James began his career in home technology and developed a passion for music, sound, and electronics from a young age when he joined a hi-fi store at the age of 14. His involvement with CEDIA started in 2002 and became the youngest member of the CEDIA EMEA Board of Directors at the age of 24. James established his design-centric, integration firm Homeplay, in 2006 with it earning the prestigious ISO:9001 accreditation for organizations that demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements.  Under his leadership, Homeplay became the second CEDIA member globally to achieve CEDIA’s Member of Excellence status and has been bestowed with numerous awards including CEDIA, Control4, D-Tools, and local business recognition. In 2018, Homeplay opened an experience center, with it winning Best Showroom EMEA at the CEDIA Awards. Over the years, James has continued to be heavily involved, assisting with the UK Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group, numerous CEDIA working groups, a UK lighting CPD course, and training at ISE. He regularly provides training to interior designers and architects as a CEDIA Outreach Instructor. 

Jennifer has been in the home technology industry for 22 years with 15 years’ experience on the manufacturer side and 7 years’ experience as the owner of her own integration company, Level Up Automation. She founded Level Up Automation in 2016 with a vision to bring outstanding home automation experiences using hands-on showroom demonstration experiences, alongside design and education excellence. Today, Level Up Automation creates smart homes and intelligent buildings in Massachusetts, Arizona, Florida, Ohio, and Maryland.  Prior to establishing Level Up Automation, Jennifer served as the North American Director for the Home Technology Sales & Services division at global leading audio company, Bose Corporation, leading the custom installation business unit in the US and Canada, as well as providing additional global leadership advisory roles in Europe, India, the Middle East, and Australia. A graduate of Bentley University, Jennifer has a BS in Marketing and earned leading industry technology credentials as a Control4 programmer and Savant programmer, as well as holding URC, Ring ProX, and Lutron Triathlon shading system certifications. She has spoken on numerous panels at CES, InfoComm, and CEDIA conferences.

Melanie Malcolm is Co-Owner of Leeds, Yorkshire UK-based Bespoke Home Cinemas specialising in Cinema and Smart Home Technology across the UK residential market. Melanie currently sits on the global Board of Directors for CEDIA and recently appointed to the Governance Committee. In 2016 Melanie was elected to the CEDIA EMEA board and contributed to CEDIA's global alignment process. An active CEDIA volunteer, she has served in roles including: Secretary on the Executive Board, Chair of the Smart Home Apprenticeship Trailblazer Committee, and CEDIA Awards Judge for the EMEA region.

Melanie, also a Director for Together For Cinema, a Community Interest Company that focuses on designing and installing home cinema rooms in children’s hospices and other suitable locations across the UK.

Outside the industry, Melanie is Co-Founder and Director of the Yorkshire Choice Awards, an organisation that recognises the achievements of inspirational individuals, independent businesses and charities.

Stephan has been involved in the Home Automation / IT / AV industry for over 30 years. He began as an Electronics Engineer and worked in the marine industry for over a decade before establishing his integration firm, Liquid Automation. Stephan’s vision was to provide the same high level of ‘marine-standard’ installation work that he had been accustomed to in residential and commercial projects. Both Stephan and his business became CEDIA members in 2007 and acquired many awards, achieving winning projects every year. He has served as a CEDIA board member for the Australia/New Zealand region and was instrumental in the CEDIA Expo in New Zealand which was a huge success. As a Certified CEDIA Outreach Instructor, he has advocated on behalf of the association and industry on panels at events and has served as a board member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, the world’s only peer-to-peer network exclusively for transformational entrepreneurs and leaders. Additionally, Stephan is a trained board moderator who regularly uses these skills for his local EO forum.