CEDIA has added yet another division to the expanding organization. On the heels of the announcement that it had stood up a new Design & Build Outreach arm, the smart home professionals association announced it’s launching a new research division—the organization’s first in-house fact-finding group.
In a statement, CEDIA announced the hire of Ryan Bardach, a veteran in the market research industry, as its new Director of Research to lead the division. Bardach’s first big assignment will be to share initial findings from the new division at the CEDIA Town Hall at CEDIA Expo. His presentation will cover, in part, the association’s 2026 U.S. Smart Home Technology Market Assessment.
“Building CEDIA’s first in-house research division is an exciting opportunity to bring greater clarity and confidence to the smart home channel,” Bardach said in the statement. “The CEDIA Town Hall is the perfect place to start that conversation, where we can share our initial findings and give members a clear view of where the market is headed.”
As the trade association representing the custom integration channel, CEDIA said it felt the opportunity to stand this department and the research capability up was a significant one. It’ll allow the group to generate its own “proprietary market intelligence and deliver deeper, more consistent insights to members and the broader industry.”
CEDIA hinted that the first market assessment will include insights into myriad areas, including brand preferences, revenue trends, overall market size, projected industry growth, and interest in AI adoption.
The work of the new research division could represent an interesting shift in balance for market research in the CI channel. Traditionally, integrators and manufacturers had only a select few options with regard to where they could get their info—be it established trade publications, at the buying group level, via other research firms with a broader scope, or even their own internal research. This move will allow members, manufacturers, and other interested industries to turn to an independent source for data related to this channel.
“CEDIA has always been a trusted voice for the industry, and this new research division allows us to take that even further,” CEDIA Global President and CEO Daryl Friedman said in the statement. “By investing in our own data and insights, we’re equipping integrators and trade suppliers with the knowledge they need to stay competitive and make informed business decisions.”
With Bardach, CEDIA adds an extremely talented researcher who brings extensive knowledge to the new initiative. He has worked with a diverse range of clients, including private equity firms, B2C and B2B retail organizations, and companies in the energy and utilities sector. His expertise spans both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, with a focus on market assessments, voice-of-customer research, brand sentiment analysis, employee engagement, and long-term tracking studies.
Members will get their first real opportunity to see those talents on display during the CEDIA Town Hall: State of the Industry session, set for Tuesday, September 1 at 5:30 p.m. in the Colorado Convention Center during CEDIA Expo.
