Looking to target electrical Retailers who want new ways to generate profit and business longevity, a new initiative for this year is called the Retra Smart Home Seminar and is produced in association with key smart home distributor AWE and CEDIA.

The seminar will take place at EI Live! at Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, on both days of the show (May 9-10).

As profit centres for electrical retailers and service engineers are squeezed by decreasing margins, increased competition from on-line retailers, and, a more throw-away society, many businesses are turning to the emerging sector of the smart home to generate new business opportunities.

For retailers, the time has never been better to get involved as advances in technology mean smart home systems are easy to install and support, and are in high demand due to increased consumer awareness and desire for smart home experiences.

As many distributors and manufacturers are also on the lookout for capable new accounts, EI Live! has decided to bring the two together; providing electrical retailers the opportunity to visit the show floor and also attend a series of seminars dedicated to their needs.

The experience will give retailers the opportunity to learn more about selling and fitting multi-room music and audio-visual systems; as well as, automation systems to gain intuitive and easy control of a home entertainment and utilities such as lighting and heating. Retailers can also learn about opportunities to provide enhanced audio-visual experiences such as high-quality specialist TVs for home cinema experiences, or installation in special areas such as bathrooms or patios. Providing strong Wi-Fi networks in people’s home is another key opportunity retailers can discover more about.

The show believes the initiative is a good fit as retailers already have everything else needed to be successful in the sector. An established and loyal customer base and a commitment to customer service are key, putting quality retailers in a good position to get started.

As well as all the benefits of attending the seminar, retailers can, of course, attend the EI Live! show floor itself and interact with all the exhibitors and brands in attendance. The leading manufacturers and distributors from the sector attend the event to showcase and demonstrate their latest solutions. Many of these companies are actively looking for new accounts to meet the demand they are experiencing.

The show could not be easier to attend, its free, has excellent transport links and thousands of free parking spaces right outside the door of the show.

The Smart Home Seminar: Details

The Smart Home Seminar is free to attend and is open to all retailers and service engineer companies, not just Retra members and provides a complete introduction on how to get started.

Content will come from AWE, one of the UK’s leading distributors into the sector, Retra and also CEDIA, the smart home trade body.

Agenda and Timings For Both Days

10:45am: Arrivals

11:15am: Morning Session

Speakers from Retra, CEDIA and AWE

Retra, Howard Saycell and Mike Vernon
– Introduction & Welcome
– Why Smart Home?
– Is Smart Home the Saviour of independents?
– Retracare

CEDIA, Matt Nimmons
– Who are CEDIA
– Market research overview

AWE, James Drummie
– Introduction to Smart Home
– What do I do from here?

12:30am: Lunch & networking

13:30pm: Afternoon Session

AWE, Stuart Tickle
Stepping Stones into Smart Home
– Practical steps to get involved
– Are there risks?

How do I get me or my staff Smart Home trained?

What are the In-store demo options & space requirements?
– Display ideas
– Demo costs

Do I need a lot of dedicated floor-space and stockholding?
– Key products
– Display stock
– Packages

What do I do from here?

14:45pm: Q&A session

15:00pm: Close of Retra Smart Home Seminar 2018

To register for the show, the seminar or both simply visit the show’s dedicated site