From smart technology and creative process to business insights and emerging trends, the Connected Design Podcast explores the ideas, projects, and people pushing design forward—across residential, commercial, and everything in between.
Latest Episode

SureBright Explores How Whole-System Coverage Improves the Integrator’s Offering
Warranty programs have their own connotations that they carry. But, traditionally, they’re seen as single-product programs that are there in the event of a product failure to protect the consumer. For custom integrators, who install products in myriad rooms and across a variety of categories and price points, the idea
Latest Episode

SureBright Explores How Whole-System Coverage Improves the Integrator’s Offering
Warranty programs have their own connotations that they carry. But, traditionally, they’re seen as single-product programs that are there in the event of a product failure to protect the consumer. For custom integrators, who install products in myriad rooms and across a variety of categories and price points, the idea of attaching a warranty to all those products would be impossible. That’s where SureBright’s new offering comes in.
VP of Strategic Partnerships Keith Kranepool joins the Connected Design Podcast to discuss whole-system warranty protection, recurring revenue opportunities, AI-powered proposal workflows, and why project-level coverage can help integrators strengthen client relationships.
More Episodes

SureBright Explores How Whole-System Coverage Improves the Integrator’s Offering
Warranty programs have their own connotations that they carry. But, traditionally, they’re seen as single-product programs that are there in the event of a product failure to protect the consumer. For custom integrators, who install products in myriad rooms and across a variety of categories and price points, the idea of attaching a warranty to all those products would be impossible. That’s where SureBright’s new offering comes in.
VP of Strategic Partnerships Keith Kranepool joins the Connected Design Podcast to discuss whole-system warranty protection, recurring revenue opportunities, AI-powered proposal workflows, and why project-level coverage can help integrators strengthen client relationships.

Loewe Brings Its Luxury Electronics Vision to the North American Market
Loewe North America General Manager Jeff Costello discusses the brand’s methodical launch in the U.S. market.

Chris Oram Leads Audio Advice Expansion Into Las Vegas
Chris is in the midst of a unique journey helping the Audio Advice team open its sixth showroom, and first this far West as the brand enters Las Vegas. As the General Manager of the location, he’s got his hands full planning and executing the build-out, while also introducing the brand to a new crop of clients.

AVPro Crafts a Complete Story for Commercial and Residential Dealers
Amid construction of the InfoComm trade show floor, we sat down with Tom Devine, VP of Marketing for AVPro Global, to talk about their presence here, as well as the new narrative the brand gets to tell to commercial and residential dealers alike. From their complete package of system solutions, to their ability to support a range of applications, AVPro Global’s entire suite simplifies things for their dealers.

Design-Centric Technology is the Prevailing Philosophy for Origin Acoustics
During our recent trip out to Las Vegas, we stopped by the Origin Acoustics headquarters to catch up with their team. And they certainly had a lot to show off, including a completely re-outfitted showroom that features their full line in a variety of applications.

Designing Before Digging: Boca Tech’s Innovative Smart Home Pitch
We sit down with Boca Tech and Automation Founder and CEO Jeff Galea and Marketing Director Marcio Gomes to explore how the company is using what it calls ‘digital twin technology’ to transform the way it designs, sells, and installs high-end automation systems and other luxury technology.
More Episodes

TheCoTeam’s Chris Smith Wants Integrators to Stop Unicorn Hunting
Drawing on more than two decades in the CI channel and hundreds of successful placements through TheCoTeam, Chris Smith breaks down why “unicorn hunting” is holding companies back, where integrators can find talent beyond the obvious candidate pool, and how a more intentional hiring process can help businesses grow stronger teams.

How Southtown AV Turned Relationships Into a Stadium-Sized Opportunity
Heather Sidorowicz, president of Southtown AV, talks about the company’s evolution from a local hi-fi shop into one of Buffalo’s leading commercial AV firms.

Force AV is Building Luxury Experiences All Over South Florida (and Beyond)
From luxury estates in Palm Beach to custom projects across the country, Rosenberg shares how Force AV approaches technology integration as a full-service experience centered on problem-solving, storytelling, and client trust.

Putting AI to Use in Floor Plan Generation with Drafted
Drafted, an AI-based platform that launched earlier this year, is a free-to-use tool that lets users dream up their ideal house plan with just a few simple prompts. Founder Nick Donahue sat down with us to talk about how the tool works, where he plans to expand its capabilities, and the role of AI in all areas of the homebuilding process.

Keder Screens on the Obstacles and Opportunities in the Shading Business
We pick the brain of Kim Parker, a partner at Keder Screens, to learn about the challenges and opportunities integrators face getting into the outdoor shade business.

What’s Next for Lightapalooza? HTSA and AVIXA Tell Us.
On the heels of the major news that AVIXA—the producers of InfoComm and a number of other AV industry show—had acquired Lightapalooza from HTSA, we sat down with Jenn Heinold, SVP of Expositions in the Americas, and HTSA’s Tom Doherty. The two dove into the growth of the event and what’s to come now that it’ll co-locate with InfoComm starting next year.


