CEDIA Expo 2026 will bring the key trends shaping the new AV integration and residential market to Denver

The evolution of the smart home towards ecosystems where AV, networking, lighting, security, energy, AI and control converge will define an edition that will also strengthen the relationship between the residential and commercial markets.

 CEDIA Expo/Commercial Integrator Expo (CIX) will return to the Colorado Convention Center in Denver from September 1–4, 2026, bringing together integrators, installers, manufacturers, consultants, IT professionals, designers, architects and builders around a market that is no longer limited to the traditional concept of residential automation.

The exhibition will run from September 2–4, while the CEDIA education programme will begin on September 1 and continue through September 3. The organisers expect to welcome more than 14,000 professionals and over 300 exhibiting brands across categories including audio, video, control and automation, lighting, security, networking, connectivity, energy management and design.

For professional visitors, one of the key advantages of this edition will be the opportunity to explore under one roof technologies that are becoming increasingly difficult to approach as separate disciplines.

From residential AV to the connected building

High-end residential projects are incorporating infrastructure and technologies that until recently were mainly associated with professional environments: high-performance networks, remote management, energy storage, cybersecurity, videowalls, advanced lighting systems, access control and monitoring.

At the same time, many solutions originally developed for residential applications are finding their way into hospitality, corporate, retail, leisure spaces, small businesses and other light commercial projects.

This convergence is one of the key strengths of holding CEDIA Expo and Commercial Integrator Expo together. For AV integrators, it provides an opportunity to explore business beyond their traditional markets and assess technologies that can be applied both to premium residences and to small and medium-sized commercial projects.

More products to compare and experience

Despite the amount of information available online, one of CEDIA Expo’s main strengths remains the opportunity to experience technology in person.

The organisers are already highlighting close to 200 new product introductions for the 2026 edition, covering audio and home cinema, lighting and shading, networking and cabling, security, automation and control, digital signage, video, IoT and energy management, among other categories.

The show will also feature 20 dedicated Sound Rooms, together with additional high-performance audio demonstration rooms and experiences. For integrators, designers and specifiers, these spaces provide the opportunity to evaluate systems in conditions much closer to real-world applications and make comparisons that are difficult to achieve through technical specifications alone.

These will be joined by more than 25 first-time exhibitors, as well as the Launchpad area dedicated to emerging companies and new technology concepts.

Artificial intelligence, energy and security move to the heart of integration

One of the most visible developments in the 2026 programme will be the expansion of the smart home concept.

Artificial intelligence will have a cross-sector presence, ranging from systems capable of interpreting behaviour and automating decisions to new applications in AV, security and control platforms.

Energy management is also emerging as a new business area for integrators. Photovoltaic systems, batteries, EV charging, power conditioning, intelligent load management and backup power are turning energy infrastructure into an integral part of the technology design of the connected home.

Security is following the same path towards deeper integration. Video surveillance, sensors, access control, automation and intelligent analytics are progressively moving away from standalone systems and becoming part of the building’s overall technology ecosystem.

Lighting and design open new opportunities for integrators

CEDIA Expo 2026 will also place particular emphasis on lighting, control and shading, an area that is becoming increasingly important in integration projects.

The opportunity goes beyond simply adding another product category. Becoming involved earlier in decisions relating to lighting, architecture and interior design allows integrators to participate at much earlier stages of a project and collaborate directly with architects, designers and builders.

To reinforce this relationship, the event will host the Technology Designer’s Day of Discovery, a programme aimed at architects, designers and construction professionals that combines education, guided exhibition tours and sessions dedicated to invisible integration, wellness, outdoor spaces and design-build collaboration. Participation in the initiative is free for architects, designers and builders.

Education focused on real-world challenges

CEDIA’s education programme is expanding its scope this year with content covering AI and emerging technologies, networking, fibre, cybersecurity, lighting, design, business management and collaboration between the different professionals involved in a project.

Topics featured on this stage will include artificial intelligence, energy management, large-format display technologies, lighting, security, outdoor systems, immersive entertainment, new business models and opportunities in commercial integration.

The conference will also include a keynote from Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney, exploring how creativity, intuition, curiosity and imagination can become professional advantages in an environment increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

The connected home expands outdoors

Another example of the expanding scope of integration will be Destination Outdoors, an approximately 22,000-square-foot experience located outside the Colorado Convention Center.

The area will combine outdoor lighting, audio, control and other technologies for terraces, gardens and entertainment spaces, with live demonstrations. This year’s edition will include a collaboration between Lutron and Coastal Source to demonstrate how lighting, sound and automation can operate as a single integrated system beyond the interior of the home.

A market with increasingly blurred boundaries

CEDIA Expo 2026 arrives at a time when the role of the integrator is expanding rapidly. The job is no longer simply about installing audio, video or automation, but about designing a technology infrastructure capable of connecting entertainment, communications, security, lighting, energy and digital services.

For AV and integration professionals, Denver will therefore provide an opportunity to compare technologies, discover manufacturers, test solutions before specifying them in projects, update technical knowledge and identify new areas of business.

And perhaps that is the main attraction of this edition: the opportunity to see, within a single event, how the boundaries between the smart home, professional AV integration and new connected spaces are continuing to shift.

CEDIA Expo/CIX 2026
September 1–4, 2026
Exhibition: September 2–4
CEDIA Education Conference: September 1–3
Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado