CE Pro Podcast

Recorded live from the Smart Stage at CEDIA Expo 2026, CE Pro Executive Editor Zachary Comeau sits down with leading members of the CE Pro 100 to discuss the state of the custom integration industry.

Panelists Michelle Ferlauto, Tom Clancy, Mike Restrepo and Andy Klein share their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing integrators today, from changing client expectations and evolving technology to business growth, staffing and the future of the channel.

Hear directly from some of the industry’s leading integrators about what they’re seeing in the market, how their businesses are adapting and where they see opportunities emerging in the years ahead.

CE Pro Executive Editor Zachary Comeau sits down with Coastal Source CEO and founder Franco D’Ascanio to preview Destination Outdoors at CEDIA Expo 2026 and the exclusive CE Pro 100 event taking place there Tuesday night. D’Ascanio discusses Coastal Source’s latest outdoor audio, lighting, power and cabling solutions, the growing opportunity in outdoor living, and what it means for the company to help recognize the industry’s leading CE Pro 100 integrators.

At the cusp of Audio Advice Live (and on the heels of acquiring Sound Components), CE Pro Senior Editor Nick Boever sat down with Scott Newnam, CEO of Audio Advice, to talk about the company’s latest acquisition, how its growth plan differs from others in the channel, and how integrators can better chart their own business growth, whether its building a stronger client list, adding locations or planning for eventual succession.

As Daryl Friedman prepares for his final CEDIA Expo as CEO, he joins the CE Pro Podcast to reflect on his tenure leading the association, the evolution of the custom integration industry, and what's next for CEDIA.

In this conversation, Friedman discusses the growing role of AI, why integrators must become equal partners with architects and designers, CEDIA's advocacy efforts, and why he believes technology integration will soon be viewed as an essential trade alongside electrical and HVAC work. He also shares his favorite CEDIA Expo memories, advice for his successor, and what he hopes his lasting legacy will be.

CEDIA Expo 2026 is shaping up to be one of the custom integration industry's biggest events, and manufacturers are investing more than ever. In this CE Pro Podcast, Zachary Comeau sits down with CEDIA Expo leaders Jason McGraw and Brian Pagel, along with Josh.ai CEO Alex Capecelatro and Origin Acoustics CEO Nick Berry, to discuss why the show remains the industry's premier gathering, how attendee feedback is shaping the event, and why hands-on experiences continue to matter in an AI-driven world.

AI isn't just about asking ChatGPT questions anymore. In this episode of the CE Pro Podcast, Sonance CEO Ari Supran shares how he went from experimenting with AI for simple tasks to helping integrators and business leaders use advanced AI tools to build software, automate workflows, and reclaim valuable time.

Supran explains why many businesses are still stuck in the "chat" phase of AI adoption and how newer agentic tools like Claude Code, Claude Cowork, and Codex are enabling users to delegate work instead of simply generating answers. He discusses practical examples of AI organizing files, analyzing documents, building dashboards, creating custom business applications, and even acting as a digital coworker.

The conversation also explores the growing role of AI agents, the importance of open APIs and software integrations, and why Supran believes custom integration firms have a unique opportunity to build purpose-driven tools tailored to their own operations. Along the way, he shares lessons Sonance has learned from deploying AI across the organization and offers advice for integrators looking to move beyond basic AI use cases.

Whether you're just getting started with AI or already experimenting with automation and custom tools, this discussion provides a practical look at where AI is headed and how integration businesses can prepare for what's next.

In this conversation, CE Pro Executive Editor Zachary Comeau sits down with CEDIA’s Evan West, Senior Conference Strategy Manager, and Paul Dolenc, VP of Education & Training, to break down the biggest themes shaping this year’s education program at CEDIA Expo 2026 in Denver.

The discussion explores how the custom integration industry is evolving beyond traditional AV installation into a more collaborative, design-build-focused business centered around wellness, lighting, cybersecurity, AI, power management, and recurring revenue.

Topics include:

• Why AI is now embedded across nearly every education track
  
  
• How lighting and shading are becoming core business opportunities
  
  
• The growing importance of cybersecurity in the connected home
  
  
• Why integrators need deeper collaboration with architects and designers
  
  
• Power management education and communicating value to homeowners
  
  
• Operational maturity, service contracts, and recurring revenue strategies
  
  
• The future of wellness-focused smart homes
  
  

According to CEDIA, AI-related discussions are expected to touch nearly every session at Expo 2026, while dedicated lighting and shading education tracks reflect growing homeowner demand for human-centric experiences and seamless technology integration.

CEDIA Expo 2026 takes place in Denver, Sept. 1-4.

 Bob Schuppe of Resolute Design Group discusses lighting trends, disappearing technology and why CEDIA Expo remains critical for integrators evaluating emerging solutions. 

Daryl Friedman, CEDIA's Global President & CEO, and Greg Simmons, Vice President of Industry Partnerships at ADI, join the CE Pro Podcast to discuss CEDIA's advocacy work on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. earlier this year. 

Topics include spreading awareness about the custom integration industry as a career path, CEDIA's work to establish a specific, separate occupational code for "Technology Integrator" within the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), responding to recent scrutiny of routers made outside the U.S., and more.

Live from CEDIA Expo 2025, Monitor Audio discusses its full-line speaker strategy, growing demand for high-fidelity audio, and how new products are addressing evolving installation environments for today’s integrators.