Explore key trends, AI, energy management, and design at the CEDIA Expo/CIX 2026 Smart Stage.
CEDIA Expo/Commercial Integrator Expo (CIX) is where the residential and commercial sides of the integration industry converge, driving better ideas, stronger partnerships, and a clearer understanding of where the market is heading. The same is true for the CEDIA Expo/CIX Smart Stage.
What is the purpose of the CEDIA Expo/CIX Smart Stage?
The Smart Stage is designed as a forum for the industry to examine key shifts, bringing together integrators, manufacturers, designers, architects, and business leaders to dig into the transformations shaping the market right now—and what they mean for growth, profitability, and competitive advantage.
When will the Smart Stage programming take place?
From Wednesday, Sept. 2, to Friday, Sept. 4, Smart Stage programming will offer attendees diverse perspectives on the technologies redefining projects, the business challenges reshaping operations, the workforce initiatives influencing long-term growth, and trend discussions highlighting excellence across the channel.
What awards and recognition events will take place at the Smart Stage?
In addition to educational programming and industry discussions, the Smart Stage will also host key industry awards and recognition events throughout the week. These include the BEST Product Awards, Integration Awards, Home of the Year Awards, the Women to Watch 2026 celebration, the Best Booth Awards, and Trendspotting, where industry experts share key takeaways and the technologies generating the most momentum across the show floor.
What topics will the Smart Stage sessions cover?
Smart Stage sessions will focus on future-forward opportunities shaping the integration industry. Covering immersive home cinema, energy management, lighting and shading automation, light commercial solutions, and productivity-driving AI tools, the program is aligned with where the market is heading and the areas where integrators are achieving measurable growth.
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence will be a major focus. Sessions will explore how AI is entering the racks, powering intelligent security systems, and helping integration businesses operate more efficiently through tools that automate workflows and save time. Security and connected systems will also be analyzed, evaluating how AI-driven monitoring, edge processing, and smarter surveillance technologies are opening up new opportunities for integrators.
Energy management
Energy management will be another key topic. It will address how power reliability, energy usage, and system performance are becoming increasingly connected, and why energy is emerging as one of the most important considerations in smart home system design. Meanwhile, sessions focused on video and entertainment will explore the continued rise of ultra-large residential displays, video walls, and immersive home cinema experiences that combine high-performance audio and visual design.
Design and aesthetics
Design and aesthetics will be recurring themes throughout the Smart Stage program. There will be sessions dedicated to examining architectural and design-friendly audio solutions, collaboration with architects and designers, and strategies for getting involved earlier in projects through the design-build process. Business growth and diversification will also be covered, detailing how lighting and shading can serve as entry points for larger projects, how integrators can expand into light commercial opportunities, and how companies are adapting their business models as technology and customer expectations evolve.
The Smart Stage is a fundamental piece of the CEDIA Expo/CIX experience. It is where key conversations happen and where industry leaders share the necessary insights to make smarter decisions and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market, says Jason McGraw, group vice president and show director for CEDIA Expo/CIX.
CEDIA Expo/CIX will return to Denver from Tuesday, September 1, to Friday, September 4, 2026.
