By Heather L. Sidorowicz

CEDIA 2015 is right around the corner. Sure, it seems farther away this year being it is in October, but trust me, it will be here before you know it. As you hold your hotel room and figure out your flight, consider bringing your team. Need a few good reasons? Well, here you go:

1. They will drink the Kool-Aid: CEDIA is like Disney for AV people. There is nothing like the first time you set foot on the show floor and become dazzled by the mammoth booths and wealth of technology. These are companies that know how to build a booth and truly understand the art of the demo. Attending CEDIA shows your team what is possible, how cool our industry is and reminds one our jobs are never boring.

2. You will bond: Whether it is over the great beer in Denver, or a great steak in Dallas (I guess here as I’ve never been to Dallas), you will get a chance to spend time with your team. So often at the shop we are always on the go. Traveling with your team forces you to learn more about them; allowing you to find out what drives them.  Having this experience helps create tenure in the workplace. It is also nice to let loose a bit and have some fun (just remind the newbies to be careful with all those free beers).

3. Oh — the people they will meet: Your team will be able to ask questions to the engineers that make the devices they sell and install. No email or phone call will ever get you that far. They may also find new products that you don’t even know you need yet. A few years ago we were brought in to the Yamaha booth. After a great demonstration of their product line paired with responsive staff, we ended up picking up Yamaha later that same year. There is no chance we would be a Yamaha dealer today if it were not for CEDIA.

Last year at CEDIA, we asked Yamaha for a thin soundbar to mount on the wall, and recently they released the new YAS-105 mounting at less than 3 inches. Coincidence? You decide. (On a disappointing note, we have learned that Yamaha will not be at CEDIA this year.)

Beyond the manufacturers, your team can meet others out there in the great big world like themselves. Sharing knowledge and stories will allow for personal growth and more connection within the industry. My CEDIA buddies and I reach out to each other often with questions and cries for help.

4. Creates longevity: We want great employees to think of their trade as a career, not just a job. Having the CEDIA experience does just that. It can show one what is possible in the industry and on the job. It can teach them that there is more to being an installer, one can grow to engineer and beyond. It is also a free trip with cool tech and good food – getting to go to CEDIA is an incentive itself!

5. Training: I have saved the best for last. Different than a webinar where you’re distracted and half listening, or a one-day training where all one thinks about is getting out; CEDIA training is unparalleled. When you’re at Expo you’re there to learn and absorb – it is a different mind space. These classes are also taught by the best of the best; not someone who will just be reading you a power point slide. These are teachers who have been there’ and ‘done that.’

Like Sony’s old slogan CEDIA is ‘like no other.’

Be there, and bring your team. You will not be sorry you did.

Take advantage of the best savings (25 percent on registration fees and training) by registering your team before early bird pricing expired on August 21. Need help registering your team? Email registrar@cedia.org for assistance.

This blog is reprinted with permission from CEDIA and originally appeared here.