl Lexicon Monster Philips Dynalite Revel

Screenline Screen Research Sistema Casa Somfy SpectraCal

"The organization was flawless and the event is a great opportunity to get in touch with integration professionals," says Simone Ferro of Somfy, which sponsored the event.

The Summit started with the CEA THM Exchange, where Italian integrators and installers met with American integrators and manufacturers to discuss the two markets and explore collaboration opportunities.

The official kickoff of the Summit was the Monday night reception at the Villa Rusconi Clerici, a beautifully preserved late 19th century house situated on the shore of Lake Maggiore. Attendees met and mingled with attendees from the CEA CEO Summit, co-located with the THM Summit.

Tuesday morning began with a Breakfast Keynote from Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®. In his presentation, he discussed new research on the Italian home technology market, strategies for growing the industry, and a sneak peek at the 2012 International CES®.

Attendees then went into Boardroom Presentations, where vendor sponsors discussed new business opportunities, showed off their latest products and answered any questions about potential partnerships.

Tuesday’s luncheon presentation, sponsored by ADEO Group, featured George De Marco discussing "The Arrival of Mass Installed Home Automation," including business models powering this new trend.

On Tuesday afternoon, guests met for Best Practices Roundtable discussions, where they shared techniques they are using in their businesses to grow sales; design, install and service high quality, profitable systems; and to manage their businesses for excellence and superb financial results.

Tuesday evening's reception, Dinner by Design, featured a presentation about the growing yacht integration industry, and opportunities available for home tech integrators to install technology on marine vehicles.

Wednesday morning kicked off with a presentation, sponsored by Lutron, called "Opportunities in Energy Management and Information." Roberto Gamba of Lutron and a panel of integrators discussed the technology and business opportunities available with energy management products and installation.

After the breakfast, guests headed to the Showcase Meeting Space for browsing and one-on-one appointments with manufacturers and distributors. They discovered how new business opportunities apply directly to their company, and found new partners to work with.

The Summit Finale on Wednesday afternoon took a look at the Home Tech industry in 2020. Leonardo Norsa and the CEA THM advisors discussed the current state of the market and made predictions for the market in major product categories.

The inaugural Summit ended with a toast to growing the market, developing new partnerships and friendships, and to business success.

Full coverage of the Summit, including pictures, videos and presentation downloads, is available at http://www.cea-thm.com.

“The words of CEA’s President Gary Shapiro resonated in my mind, inspiring me. Thinking about the event: the roundtable discussions, the atmosphere, the service, it was overall a fantastic experience!” says hosted guest Giovanni Greco, Administrator & System Integrator, GStudio.

The 2012 CEA TechHome Mediterraneo Summit will take place October 1-3, 2012 at the Regina Palace Hotel in Stresa, Lake Maggiore. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Leonardo Norsa, CEA THM Executive Director, at lnorsa@ae-ventures.com or 001.703.879.6614.