Rising energy costs, the widespread increase in work from home (WFH), subscription-based entertainment, EV adoption, networked home security and access control, and other macro and micro forces are changing how and how much Americans are spending in and around the home.
With all of these developments taking place at breakneck speed, savings are missed, redundancies are normalized, vulnerabilities are exposed, experiences are disrupted, and opportunities are missed. This dynamic is especially prevalent in the luxury, custom, and high-mid-range sectors of the American residential property market, where affluent owners seek holistic systems and seamless experiences.
A trusted home integration professional has become as important to homeowners and renters as a trusted plumber, electrician, or HVAC technician. The role has evolved considerably in recent years from audio-visual systems integration to now also include security systems and access control integration, IT/WIFI optimization, shading systems, lighting, backup energy, and more. The areas within a home have extended beyond a home theater in luxury homes to now include outdoor entertainment areas, multi-use zones, home offices, bedrooms, home gyms, and garages. And the homes serviced have broadened to new demographic groups and new neighborhoods.
“The singular argument for DIY is cost, but the case for an integration professional is Total Cost of Ownership,” explains Jason McGraw, Group Vice President and Show Director, CEDIA Expo/Commercial Integrator Expo. “Homeowners, WFH professionals, entrepreneurs, parents, gamers, fitness enthusiasts, movie buffs, and binge watchers all rely on network integration for the effective use of their doors and locks, fitness equipment, screens and sound systems, security cameras, computers, displays, and printers. You want that network and the connected devices operating as efficiently, securely, and reliably as possible. That is why the most successful homes in the most admired neighborhoods typically feature work by an integration professional.”
CEDIA Expo/CIX, a trade show for integration professionals in the home and commercial realms that takes place in Denver this September, draws over 15,000 integration professionals including business owners (typically small to mid-sized, privately-held businesses serving regional communities), their teams (typically highly trained, vocationally and college educated) technicians, brands (Global entities like Crestron, LG, Lutron, Ring, Sonos, and Sony) and a broad array of lighting, sound, video, security, shading, robotics, and energy manufacturers in between.
“Successful Americans spend much of their income and time on their home and in their home, and yet so much value and opportunity falls through the DIY gap. With so much technological, demographic, societal change reshaping how we select our homes, use our homes, invest in homes and enjoy our homes, it’s only a matter of time before the home integration professional is called to design and optimize systems for everyday homeowners.”
McGraw references the following shifts:
- WFH — 22 percent of the U.S. workforce, approximately 32.6 million Americans, work remotely as of 2025 (13 percent fully remote, 26 percent in hybrid arrangements) (Eye on Housing / BLS, 2025)
- EV Adoption — EVs represented 7.8 percent of all new U.S. vehicle sales in full-year 2025, with 1.26 million EVs registered — the second-best year on record (Cox Automotive, 2025)
- Multiple Streaming Services — The average U.S. household subscribes to approximately 4 streaming services, spending ~$61–$70/month; 89 percent of U.S. households pay for at least one (MNTN Research / Deloitte Digital Media Trends, 2025)
- Solar Adoption/Energy Bank Adoption — The U.S. installed 57.6 GWh of new energy storage in 2025 — the largest single year on record; residential battery storage grew 51 percent year-over-year, reaching 3.1 GWh (SEIA, 2025)
- Home Security System — 61 percent of U.S. households now have at least one security camera (up from 52% in 2024); 28 percent have a professionally monitored security system (~30.2 million homes) (SafeHome.org, 2026)
- Home Fitness Trend — The U.S. home fitness equipment market was valued at $11.01 billion in 2025; 33 percent of U.S. exercisers use home fitness options, up from 24 percent pre-pandemic (PT Pioneer, 2025)
- Home Schooling Trend — 6.5 percent of U.S. school-age children — approximately 3.4 million students — were homeschooled in 2024–25, growing at nearly 3x the pre-pandemic rate (NHERI, 2025)
- Home Starlink Adoption — Starlink surpassed 2 million U.S. residential subscribers as of mid-2025, ranking it the 7th largest fixed broadband provider in the country (Broadband Breakfast, 2025)
- American Energy Cost Averages — The national average residential electricity rate reached 17.01 cents/kWh in 2025, a 2.6 percent increase from 2024, costing the average U.S. household approximately $140–$145/month (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2025)
McGraw notes that for many Americans, system integration is a must-have vs. a nice-to-have.
“For senior executives, if you are working from home for a large enterprise, the enterprise security envelope should extend to your home. If you are running a home-based startup, you need reliable Wi-Fi. If you are in a region that experiences blackouts, you need a consistent, resilient power strategy. If you are homeschooling kids, you need access to education platforms, and if you’ve paid your dues in the workforce and wish to age in place in the home that you made for yourself and your family, you should be able to do that affordably and confidently,” McGraw says. “Integration professionals facilitate it all.”
CEDIA Expo/CIX is the one event every year where home integration professionals can learn about new technologies, trends, and techniques across a broad array of technology domains, from immersive audio to access control to lighting and shading and robust WIFI networks. The show features exhibits, product demonstration areas, keynotes, panels, business and technology training, and many social events that bring the community of integration professionals together for peer-to-peer dialog and idea sharing, mentoring, and networking. The show is a window into the technologies, experiences, and ideas that will shape the luxury, custom, and high-mid-range home for the year ahead.
McGraw concludes that home integration systems are more attainable to Americans than is generally perceived.
“If a technology is attached to the home — a television to a wall mount, a smart lock on door, smart shading on windows, backup energy installed in the garage — then the technology can be included on a mortgage and whereas the cost may be spread over time, the payoff on some technologies — like energy savings or productivity gains — can be immediate,” McGraw notes. “This is another strong argument for hiring systems integration professionals!”
CEDIA Expo/CIX will return to Denver from Tuesday, September 1, to Friday, September 4, 2026.
