“For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: ‘It might have been!'” — John Greenleaf Whittier
This “it might have been” quote from famed poet Whittier might be the best way the industry will react to the news that both Lutron and Crestron have become the latest casualties of CEDIA Expo 2021 due to the coronavirus.
Other notable companies that have communicated their decision not to exhibit include Savant, Snap One, Sound United, Legrand, RTI, Samsung/Harman Luxury Audio, AudioQuest/GoldenEar, Sonos, Sony, Elk Products, Sony, LG and Ring.
Crestron Exodus Statement
Crestron announced its return to CEDIA Expo for the first time in 6 years has been put on hold for one more year due to COVID-19 concerns. The company announced it is pulling out of the Sept. 1-3, 2021 event in Indianapolis. Integrators were eagerly anticipating seeing the latest innovations from the company, especially since outgoing President and CEO Randy Klein noted earlier this year that Crestron’s output of new products during the pandemic has been prolific.
Crestron executive vice president John Clancy, issued the following statement, regarding the company’s decision about CEDIA Expo:
“We’re reaching out with updated information for our partners, industry colleagues, and friends regarding Crestron’s plans for the upcoming 2021 CEDIA Expo in Indianapolis. In light of the re-escalating COVID health crisis and the spread of the Delta variant, we have made the difficult decision to fully cancel our presence at this year’s CEDIA Expo, including our booth, dealer trainings, press engagements, and social events.
“It has been six years since Crestron last attended Expo. We had been eagerly anticipating the opportunity to connect with dealers and show off Crestron Home’s latest developments. Never before has Crestron been more ready to attend a show. Despite our enthusiasm and our investment in the show, however, recent news has forced us to reassess the risks.
“It remains unclear how the spread of the Delta variant will progress in the coming weeks, but our primary concern is and always will be the well-being of our employees, their families, and our industry partners and friends. We had hoped the 2021 CEDIA Expo would represent a much-needed reinvigoration of our industry. It may still—but with so much uncertainty, we felt a responsibility to share our plans sooner so that partners and peers had actionable information.
“We understand this may come as disappointing news, but we remain optimistic about the resiliency of our industry and the countless incredible people who compose it. We eagerly await our next opportunity to come together.”
Lutron Exit Announcement
Lutron’s exit was also announced this morning. Sam Chambers, Senior Director – Residential Systems, issued this statement:
“Despite several months of preparation and planning, Lutron has made the difficult decision to withdraw from CEDIA Expo 2021. This decision doesn’t come lightly and was made in the best interest of our employees, our customers, and the broader CEDIA community. Like the companies that announced their plans earlier, we, too, are concerned by the uncertainties of the Delta variant and its potential impact to families and businesses.
“Lutron has been a member of the CEDIA community for 30 years, and we were looking forward to introducing many new innovations in person at CEDIA Expo this year. Our commitment to our customers and the industry remains steadfast and we look forward to a time when we can all be together again.
“We are working on plans to virtually share the latest Lutron innovations with our customers in the coming months.”
