Bang & Olufsen reveals plans to phase out the B&O Play-- aka BeoPlay-- sub-brand, meaning all products from the Danish high-end CE maker will be sold under the single Bang & Olufsen umbrella.

The announcement comes from the B&O 2018/2018 earnings report. It states the rebranding effort started back in 1 June 2018, and over the next few months the company will start combining the two brands in areas such as marketing, product packaging and online presence.

While industry press was still under embargo, the Spanish newspapers broke the news this morning:  ISE is moving to Barcelona in 2021.

According to a subsequent ISE press release, the local newspapers wrongly claim the move is scheduled for 2020. It is a 2021 move. And the new venue, according to ISE, will become the permanent location for the world’s largest AV and systems integration show.

It, is of course, all about getting more exhibition space to continue ISE growth. ISE 2018 attracted 80,923 attendees-- 22,000 were visiting the show for the first time while 1296 exhibitors filled 53,000 net sqm of floor space in 15 halls. ISE 2019 is expected to increase these record-breaking figures.

The decision to relocate the ISE exhibition comes after 18 months of research into the viability of remaining at the RAI Amsterdam. With annual growth in ISE exhibitors and attendees approaching 10%, and the international AV market forecast to grow by 5% per annum through to 2021, it was concluded that ISE was outgrowing its popular Amsterdam location. ISE, for good reasons, has been reluctant to leave Amsterdam, a city where ISE has thrived.

The 2018 IFA+ Summit is all about cybernetics and AI, as the organisers announce Moon Ribas and Stephen D. Larson as industry speakers at the IFA think tank taking place on 2-3 September 2018.

Ribas is a Spanish artist with a sensor implanted in her foot allowing her to feel earth tremors tens of thousands of kilometers away. Meanwhile Larson is working on the OpenWorm project, with the aim to virtually replicate the human nervous system.

The message of the 2018 IFA summit is science fiction or science fact? The lines between the two are blurring. Other confirmed speakers include ex-chess world champion Garry Kasparov, CEO of Airbus company Voom Uma Subramanian and Jens Lambrecht, founder of Berlin-based startup Gestalt Robotics.

Nominations are open for the 2019 - 2020 CEDIA board of directors. The CEDIA board of directors influences the direction of the industry, governs association activities and represents the residential technology profession to the outside world.

“Every year CEDIA members have the opportunity to shape and drive the direction of the association by helping identify leaders and visionaries for the CEDIA board of directors. I would encourage every member to thoughtfully consider nominating someone,” CEDIA chairperson David Humphries says.

There are 6 open board positions for the 2019 - 2020 term. Positions are filled in 2 ways:

CEDIA announces the 2018 finalists for the Home Technology Professional Awards competition, honouring the top projects completed by home technology professional members in the past year.

“Every year the technical judges are blown away by the project submissions, the quality of work, and the creative solutions and this year is no exception,” CEDIA says. “We look forward to celebrating the finalists and winners at the respective CEDIA Awards events coming up over the next several months.”

The CEDIA Home Technology Awards honour the best of the industry in all aspects, be it design, installation and commissioning-- and now the organisation presents the technical judges for the 2018 CEDIA Awards.

“The CEDIA Awards are always a highlight in the industry calendar,” CEDIA president and CEO Tabatha O'Connor says. “Our dedicated team of volunteers and staff work hard year over year to encourage members from across the globe to enter their projects, and we’re delighted to have so many new companies engaging with the program for the first time.”

Judging for the Awards takes place on June, with the list of finalists announced shortly thereafter. Judging panels are broken out by region, and the Chair and Vice Chair from each judging panel select the Global Awards Winners.