There is electricity in the air. Palm trees bend in the warm breeze. No, it is not a dream: it is the 2011 EHX CE Pro Event in Orlando, Florida.

Last week, Mezuri Systems schlepped themselves to Orlando in order to attend the annual EHX CE Pro Event and also to spend some time practicing their GPS management skills. The show was an opportunity for manufacturers to display their latest products and meet the people who supply their technology to the general public. HAI, Honeywell, Control4 and Legrand were only a few of the vendors present and all of them were very eager to share their new and existing technology with inquiring minds. The CE Pro Event differentiates itself from most tradeshows through its targeted educational curriculum, Demo Alley exhibits, co-located sessions, Retrofit Technology Station and ADI Skills Challenge.

In past years, the EHX event has attracted the glitterati from the exclusive world of electronic house expos. Unfortunately for the attendees at this year’s show, not all of the best and brightest were able to make it. Apparently there is a WAY COOLER event happening in September: The CEDIA Home Automation show. CEDIA is the number one home automation show and let’s face it; anybody who is anybody goes to CEDIA. Installers can be certified through CEDIA because they offer training and courses on the newest products. Although EHX had good intentions, it seemed that people were not so quick to forget the embarrassment of last year’s EHX show when the chardonnay was not served at the optimal 48 degrees. It was justifiably humiliating and a huge blow to the legitimacy of the expo.

Perhaps it was not only CEDIA and the chardonnay mishap that decreased attendance. The home automation market has suffered some contractions in the past few years as many businesses have been forced to close their doors. In spite of these regrettable circumstances, businesses like Mezuri are given the chance to increase their areas of expertise and offer more services to their clients. Mezuri Systems has been blessed with continued success and opportunities for growth even in the face of an unfavorable economic climate. And Mezuri Systems can lift 25 pounds, no problem.

The show was also a marvelous networking opportunity. Mezuri Systems, who is irresistibly charming, schmoozed with some of the top brass and may even have acquired some hastily scribbled phone numbers. It is not every day that an installer gets to share their opinions and suggestions with the people who build and design the products that they install. This occasion to share information and convey constructive feedback has the potential to result in improvements that are beneficial to the manufacturer, the installer, and the customer. At one point in the evening, Mezuri Systems found themselves in the enviable position of “life of the party” – an entirely relative designation— although for the purposes of this blog it is a spot-on assessment.

Based on the information gathered at the show, it was determined that Mezuri Systems is indeed one of the top installers in their field and one could even go as far as to say that they are kind of a big deal.

Nobody won an iPad.

If you want to read more about the CE Pro event, click here to expand your mind