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If You Build It, They Will Come, may be the famous Field of Dreams mantra, but Indianapolis has not only made this saying a reality, but has taken it one step further—If You Build It, They Will Come Back. The annual convention of the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA), known as CEDIA EXPO, which was held in Indianapolis in 2003-2005, has announced that they will return this Midwest Destinations in 2011 and 2012, lured mainly by the expanded Indianapolis Convention Center.

The expansion of the Indiana Convention Center includes the addition of more than 250,000 square feet of exhibit/meeting space and a brand new Marriott Place hotel complex with more than 1,300 rooms. The premier residential electronic systems tradeshow, CEDIA EXPO attracts 25,000 attendees and fills approximately 34,000 hotel room nights per convention.

"Our members are very fond of Indianapolis," said Ken Erdmann, Chairman, CEDIA. "With the expansion of the Indiana Convention Center and new hotels, Indianapolis is once again able to provide CEDIA EXPO with a platform to grow."

The city is also eager to welcome back the convention—in 2005, the last year it was in Indianapolis, it was the city's third largest annual convention, resulting in $27.4 million in direct visitor spending. "CEDIA was one of our most coveted shows," admitted Don Welsh, President & CEO, Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association. "We hoped to bring back to Indianapolis with our additional exhibit space and hotel inventory, so this is a significant victory for our hospitality industry,"

 "We are very excited to bring CEDIA EXPO back to Indianapolis in 2011 and 2012," said Utz Baldwin, CEO of CEDIA. "The city of Indianapolis has been instrumental in the growth of our show and we are happy to bring our members back to one of the association's core cities."

While the association is international in scope and membership, CEDIA makes its headquarters in Indianapolis and now that the city will have the meetings and hospitality to accommodate a massive convention, the association is elated they can hold its convention on home turf. "In light of the recent economic climate, it is the right time for us to get back to our roots and provide the membership with a host city they are familiar with and one that provides an accessible, affordable, and CEDIA-like atmosphere," added Baldwin.

In fact, as word of the Indy’s Commitment to meetings, conventions and tradeshows, CEDIA membership were eager to return. "After listening to members’ feedback and closely monitoring the trend of exhibitors’ booths, CEDIA leadership performed extensive research on the viability of bringing EXPO back to a city that not only is cost-effective for our exhibitors but accommodates the needs of our attendees and members across the globe," said Erdmann.

CEDIA is an international trade association of companies specializing in the planning and installation of electronic systems for the home. This includes media rooms, single or multi-room entertainment systems, home automation and communication systems and integrated whole-house subsystems providing control of light, security and HVAC systems. The CEDIA Expo typically showcases the newest innovations in audio-visual and high-tech media equipment and services. The CEDIA Expo will be held September 22-26, 2010 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center, before returning to Indianapolis September 7-11, 2011 and September 5-9, 2012.

Unlike most organizations, CEDIA selects a host city for multiple, consecutive years. "CEDIA determines the venue for its annual EXPO tradeshow several years in advance based on an evaluation of the trends in exhibitors’ booth space, the city’s affordability and accessibility, and member feedback," said Don Gilpin, Chief Operating Officer, CEDIA. "A two-year rotation pattern allows us to develop a relationship with the venue and the hosting city while also keeping the show agile enough to respond to these trends. In addition, moving the show to different regions of the U.S. allows us to better serve a broad national and international audience."