Forge - Experts & Thought Leaders

CEDIA Expo 2026, produced by Forge, welcomed 9,653 verified attendees to Denver for three days of product discovery, manufacturer training, education, and industry connection. More than 320 exhibiting brands came together with the residential integration community to reconnect with customers, build new relationships, and create new business opportunities. “What stood out in Denver was the quality of the audience and the business happening across the show floor,” said Jason McGraw, Group Vice President and Show Director for CEDIA Expo, powered by Forge. “Exhibitors told us they were meeting high-quality prospects, strengthening relationships with existing customers and generating real business opportunities. With 26% of attendees experiencing CEDIA Expo for the first time, we’re continuing to bring new people into the show and connecting them with this industry. That, combined with the business, discovery, and connection, is exactly why CEDIA Expo continues to be the premier event for the residential integration community.” Residential technology ecosystem Held September 2–4 at the Colorado Convention Center, CEDIA Expo brought together professionals from across the residential technology ecosystem. The event featured 215 educational and training sessions, including 101 Manufacturer Product Trainings, 97 CEDIA education sessions, and 17 thought leadership discussions covering the technical, business, and design trends shaping the industry. Experiential areas drew strong interest throughout the week. More than 20 dedicated audio and sound demonstration rooms gave attendees the opportunity to experience the latest performance technologies firsthand, with lines forming for demonstrations. Destination Outdoors, sponsored by Coastal Source and Lutron, showcased the expanding outdoor living and entertainment category through products and solutions designed for connected experiences beyond the walls of the home. Broader residential ecosystem Programming also reflected the expanding intersection between technology, design, and the broader residential ecosystem. The Day of DiscoveryTM program, produced by Technology Designer, connected architects, interior designers, and builders with technology manufacturers and integration expertise, while the Women in Consumer Technology (WiCT) Luncheon brought industry professionals together for networking, conversation, and recognition.  Exhibitors pointed to strong traffic, high-quality leads, and the value of connecting face-to-face with the integration community. Custom integration industry “CEDIA Expo 2026 delivered unmatched momentum for the custom integration industry. Lutron was proud to showcase significant expansions to our intelligent lighting and shading portfolio, connect with thousands of integrators, and celebrate the innovation that defines this extraordinary community,” said Ben Bard, Vice-President, Luxury Residential Business, Lutron. “But the true highlight was the people — the integrators who show up, invest in their teams, and continually push the boundaries of what technology can deliver for their clients. We left inspired, energized, and deeply grateful for the trust this community places in us. CEDIA Expo remains the premier destination for meaningful partnerships, hands-on learning, and breakthrough product discovery.”  Custom installation industry “Any opportunity to bring vendors and dealers together sparks innovation and exciting conversations. CEDIA 2026 was no exception. It has always been the best opportunity to come together as a community,” said Kathleen Thomas, Head of Custom Integration Sales, Sony Electronics. “CEDIA Expo 2026 was a highly productive show for Paradigm, Anthem and MartinLogan,” said Zoltan Balla, Vice President, Marketing & Development Operations, Paradigm Electronics Inc. & MartinLogan Ltd. (PML Sound). “The event provided an essential platform to launch our latest product innovations and connect directly with high-quality leads from across the custom installation industry. Exhibiting allows us to meet face-to-face with new and existing dealers, share our newest updates, and strengthen our relationships within the integration community. The strong foot traffic and valuable business leads generated throughout the week highlighted the importance of the show for our brands, and we look forward to returning next year.” Residential technology ecosystem CEDIA Expo brought together professionals from across the residential technology ecosystem, including integrators, installers, manufacturers, distributors, designers, architects, and other industry partners. Programming addressed the forces shaping the market today and the opportunities ahead, from AI, lighting, and smart home technology to aging in place, outdoor entertainment, sustainability, entrepreneurship, business planning, and design integration. With Denver complete, planning is already underway for CEDIA Expo 2027 at Las Vegas Convention Center, with a focus on strengthening the experiences at the heart of the show: discovering new products, experiencing technology firsthand, connecting directly with manufacturers, education, and the face-to-face relationships that drive business. “CEDIA Expo is where the residential integration industry comes together, and Forge is fully committed to its future,” said McGraw. “We’re already building toward Las Vegas with a clear focus: deliver a strong experience for exhibitors and attendees, create meaningful business opportunities, and continue to bring the residential integration community together.” CEDIA Expo 2027 will take place September 7–10, 2027, at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s West Hall.

Honeywell has been selected as the building automation provider for LG Energy Solution’s cylindrical EV battery manufacturing facility being built in Queen Creek, near Phoenix, Arizona. Set for completion in 2026, this state-of-the-art project represents a critical milestone in LG Energy Solution’s strategy to lead EV battery innovation in North America, and it also supports Honeywell’s alignment of its portfolio to three compelling megatrends, including automation and the energy transition. New standard for operational efficiency Deployment of Honeywell’s building automation technologies at the Queen Creek facility Global battery demand is projected to quadruple by 2030 according to Bain, and the deployment of Honeywell’s building automation technologies at the Queen Creek facility will help set a new standard for operational efficiency in high-tech manufacturing environments. This 1.3-million-square-foot standalone facility will integrate a suite of Honeywell technologies to help optimize performance, enhance safety and support sustainability outcomes. Future of automation “By developing and delivering solutions that blend cutting-edge technology and energy management, we are driving the future of automation," said Billal Hammoud, president and CEO of Honeywell Building Automation. "Honeywell’s collaboration with LG Energy Solution demonstrates how advanced building automation can help empower companies to achieve operational excellence in their facilities while also accelerating the shift to a more secure energy future.” Honeywell’s innovative solutions Honeywell’s innovative solutions will provide the Queen Creek facility with the following: Unified Systems Integration: Honeywell’s Enterprise Buildings Integrator platform will help enable seamless control of building management and safety systems via integration into Honeywell Forge, which provides advanced monitoring and analytics. Honeywell Forge, an IoT platform, enables condition-based maintenance to improve the resiliency of critical systems around the clock, helping to reduce unplanned reactive work and help lower energy costs. Its machine learning capabilities will continuously study a building's energy consumption patterns, which will enable LG Energy Solution to automatically adjust the facility to optimal energy-saving settings. Comprehensive Fire and Safety Solutions: Honeywell’s VESDA smoke detection and advanced self-testing fire alarm system offers automated and continuous air sampling enabling early warning of an impending fire hazard, often even before heavy smoke or flames are detected. VESDA and the networked fire alarm solution will be integrated into the facility’s building management system to allow coordinated and near-instant responses from the HVAC system if smoke is detected. Mission Critical Control and Advanced Cybersecurity: The QronoX Programmable Logic Controller will enable LG Energy Solution to enhance operational performance and resilience by providing advanced cybersecurity for its facility. The Honeywell technology will also help ensure asset security and compliance while reducing downtime for critical systems. Honeywell’s scalable solutions are designed to support the future expansion of the project as well, reinforcing its role as a key collaborator in this transformative industrial sector.

Honeywell Building Automation is heading to ISC West 2025, taking place March 31-April 4 at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, and this year promises to be a true milestone. For the first time, Honeywell is bringing together two of its powerhouse brands—LenelS2 and Honeywell Commercial Security—in a unified presence. Honeywell's latest offerings Honeywell is displaying a wide variety of the latest offerings that blend LenelS2’s access control Honeywell will be stationed at Booth #18059, showcasing a lineup that is both innovative and time-tested. From AI-powered tools to cloud-based solutions, Honeywell is displaying a wide variety of the latest offerings that blend LenelS2’s access control expertise with top-tier portfolios from Commercial Security. Fire and life safety solutions will also be on display. ISC West attendees—ranging from integrators to end-users—will have a front-row seat to learn how these solutions tackle real-world challenges. Few products and offerings Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the products and offerings that will be featured:  Security Management Solutions LenelS2 OnGuard Access Control Solution: Trusted by more than half of the Fortune 100 with extensive breadth and depth of integrations and scalability, it’s powerful, versatile and built to adapt to whatever businesses demand. The latest OnGuard developments focus on enterprise customer experience, extending client capabilities and continued browserization of clients, expanded FEDGOV and FICAM support and integration with Honeywell’s video solutions. Honeywell Pro-Watch Integrated Security Suite: This enterprise-level solution integrates access control, video surveillance and intrusion detection to help organizations detect and respond to threats sooner, optimize productivity and maintain compliance. The latest features include integrations with BlueDiamond readers and wireless locks, as well as new Mercury MP Series l panels and other installation and deployment improvements.  LenelS2 NetBox Access Control Solution: NetBox is a browser-based plug-and-play solution that seamlessly integrates with video surveillance, alarms and third-party products, software or complex configuration for easy scalability as business needs evolve. NetBox continues to enhance ease-of-use and user experience with expanded video capabilities and integrations, improved reporting and visualizations and future LenelS2 HelpBot integration.  Integrated Cloud Solutions LenelS2 OnGuard Cloud: Delivering the premier enterprise physical access control muscle of OnGuard now via the cloud—scalable, resilient and updated automatically to meet the needs of various dynamically evolving verticals. LenelS2 Elements cloud-based security management solution: A comprehensive and intuitive access control and video management system, designed specifically for the cloud with a flexible, mobile-first and browser-based interface. Recent releases added support for managing multiple sites and vendor integrations, including additional models of wireless locks, video platforms and hardware manufacturers, while also streamlining badge printing and reducing the number of systems needed to support a company’s overall security ecosystem.   Honeywell MAXPRO Cloud: It provides real-time access control and video surveillance on almost any mobile device. It’s perfect for managing one building or an entire campus. Innovation and Emerging Technology BlueDiamond Readers & Mobile Credential Management: Keys? Who needs them? This turns smartphones into touchless access passes with a slick ecosystem that integrates seamlessly with LenelS2 OnGuard, NetBox and Elements platforms and now with Honeywell Pro-Watch to help organizations transition from card-based readers and credentials to mobile-based smartphone credentials as they are ready. One-click credential management is included. Honeywell 35 Series Cameras: Honeywell’s 35 Series of NDAA-compliant cameras offer exceptional picture clarity, flexible system integration, secure data transmission and advanced video analytics with AI insights for everything from small shops to sprawling office, hospitality or enterprise-level facilities. Recent additions include Dual Light Color cameras that effortlessly switch between infrared and warm light for clear, crisp color images in extremely low light conditions, pinhole cameras for use in self-checkouts and bank ATMs, 6-12MP Fisheye for monitoring large areas and 5MP Micro Dome with HDMI models for use in retail settings. Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Buildings: This smart solution streamlines visitor management with simplicity, security and compliance at its core. It integrates seamlessly across tools to automate processes, making building operations smoother and more efficient.  LenelS2 HelpBot & Honeywell ProWatch HelpBot: AI is part of these proof-of-concept assistants, designed to help make security operations smoother than ever.   LenelS2 NetBox ReportBot and ControlBot: Another AI-powered duo in development, working to elevate reporting and system control. Visitors can stop by to see these concepts in action.   This is more than just a booth appearance—it’s an opportunity to witness how Honeywell is merging the strengths of its LenelS2 and Commercial Security portfolios to address the security challenges with future technology. How these solutions can elevate security strategies The goal? To spark conversations and show how these tools can fit into any security playbook, from standalone sites to sprawling global networks. The Honeywell team is eager to connect with attendees and demonstrate how these solutions can elevate security strategies for any scale of operation.  Attendees are invited to visit Booth #18059 to explore demos, discuss solutions with Honeywell’s experts and catch a glimpse of some future-forward concepts. 

The intersection of consumer electronics and the physical security marketplace is a fertile sector for growth and innovation. Consumers increasingly have the same high expectations for the operation of their workplace technologies as they are accustomed to in the digital world at large. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How do developments in personal electronics impact customer expectations in the physical security market?