This year’s Home Automation Show & Conference, the only international trade event exclusively focused on the business and technology of home automation, combined visionary speakers, a comprehensive conference program, competitive new product demonstrations and announcements to successfully provide attendees with a view of home automation in the new millennium.

"The Home Automation Show brings together the industry leaders, the latest technologies and training, and defines the future strategies for sales, marketing and growth," said attendee Robert McClelland of Home Control Corporation in Roanoke, VA.

The attendees, which included home automation dealers, home theater installers, home systems integrators, architects, interior designers, electrical and HVAC contractors, security dealers and others, viewed the latest products and services from more than 100 exhibiting companies. Technologies ran the gamut from the newest in integrated systems and home automation to home theater and security.

"It’s the only place to see a concentration of HA equipment vendors," stated Matthew Lintula of Control Your Home Inc. in Muskegon, Michigan.

Exhibitors enthusiastically expressed the same view as the attendees. "We increased our product awareness level with many new companies and saw many new customers. We have grown our business because of this show," said Gerry Rooks of X-10 Pro.

In addition to the exhibits, the Conference program also proved impressive, featuring nearly 70 cutting-edge seminars and workshops regarding Audio/Video, Business Management, Energy Management, Home Theater, Lighting Control, Sales & Marketing, Security, Special Interest, Structured Wiring and Systems Integration. Attendees were given insight on topics such as combining security/entertainment and automation, developing a business plan, making homes safe and more capable of saving energy, the basics of X-10 protocol, marketing your company and structured wiring. The Boot Camp Workshop, a full-day of intensive home automation training and development, featured hands-on, behind-the-walls installations and demonstrations.

Special conference program features included the "Intelligent House" Tour, Walt Disney’s Celebration Community & INNOVENTIONS Tour, and a special Keynote Address delivered by Mike M. Paull, Managing Director of Intelligent Home Systems Group at Microsoft Corporation.

Paull delivered the Keynote Address, "The Bits That Bind: Enabling the Infrastructure for Home Automation" during the show’s opening event. Paull’s presence and address was especially apropos because many electronics companies are planning to jointly develop a common software link to control home-electronic appliances from personal computers. The companies hope a common software link application programming interface will spur software developers to write more Windows-based PC programs for home automation.

Plans Announced for 2000 Event

The 1999 Home Automation Show & Conference was sponsored by the Home Automation Association is produced and managed by Association Expositions & Services (AE&S), a division of Reed Exhibition Companies (REC). Next year, AE&S has announced that the Home Automation Show & Conference 2000 will be co-located with the International Security Conference and Expo -- ISC EXPO/Chicago at the renowned Navy Pier exhibition complex, June 21-22. "Market and product integration is the main reason for the shift in positioning strategy for the show" according to Eileen Baird, Industry Vice President, Association Expositions & Services. There is clearly an interrelationship between home automation and security, and to a larger extent interdependency, between the two markets now -- and that trend will only continue to grow. When we looked at how to bring better value to both industries, cross promotion and coordinated timing became the next logical step.

Attendees can benefit from the education value of the two events held in one location. As a critical component in integrated home systems, ISC EXPO will give participants all the tools and resources needed to expand their business into the security market -- the most frequently integrated sub-system. In addition, the co-location will offer the chance to see all the latest advances in both security and home automation at one time.

REC is the world’s leading organizer of trade and public shows with a current portfolio of 335 events servicing 55 industry sectors. A total of 112,000 exhibiting companies take advantage of Reed’s marketing opportunities which attract over 8 million buyers globally.

The Home Automation Show & Conference is one of four Reed security related events. The other events are: the inaugural edition of ISC EXPO/Miami to be held May 4-5, 1999 at the Miami Beach Convention Center; ISC EXPO/New York ‘99 to be held August 31 - September 2, 1999 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City; and ISC EXPO/Las Vegas to be held March 14-16, 2000 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Reed Exhibition Companies is part of Reed Elsevier plc group, one of the world’s leading publishing and information businesses.