“This is kind of our first line in the sand,” he said. “We're going to start tracking trends long term, starting from here.”

CEDIA plans to repeat the market-sizing study every two years, allowing the new methodology to provide a consistent basis for tracking changes in the market.

Integrators expecting growth

Despite the economic pressures facing the industry, the research paints an encouraging picture of business confidence.

Sixty-seven per cent of UK firms expect their revenue to increase over the coming year, while just 6 per cent expect revenue to decline.
Bardach said the expected growth is primarily being driven by increasing customer demand, with some integrators reporting that the additional demand is already happening rather than simply being anticipated.

“There's a lot of optimism,” he said.

The research also found that mid-sized firms account for the largest share of UK market revenue; a contrast with the US, where larger businesses account for a disproportionately large share of revenue.

Lighting identified as the biggest opportunity

When asked where they see the biggest opportunities over the next year, lighting came out on top, followed by home automation, networking and AI integration.

The result was broadly consistent with CEDIA's US research, where lighting was also identified as the leading opportunity, although AI integration ranked particularly strongly in the US market.

The research also highlights the continuing importance of networking to the integrator business.

Media rooms, home networking and integrated control systems were identified among the most frequently installed residential technology solutions.

For whole-house integration projects, home networking was the system most likely to be included, with a significant gap between networking and the next category, audio.

Skilled labour remains the biggest challenge

While the revenue outlook is positive, finding suitably skilled people remains the industry's biggest concern.

Almost a quarter of firms identified skilled labour availability as their biggest current challenge, closely followed by increasing costs.

AI is already changing the industry

Perhaps one of the most significant findings from the new study is the speed at which AI is entering the professional installation business.
A whopping 83 per cent of respondents said they had increased their use of AI within their own businesses, while 51 per cent reported an increase in customer requests for AI-related products.

Despite the growing interest in AI and specialist software, one of the more surprising findings was that Microsoft Excel remains the most widely used tool for quotes and sales management.

WeQuote followed with a 30 per cent response, ahead of Visio and various in-house solutions.

Ubiquiti, Lutron and Sonos lead brand preferences

The research also provides a detailed look at brand preferences across the UK CI market.

Ubiquiti was identified as the leading networking brand, followed by Ruckus.

For lighting fixtures, Orluna was identified as the leading brand, followed by Arc LED and Collingwood, while Sonos led the in-room speaker category, followed by Monitor Audio and Bowers & Wilkins.

The wider results included Control4 and Crestron in integrated control, Lutron in lighting control and shading, Denon and Anthem in AV processing, Blustream and Control4 in AV distribution, Sonos in multi-room audio, and Sony, Samsung and LG among display brands.
Sony and JVC were identified among the leading front-projector brands.

Should cinemas and media rooms be one category?

The presentation also prompted an interesting debate over how the CI industry itself should be measured.

One attendee at the event, questioned CEDIA's decision to separate dedicated cinemas and media rooms within the research.
“I think that hides the scale of the category,” he argued.

“The product set is largely the same, the skill set is largely the same, and actually customers… have no idea what the difference is between a dedicated room and a media room.”

He suggested that combining the categories would make them the largest category within the study. Bardach acknowledged the point, explaining that CEDIA had consulted with industry members when developing the categories, but that decisions had ultimately needed to be made.

Is it time to include light commercial?

Another question highlighted the changing nature of the integrator's role, given that many companies operating within the residential CI sector are also working on projects involving bars, restaurants, clubs and hospitality.

“For the moment we're only focused on residential,” Bardach explained, while adding that commercial was not necessarily ruled out for the future.

The longer-term ambition for CEDIA's research programme is considerably bigger than the UK study.

The US and UK research has been carried out using the new methodology, with India next in line, followed by a Europe-wide study planned for 2027 and Canada expected in late 2027 or early 2028.

The objective is eventually to be able to compare markets using the same methodology.

“Once we have that, then we can really do some exciting stuff comparing and contrasting markets,” said Bardach.

“The end goal” is a worldwide comparative view of the professional smart home industry, with the same questions, scales and methodology used across territories wherever possible.

The full report can be downloaded from CEDIA’s website here.

I’ve been coming to CEDIA shows for a very long time and, for much of my career, I’d arrive with a fairly fixed agenda. There would be brands to represent, customers to entertain, meetings booked from morning until night and usually a team of people around me.

This time I had a bit more freedom. I was there to meet people, look at what’s happening, have conversations and, perhaps more than I’ve done in the past, just walk the show and take it all in. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’ve recently written about my first trip to India and how interesting it was to experience an AV market I’d never visited before. Denver obviously couldn’t have been more different, but I found myself doing much the same thing: talking to people, listening and trying to understand how they’re feeling about the market and where they think things are heading.

I don’t think anyone is pretending it’s easy out there at the moment. Business is challenging in many parts of the world; manufacturers are having to think carefully about where they spend their money and integrators have more choice than ever.

Which made something about CEDIA particularly noticeable. There were still manufacturers spending serious money to be there and, more importantly, making a real effort to demonstrate their products properly.

I’ve always loved that about our industry. Some products can be understood from a photograph and a specification sheet. Great AV isn’t always like that. Sometimes you need to sit in the room, close the door and experience it.

There were some outstanding demonstration rooms in Denver and quite a few occasions where I found myself thinking about just how far we’ve come. I don’t want to turn this into a list of who had the biggest room, the most speakers or the latest piece of technology because there are plenty of show reports that will do that far better than me. What interested me was the commitment.

Building these rooms isn’t cheap. Neither is shipping everything to a show or bringing in the right people to design, install and demonstrate them. So, I found it encouraging to see companies continuing to invest and effectively saying, come in and experience what we’ve built.

One company I will mention is Kaleidescape. I have a long history with the brand from my distribution days, and it was great to see the grand exhibit they had created right on the show floor. It was difficult to miss and felt like a confident statement from a company continuing to invest heavily in our industry.

That sort of thing matters. Trade shows need a bit of theatre. They need companies prepared to make an effort and give people a reason to stop, look, listen and talk. Walking around Denver, I thought there was still plenty of that.

There was obviously a lot of new technology too, but perhaps I’ve reached an age where the words “new technology” on their own don’t excite me quite as much as they once did. I’m more interested in what it actually does and whether it makes something better.

Does it improve the experience, help an integrator design a system more accurately or make something easier to install and use? If it does, I’m interested.

One thing I noticed was how much more intelligent the technology surrounding the products is becoming. We’re getting better at modelling rooms, predicting performance and dealing with potential problems before an installation is completed. Processing continues to become more sophisticated and we’re finding increasingly clever ways of getting remarkable performance from systems while hopefully making them simpler for the person who ultimately has to live with them.

Displays continue to get bigger, thinner and more impressive. Audio continues to move forward and the quality available from professionally designed systems is extraordinary. Some of what we now accept as normal would have looked fairly ridiculous if somebody had shown it to me when I started in this industry.

And then, inevitably, there’s AI.

I’m fascinated by it, although I think we’re still working out where it genuinely adds value and where somebody has simply added the letters AI because they think they should. I suspect some of its biggest impact on our industry may eventually happen behind the scenes, helping people design, programme, diagnose, predict, communicate and generally remove some of the repetitive work that consumes time.

I certainly don’t see it replacing the knowledge of a great designer, engineer or integrator. Used properly, I think it will make them even better at what they do.

But for all the technology in Denver, my favorite part of the week had very little to do with products. It was the people.

One of the slightly strange things about having been in an industry for more than 35 years is walking around a trade show and realising just how many people you’ve accumulated along the way.

I caught up with people I’ve known for decades, some of whom have created brands and technologies that helped shape the industry we work in today. I met plenty of newer faces too and had some fascinating conversations with manufacturers and integrators about what they’re doing and where they see the opportunities.

That’s the bit of a trade show I still don’t think you can replace. We can all jump on Teams, watch product launches online and probably conduct a perfectly respectable business relationship with someone on the other side of the world without ever meeting them. But it’s not quite the same as bumping into somebody on a show floor, grabbing twenty minutes together and having a conversation that wasn’t in the diary.

This year I also joined CEDIA.

Having worked in the industry for as long as I have, I’ve obviously known CEDIA and many of the people involved with it for years, but this was the first time I’d experienced the show properly as a member.

The team made me feel incredibly welcome and Matt and Wendy in particular went out of their way to introduce me to people they felt I should know. Those introductions weren’t simply a case of collecting a few more business cards. They introduced me to individuals who could potentially help Directly AV with what we’re trying to achieve, creating opportunities for the brands we work with in the US and ultimately around the world.

I’ve heard people over the years question the value of belonging to organisations such as CEDIA. Having now experienced it from this side, I think anyone who doesn’t see the benefit of their CEDIA membership probably isn’t utilising it properly.

Talk to them. Tell them what you’re trying to achieve. Ask for introductions and get involved. That’s what I did in Denver and the value was obvious.

My personal highlight of the trip actually happened away from the CEDIA show floor.

My good friend Wendy Griffiths had asked me to say a few words before she received an Inspiration Award at the Women in Consumer Technology event. I’ve known Wendy for more than two decades, so being able to talk about her contribution to the industry before watching her receive the award was genuinely special.

The CEDIA Awards was another reminder of what I like about this business. Amanda Wildman gave a beautiful and moving speech, I spent the evening sitting with Dan Goldstein, who is just a lovely guy, and every trip across the room seemed to involve stopping to talk to somebody else.

At some point during the week I put something on LinkedIn along the lines of, “I bloody love this industry.”

I do, and I’ve realised over the years that a large part of the reason is the people.

Having a little more freedom to walk around Denver also gave me time to think about some of the challenges we face. There are an extraordinary number of good products competing for attention.

I’ve seen great products succeed during my career and I’ve seen equally great products disappear. Often the difference hasn’t been the engineering. It’s been whether enough people knew the product existed, understood why it was different and had the confidence to specify it.

I think that’s getting harder.

An integrator can only support so many brands. A manufacturer can only attend so many shows and a smaller manufacturer with a genuinely clever product doesn’t necessarily have the marketing budget or international sales infrastructure of the company on the stand next door.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I think that’s an interesting challenge for our industry. How do we make sure good ideas can still find their way to market? How do manufacturers reach integrators efficiently? And how do integrators discover products that might genuinely improve their projects without having to wade through hundreds of brands to find them?

Those are conversations I found myself having quite often in Denver.

Maybe that’s partly because I’m looking at the industry differently these days. After spending most of my working life inside established businesses, I’m enjoying being able to stand slightly further back and ask questions I probably wouldn’t have asked ten years ago.

Despite the challenges in the market, I didn’t fly out of Denver feeling negative about it. Quite the opposite. I saw manufacturers continuing to invest, some fantastic technology, brilliant demonstrations and people finding better ways of doing things we’ve been doing for years.

Most importantly, I saw an industry that still seems to enjoy getting together.

Next year CEDIA Expo moves to Las Vegas, which will undoubtedly give the show a different feel. Denver has been a good home for it and I’ve enjoyed my trips there, but change isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I’ll certainly be interested to see what Vegas brings.

For now, though, I flew out of Denver with pretty much the same feeling I had while I was there.

After 35-plus years, I still love this industry. The technology is incredible, but the people are even better.

Bass done properly

No serious cinema system is complete without exceptional low-frequency performance.

The company offers an extensive range of passive and active subwoofers, with options scaling from compact models through to enormous dual 18-inch designs intended for the largest private theatres, all conceived to deliver clean, controlled bass.

Of course, technical presentations only tell half the story. The highlight of our day was undoubtedly spending time in CAVD's dedicated demonstration room.

Here, the system comprises Krix MX20 loudspeakers supported by multiple Cyclonic subwoofers, powered by an Audio Control Hyperion Processor and Origin Pro amplifiers. Video is via a JVC DLA-NZ900 projector and acoustically transparent projection screen.

We ran through a selection of movie clips and music to showcase exactly what the system was capable of.

Dialogue always remained crystal clear, effects moved seamlessly around the room and LFE was both powerful and incredibly controlled. Even during demanding action sequences, the system never strained.

Atmos music clips were equally revealing, creating a genuinely immersive experience that highlighted just how effective a properly designed cinema system can be.

Designed with installers in mind

As expected with an audience full of professional integrators, discussions quickly moved beyond products and into installation techniques. Topics ranged from overcoming shallow UK ceiling voids for immersive audio installations to practical advice on baffle wall construction, cable management and future-proofing projector infrastructure.

Several attendees also discussed industry standards, RP22 recommendations and the future role of CEDIA, leading to some lively, but constructive, debate about maintaining installation quality across the industry.

Moving forward, Krix says it doesn’t want to focus on sales volume alone. It wants to create a knowledgeable dealer network built on training, demonstration facilities and technical competence.

A proposed Cinema Circle programme would prioritise education and support over traditional sales targets, rewarding dealers who invest in product knowledge and customer experience rather than simply shifting boxes.

It's an approach that felt very much in keeping with the rest of the day's message.

Having spent the day with the CAVD and Krix teams, it's easy to understand why the brand has developed such a loyal following. Every design decision appears to stem from decades of commercial cinema experience rather than marketing trends, resulting in products engineered to solve genuine installation and performance challenges.

Whether discussing horn design, baffle walls, room sizing or dealer support, everything came back to delivering a more authentic cinema experience.

Built by cinema people, for cinema people. That’s Krix's philosophy.

Inside CI would like to thank the teams at CAVD and Krix for their hospitality and for delivering an engaging, informative and refreshingly honest training day.

Developed through Sonos' most extensive dealer research programme to date, Amp Multi translates real installer feedback into practical advantages, with insights on performance, setup, usability and integration shaping its design to directly solve industry needs. The result combines faster deployment, intuitive system configuration and flexible multi-zone audio management to form a one-of-a-kind multi-channel amplifier built specifically around the needs of industry professionals.

Built for installers, with installers

More than 1,000 conversations with dealers and customers including feedback from 790 professional integrators helped shape Amp Multi’s design and feature set.

One of the clearest messages Sonos heard from installers was that efficiency matters, so Amp Multi has been engineered with this in mind. Configuration is straightforward as Amp Multi offers intuitive, PIN-free setup through the Sonos app, supporting a faster installation process. Smart default settings and clear front and rear LED indicators help installers get systems running quickly and efficiently, reducing complexity and allowing more time to focus on delivering the best possible outcome for the client.

Its rack-friendly form factor, optimised cable layout and dedicated rack mount accessory further simplify deployment, helping installers create clean, organised installations while making the most of valuable rack space. Even the packaging Amp Multi arrives in has been designed to reduce waste and speed up the installation process from the moment the product arrives on site.

Flexibility for every home

Every project is different and no two homes have identical requirements, so while ease of installation is critical, professional installers also need flexibility.

Amp Multi provides the tools integrators need to customise audio performance across a wide range of applications. ProTune manual tuning controls enable precise speaker optimisation, while flexible zone assignment allows systems to be configured according to the unique needs of each property. Four native Sonos streams support simultaneous playback in multiple areas, creating seamless whole-home audio experiences without adding unnecessary complexity.

The amplifier is also designed to integrate smoothly into existing ecosystems. Compatibility with major control platforms, leading streaming services and the wider Sonos platform enables installers to deliver consistent user experiences throughout the home while leveraging technologies clients already know and trust.

Keeping cool under pressure

Thermal management was identified as a major priority during Sonos' research, leading to the incorporation of next-generation Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology within Amp Multi. This approach enables higher output with lower energy consumption while supporting long-term performance and system stability. The hardware has also been designed to maximise airflow and thermal efficiency while passive, fanless cooling helps maintain quiet operation.

A product of partnership

The dealer community made one thing clear: the CI channel was waiting for a next-generation multi-zone amplifier from Sonos that reduced install complexity without compromising performance or the Sonos experience. Amp Multi is the answer to their questions. Amp Multi reflects Sonos' ongoing commitment to the professional installation community. By engaging dealers earlier and more deeply during product development and applying their real-world feedback, Sonos are finding even better ways to bring their shared mission of great sound in the home to life.

Performance you can depend on

For integrators looking to deliver high-performance multi-room audio while improving installation efficiency and maintaining flexibility, Amp Multi offers a solution built specifically for the realities of modern residential projects. It’s fast to deploy, simple to scale, and engineered for the long run. By combining professional-grade functionality with streamlined deployment and the familiar Sonos experience, it provides a practical foundation for the next generation of whole-home audio installations.

Order today from Alltrade

Watch our First Look video HERE 

For the first time in years I wasn’t caught up in the day-to-day demands of running a business. I had time to think, listen and reflect.
What I realised was that it was never the industry I’d fallen out of love with. I just needed to recharge.

The last few months have reminded me why I’ve always enjoyed this business so much. It’s the people, the relationships and the opportunity to help businesses succeed.

That’s what brought me back.

Stuart: So what does a break teach someone who’s spent most of their career in AV?

Mike: How lucky I’ve been. You don’t always appreciate the relationships you’ve built until you step away from them. The number of phone calls, coffees and messages I’ve had over the last few months has genuinely humbled me.

It reminded me that products change. Businesses evolve. Technology moves on. Good relationships don’t. That’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve taken from the last year.

Stuart: You’ve been talking to a lot of manufacturers recently. What have those conversations told you?

Mike: That there isn’t one model that’s right for everyone. That every manufacturer is different. Some need technical support, warehousing, finance, training and everything that great value-added distribution provides. Others are looking for something completely different.
They might need help telling their story, communicating more effectively, growing in new territories or building stronger relationships with integrators.

That’s really what I’m building my business around. DirectlyAV is part of that, but it’s not the whole story. I’ll be supporting different manufacturers in different ways depending on what they actually need.

Stuart: Let’s talk about DirectlyAV then. Is it a technology platform or is it really about something bigger?

Mike: The technology is important because it removes friction. But technology has never built a lasting partnership, people do. I’ve always enjoyed introducing good people to each other, helping businesses communicate better and creating opportunities that might never have happened otherwise.

DirectlyAV gives me another way of doing that.

For some manufacturers it’ll provide a direct route to carefully selected integrators through a modern platform. For others, my involvement will be much more about marketing, business development, communication and helping them build stronger relationships within the industry.
The common thread is always the same.

Helping good businesses become even better.

Stuart: Some people reading this will inevitably think you’re trying to upset the traditional distribution model. Are they right?

Mike: Not at all. In fact, I’d say exactly the opposite. Distribution has played, and will continue to play, an incredibly important role in our industry. There are many businesses delivering exceptional value through technical support, logistics, finance, stockholding and training.
That model absolutely has its place.

What I’m saying is that our industry has evolved. There are now some manufacturers who want a different route to market. Some want closer relationships with integrators. Some simply want to communicate better.

Some are looking for a model that allows products to remain competitively positioned once they reach the end customer. That doesn’t make one model right and another wrong. It simply means manufacturers deserve choices.

Stuart: So what problem are you actually trying to solve?

Mike: Sometimes great products become difficult to justify because too many layers are added before they reach the customer. That isn’t a criticism of anyone - it’s just commercial reality.

Where it’s appropriate, I’d like to help manufacturers build closer relationships with integrators, give dealers the opportunity to improve their margins or simply keep retail pricing sensibly positioned.

If we can achieve that while maintaining excellent service and support, everybody wins.

Manufacturers become closer to their customers.Integrators become more competitive. End users receive better value. That’s good for the industry.

Stuart: Listening to you, it feels as though relationships are still at the centre of everything you do.

Mike: Always. Technology should remove friction, it shouldn’t replace relationships. I’ve always believed that the strongest businesses are built on trust long before they’re built on transactions. That’s never changed.

Stuart: You’ve always been someone who enjoys helping people succeed. Is that still what gets you out of bed on a Monday morning?
Mike: Without question. I love making a difference in people’s lives.

Whether that’s helping a manufacturer grow, supporting an integrator, introducing two people who go on to build a successful partnership or simply helping someone become the best version of themselves.

That’s what motivates me. Business has never just been about products. It’s always been about people.

Stuart: Five years from now, what does success look like?

Mike: Honestly? Not turnover. Not the size of the business. Success will be knowing we’ve built a community and a platform that genuinely helps manufacturers and integrators. Something that makes doing business easier. Something people enjoy being part of.
If we achieve that, I’ll be very proud.

Stuart: And in ten years?

Mike: I’d love to see DirectlyAV thriving without me needing to be involved in every decision. That would tell me we’d built something genuinely valuable.

The platform itself is exciting, but that’s not the magic. The magic is creating something that consistently benefits the people using it. If it becomes bigger than me, then we’ve done something right.

Stuart: Final question: you’ve had some successful chapters in your career already. Why start again?

Mike: Because I genuinely believe I can still make a positive contribution. I’ve never been driven by titles. I’ve never been motivated solely by numbers.

What excites me is helping people, supporting good businesses and building relationships that last. If DirectlyAV, and the wider work I’m doing with manufacturers, helps move our industry forward in even a small way, then I’ll consider that a success.
Most of all though…

It’s simply great to be back!

Continue the conversation
To coincide with this interview, Mike has released a short film introducing the thinking behind DirectlyAV and the philosophy behind the business. If you’re a manufacturer, integrator or industry professional interested in exploring new ways of working together, Mike would be delighted to continue the conversation.

After all, as this interview makes clear, that’s where the best ideas usually begin.

That principle would become even more evident elsewhere on the show floor, where two of the industry's most recognisable loudspeaker manufacturers unveiled significant new flagship ranges aimed at very different audiences…

Read part three of our High End Vienna show report here

Read part two of our High End Vienna show report here