Reviewed: CEDIA Region 1 Awards 2013

Over 300 professionals from the custom install industry gathered for last night's CEDIA Awards extravaganza, held at the Pavilion at the Tower of London. The event, hosted by technology broadcaster Emma Barnett and sponsored by AMX, Control 4, Crestron, Kaleidescape and Rako, celebrates the best in system design, installation and integration in the home technology sector. 

The 2013 CEDIA Awards saw a 61 per cent jump in the number of submissions over last year, with entries coming from 15 different countries, including the UK, India and Pakistan. Gary Lewis, Chairman of CEDIA Region 1 said the committee had been "overwhelmed" by the quality of entries this year. "The creativity of the participating companies has shown what is possible to achieve in the current expanding industry. This year's winners have truly set the benchmark higher for next year." Alongside the winners, the judges awarded Highly Commended recognition to projects which reached an exceptionally high standard. Categories included top media room, home cinema, integrated home and superyacht, with some new titles joining the list, including support for energy management.

Tom Barnett, senior director for marketing at Kaleidescape, told Inside CI at the event: "There's a really great energy level in the room, it's really impressive. In the States, the awards presentation would have taken much longer, but this moved along really fast."

For the first time in the history of the CEDIA Awards, one category proved too close for the judges to call, resulting in joint winners for Best Home Cinema Over £100,000. Collecting trophies were 'Cinema Tushchinski' by Dutch integrators De Opera Domotica and 'Luxury Screening Room' by Imagine This. Guy Singleton from Imagine This told Inside CI: "I doubt I'll ever work on a project as big as this ever again. It took two and a half years and every aspect of the build was rigorously scrutinised. It was an amazing experience, but I'm exceptionally proud of the result.'

In the new Showroom category, integrator Finite Solutions took top honours, with distributor Aldous Systems scooping the Training Initiative of the Year gong. Jason Aldous told Inside CI that he was thrilled with the honour. "This means so much to us. I think we've really set the bar when it comes to training and it's fantastic to see all our work recognised." Crestron won the CEDIA Trade Supplier of the Year, chosen by the industry in an online vote.

CEDIA Region 1 Award Winners 2013 in full:
Best Media Room under £15,000: ET Home Cinema
Highly Commended: Sound Environment
Best Media Room over £15,000: Synergy Technologies
Best Home Cinema under £40,000: Finite Solutions
Highly Commended: Doneo
Best Home Cinema £40,000 - £100,000: Lifestyle Technologies
Highly Commended: T&T Automation
Best Home Cinema over £100,000 - Joint Winners: De Opera Domotica, Imagine This
Highly Commended:The Big Picture
Best Integrated Home under £30,000: Lewis Building Technology
Best Integrated Home £30,000 - £100,000: Complete Home Control
Highly Commended: Konnectiv
Best Integrated Home £100,000 - £250,000: Grahams Hi-Fi
Highly Commended: Henri Integrateur Domotique
Best Integrated Home over £250,000: De Opera Domotica
Highly Commended: Sensory International, SMC
Best Marine Installation: Dawsons Group
Best Multiple Scheme for a Property Developer: Perfect Integration
Best Dressed Rack: T&T Automation
Highly Commended: The Big Picture
Best Innovative Solution: Dawsons Group
Best Energy Management Solution: Konnectiv

In addition to the main project winners, awards were also handed out for Best Trade Supplier, which went to Crestron, Best Showroon which went to Finite Solutions, and Best Training Initiative which was taken by Aldous Systems. The award for Best Technology Feature in a Homes/Interiors Publication was won by Emily Senior, for her work in House and Garden magazine.