Buying group meetings, like HTSA’s 2024 Fall Conference, held Oct.15-17, near Denver, CO, are an opportunity for business and technical education, peer networking, and for integrator members to gain product insights from their vendor partners. The mood of these events is almost always upbeat, but a positive or negative “state of the business report” can definitely set the tone the content of conversations that will take place throughout the event.
For HTSA, the tone that was set at this month’s conference was much different than what the group experienced at its spring meeting last March. As Executive Director Jon Robbins reminded HTSA members, last spring’s state of the business report showed HTSA’s vendor purchases off by 1.4% to start the year and trending to be flat for the rest of the year. While the group’s vendors indicated that this was slightly better than the industry as a whole, there was no reason to believe that it was going to be a “good” year, sales wise.
To everyone’s surprise, however, Robbins noted as he kicked of the Fall Conference that the group’s performance had rebounded, with purchases with group vendors up by 5% through August, trending ahead of the rest of the custom integration channel. Add to that September results that were trending even higher, HTSA vendor purchases will likely be closer to 7-8% over a year ago.
“If the trends keep going in that direction, we have a legitimate chance to finish up double digits, which is a far cry from what we expected back in March,” Robbins said.
Out of HTSA’s 101 member companies, the most improvement comes from integrators located in the western and northeastern U.S. and but most notably from companies that have been doing the most lighting fixture business in the group.
“What we found is pretty remarkable,” Robbins said. “The members that are doing the most lighting are up 33.9 percent overall with all of the HTSA vendors [even though] lighting business [only] makes up 6% of our overall purchases.”
Robbins was quick to note that HTSA members excelling in lighting fixture sales are driving overall growth of all categories, not just lighting. “Those who have found success in selling lighting fixtures are seeing success in all non-lighting vendor partners,” he said. “The numbers are real.”
And to counter claims by non-lighting vendors that HTSA’s focus on that category could be pulling business away from their categories, statistics showed just the opposite. HTSA non-lighting vendor partners are actually enjoying the benefits from members who are strong in the lighting category. The theory is that integrators who are getting into projects earlier with lighting leads to more sales of 4K TVs, audio products, and bulk wire.
“When [Director of Technology Initiatives] Tom Doherty and I first started talking about getting into this category seven years ago, the idea was not just to create more dollars in a category,” Robbins said. “It was to get our channel in the conversation earlier with builders, designers, and architects. This is working. The numbers are playing out.”
With a theme focused on “Fusion,” HTSA’s Fall Conference was all about creating strong interpersonal relationships that lead to long-term success, overcoming challenges together, and sharing ideas that shape the future of the industry. For HTSA, educational and training has become a year-round endeavor with the group renting out CEDIA’s Fishers, IN, headquarters for four maxed-out week-long technician training course, and four networking certification courses, off-site Business Development Summits, a project manager summit, and Centralized Relationship Science classes led by HTSA’s Chief Learning Architect Keith Esterly.
In 2025, Doherty will continue to enhance the curriculum for the “open-to-the-industry” lighting conference Lightapalooza, which is entering its fourth year. The Lightapalooza conference will next take place on Jan.20-23, 2025 at the Hilton Anatole Dallas. New for 2025 is the Academia Series of education sessions features esteemed university professors and researchers who will offer insights and a scholarly perspective on lighting design. This series is important because while it offers the opportunity to learn the science of lighting for attendees at any level of competency, there are also specific sessions targeting the most experienced integrators and practitioners of lighting design. It is our goal that when they attend Lightapalooza elite integrators can learn something new, from elite educators and scholars, to help elevate their most expansive projects. The full, detailed Conference Schedule can be seen here: https://lightapalooza.com/conference-schedule.
For HTSA specifically, the frequency of tech trainings and management classes in 2025 also will be increased to accommodate more demand from HTSA members who have found the events successful at training entry-level techs, enhancing skills, and improving business acumen.
To top off the focus on education and training, HTSA announced the addition of former CEDIA trainer Steven Rissi as director of technical education and development. His responsibilities will include leading the creation, implementation, and continuous improvement of HTSA’s technical training and technical professional and workforce development programs.
“We’re excited to welcome a professional of Steve Rissi’s caliber to our team,” Robbins said. “This addition reinforces our deep commitment to enriching industry education for our members, providing invaluable training in vital areas including Relationship Science, Business Leadership, Lighting through Lightapalooza, Project Management, and more. Steve’s CEDIA background and expertise in technical instruction, along with Keith Esterly’s direction as chief learning architect, will further enhance HTSA’s ability to meet the evolving needs of our Members, as we continue to offer world-class learning and growth opportunities.”
For HTSA, the Fall Conference was a touch point in a busy year with even more planned for the year ahead, as business starts to pick back up with lighting (and HTSA members) leading the way.
“This conference marks a moment in time when we’re not just talking about Fusion, but we are living it together.” Robbins said. “We will continue to shape the future of our industry.”
