AV Trade Talk

In this episode of AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett sits down with Alexa Centeno, co‑owner of Systems Design & Integration (SDI Boston) and founder of the new VELLA HAUS franchise, to explore how premium home staging and home technology come together to sell faster, sell higher, and create lifelong clients. Alexa shares her journey from integrator to stager (without leaving integration behind), the moment a $10M project setback became rocket fuel, and why she’s taking her staging brand national.
You’ll hear about:
How SDI evolved from hanging TVs to delivering 20,000‑sq‑ft smart estates with lighting control, theaters, outdoor lifts, motorized shades, voice control and more.
The origin story of VELLA HAUS: turning a last‑minute “no” into a thriving staging business that completed 77 homes last year—and the systems she uses to scale.
Staging with real tech to create emotion and demand: framed displays, full theater seating with screens and speakers, landscape audio, and why these experiences become powerful AV lead generators.
Education as a differentiator: helping builders plan for shade pockets, lighting, and infrastructure—so design and technology align from day one.
The big announcement: VELLA HAUS has launched and is now accepting franchise applicants for a national luxury home staging franchise with protected territories—starting in Massachusetts—and a highly selective (≈1%) award process. Who they’re looking for and how to raise your hand.
A peek inside SDI Boston’s experience center: a Listening Room for cinema demos, an Experience Room showcasing Lutron, Ketra, Leon, Coastal Source, outdoor living, and more—curated to inspire designers, architects, builders, and homeowners alike.
Highlights from Katye’s CEDIA Expo Smart Stage panel on design‑tech collaboration featuring Toni Sabatino (Toni Sabatino Style), Caitlin Stewart (Leon Speakers), Frank DeFilippis (Sonos), and Alexa Centeno (VELLA HAUS), and what those conversations signal for integrator–designer partnerships.
Whether you’re a designer, integrator, builder, or realtor, this conversation offers practical ideas for teaming up, differentiating your projects, and creating unforgettable client experiences before, during, and long after the sale.
#avtradetalkpod

AV Trade Talk: Exploring CEDIA Expo with Jason McGraw
In this episode of AV Trade Talk, host Katye McGregor Bennett sits down once again with Jason McGraw of Emerald to dive deep into everything you need to know about CEDIA Expo and its host city, Denver, Colorado.
Jason shares insider insights on what makes this event such a cornerstone for the custom integration community, including:
The latest technologies and innovations in audio, video, lighting, control, energy management, and more.
The growing overlap of residential and commercial integration through the co-located Commercial Integrator Expo.
Must-attend sessions, keynotes, and networking events that make the show both a business builder and a community gathering.
Why bringing younger and newer team members, design-build partners, and even students can help alter the future of the industry in a positive way.
And of course, tips for making the most of your time in Denver—from iconic venues and local dining to after-hours parties, live music at Red Rocks Amphitheater, MLB Baseball at the ballpark, and all sorts of fun outdoor adventures.
Whether you’re a longtime attendee, a first-time visitor, or just curious about how the AV industry connects and collaborates, this conversation offers valuable takeaways about maximizing trade show experiences and building stronger ties within the integration community.
Tune in for a lively, informative discussion that captures the excitement, energy, and opportunities that CEDIA Expo—and Denver—bring to the table, year after year.
 
#cediaexpo #avtradetalkpod #hometechnology

AV Trade Talk: Mastering Connectivity Series, Episode 5 — HDMI 2.2: Engineering the Future of AV Infrastructure
The future of audiovisual connectivity is here — and it’s doubling down. In Episode 5 of the Mastering Connectivity Series, produced in collaboration with Kordz, AV Trade Talk host Katye McGregor Bennett sits down with Kordz Managing Director James Chen and Operations Director Benjamin Yeh for an exclusive deep dive into the newly released HDMI 2.2 specification.
With a staggering data rate leap from 48Gbps to 96Gbps, HDMI 2.2 represents a seismic shift in AV performance and infrastructure requirements. But what does this mean for integrators, manufacturers, and tech-savvy end users? Our guests unpack the opportunities, the engineering challenges, and the road to certification that lies ahead.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why HDMI 2.2 is more than just a spec update — it's a generational leap toward 8K, 16K, and ultra-high frame rate applications.
The critical role of new cabling and testing standards, and why Kordz takes a deliberate, engineering-first approach to product development.
What integrators should really be doing today to prepare — including how to design for upgradeability and avoid the hype trap of premature marketing claims.
Which industries will benefit first, from immersive gaming and VR to surgical suites and high-end simulation environments.
How to spot quality HDMI cable.
James Chen and Benjamin Yeh emphasize a powerful takeaway: HDMI 2.2 is a spec for tomorrow’s experiences, not today’s quick sales. Certification timelines, strict performance requirements, and precise manufacturing mean that planning and patience will win the day.
Whether you're an AV integrator, system designer, or technology enthusiast, this episode offers essential insights into the future of high-performance AV connectivity.
🎧 Listen now to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your projects are ready for the next frontier of ultra-high bandwidth, high-resolution video distribution.
Learn more at Kordz.com/articles and follow AV Trade Talk for more deep-dive episodes.

In this episode of AV Trade Talk, we head outside—literally—to explore the critical role outdoor network cables play in today’s connected environments. Whether it’s powering up smart gardens, securing properties with surveillance tech, or enabling robust backyard entertainment zones, outdoor networking is no longer optional—it's essential.
Joining host Katye McGregor Bennett this time are expert guests Nathan Holmes of WhyReboot, Eddie Shapiro of SmartTouch USA, and Benjamin Yeh from Kordz, a leader in high-performance cabling solutions, who break down everything you need to know about outdoor-rated and direct burial cables. We’ll dive into the environmental challenges installers face, common mistakes to avoid, and how innovations like the Kordz SlimCat range are changing the game for tech pros working in harsh conditions.
You’ll hear about:
Why the outdoor networking market is booming
The critical differences between outdoor and direct burial cables
Real-world challenges from the field—and how to solve them
Installation best practices to ensure long-term performance
What makes a cable truly professional-grade
Whether you're an integrator expanding into outdoor spaces or a design-build pro looking to future-proof your projects, this episode will equip you with insights and practical advice to deliver reliable connectivity—rain or shine.
 Tune in, download, subscribe now, and visit Kordz.com to explore professional cable infrastructure solutions built for the elements.

What does it take to provide proactive, meaningful health and wellness interventions? Up until now, that's been a real challenge. In this episode, recorded during ISE 2025 in Barcelona Spain, Katye chats with Kyle Steele of FutureCare Solutions Group and Global Wave Integration about a new, expanded service offering that can do just that. It was born from the notion that we can do better by harnessing AI and advanced sensor technology and brought to market with proven results, Kyle's passionate storytelling of how it all came to be and where it can go is captured in this fun chat. How can that be translated into a new or expanded service offering for those in the integration, healthcare, caregiver, and design-build communities? Tune-in and learn more!
Want to connect with Kyle to learn more about his offering?
Kyle@futurecare.ai
Kyle@globalwaveintegration.com
OR
www.futurecare.ai
www.globalwaveintegration.com

Illuminated Lighting Design. What's all about? In this episode, recorded during ISE 2025 in Barcelona Spain for the Connecting Tech + Design pod, Katye chats with Lynne Stambouly, The Light Lady, and Bruce Clark, who together are part of a new collective — Illuminated Lighting Design — about their professional lighting design services now available to integrators, designers, architects, property managers and homeowners. Not only do Lynne and Bruce share details of that offering, but they also provide valuable insights and many humorous illustrations about the challenges that exist in getting lighting right. How can that be translated into a new or expanded service offering for those in the design-build-integration community? Tune-in and learn more! 

Did you know? 99% of the global population breathes air that is below "good" quality levels. With water, we face similar challenges. In this episode, recorded at ISE 2025 in Barcelona Spain, Michael D. Ham of RePure talks about the need for far better air & water quality and how RePure's Healthy Home OS provides peace of mind by helping you identify, track, and remove harmful contaminants in your air and water. RePure's multi-award winning solutions are just the beginning. Michael shares news about a new partnership with Delos, discusses recent stage talks about Healthy Home Opportunities, and introduces the term Salutogenesis. What does that mean and how can the integration community harness it to help deliver a healthier home environment along with integrated systems? Tune-in and learn more! 

Mastering Connectivity: Building and Shipping The Ultimate Audio Demo Room [Sponsored by Kordz​]
In this fourth installment of the Mastering Connectivity Series, Sponsored by Kordz, Peter Aylett of Officina Acustica, David Meyerowitz of Trinnov, Lars Johansen of Perlisten Audio, and James Chen of Kordz discuss the extensive work required to design, build, calibrate, commission, and prepare The Ultimate Audio Demo for a major international event. It’s a fun and lively discussion about what it takes to get a demo of this scale ready to debut as well as the logistics of packing it all up and shipping the FULL kit to Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) in Barcelona, Spain, and back home again after the show.  
To learn more about the demo, visit: https://hub.trinnov.com/ise2025
To learn more about Kordz at ISE 2025 visit https://www.kordz.com/trade-show-and-event/integrated-system-europe-ise-barcelona/.
To learn more about the brands participating in this episode, visit the websites below:
Officina Acustica: https://officinaacustica.com/
Trinnov: https://www.trinnov.com/
Perlisten Audio: https://www.perlistenaudio.com/
Kordz: www.kordz.com
Thanks for tuning in! 

Mastering Connectivity: Building A CEDIA Award-Winning Showroom and Dedicated Home Theater [Sponsored by Kordz​]
In this Third installment of the Mastering Connectivity Series, Sponsored by Kordz, Michael and Dr. Hailey Daly of Wired By MJD in Australia discuss what it took to design, build-out, install and commission both an award winning showroom and a dedicated home theater in a small space along a busy high street. They share some of the challenges faced and solutions they and the team came up with to bring their dreams to life.    Download, tune in, and enjoy! More episodes will follow, taking a deeper look at the cable infrastructure industry and diving into the details that matter.To learn more about Kordz visit www.kordz.com and to read about the story discussed in this episode, visit https://www.kordz.com/case-studies/case-study-kordz-powers-wired-by-mjds-award-winning-showroom-experience/. To learn about Wired By MJD, go to https://wiredbymjd.com.au/.
 

In this episode, I'm joined by Daryl Friedman, Global CEO and President of CEDIA, the Custom Electronic Design and Integration Association, to talk about the association's efforts to establish a Technology Integrator SOC occupational code.
Why is this important? Smart Home Professionals, or Technology Integrators, are currently misclassified as a subset of the electrical trade within the SOC system. In the next revision to the SOC system, our community feels it is vital Technology Integrators are recognized with a separate SOC occupational code. A Technology Integrator’s skill set and training is more diverse than other trades, with specialized skills required to work with technology throughout the home. A vital step for the important work done by Technology Integrators is to establish a separate SOC occupational code in the SOC system revision, which is open for possible revision in 2028.
Tune in to learn more and if you are compelled, our industry would appreciate your support! The link below will open a pre-written/suggested letter that you can submit simply by clicking the button at the bottom. The work this industry does is important and this SOC will make a big difference for those in the field now as well as those coming into it. Thank you for supporting Technology Integrators and the AV Trade Talk pod! 
https://cedia.org/make-my-job-official/#support