Azione Unlimited, The Smart Home Association, has announced significant expansion of its educational initiatives for 2025, launching new learning opportunities across multiple disciplines and strengthening its position as the custom integration industry’s leading resource for professional development.
“Our mission with education has always been to enrich every layer of the integration business,” said Patrick McCarthy, Executive Director of Azione Unlimited. “We’re creating a comprehensive and practical educational framework by integrating best-in-class learning partners and adding high-impact training experiences. This is about empowering people—from entry-level techs to seasoned leaders—to thrive and innovate on their own terms.”
With these latest initiatives, Azione Unlimited now offers a robust portfolio of turnkey educational resources committed to elevating the industry through knowledge, community, and collaboration—one integrator at a time. The following are some initiative highlights.
IntegrateU Joins Forces with Azione to Elevate Onboarding Education
The association’s parent company has partnered with IntegrateU to expand the program’s reach and impact across Azione Unlimited’s membership. Designed specifically for custom integration businesses, IntegrateU delivers essential onboarding education, soft skills training, and performance-based development. This collaboration ensures new hires across the Azione network are equipped with foundational skills that align with company culture and accelerate productivity from day one.
As part of this partnership, Azione members will gain access to a curated curriculum covering communication, workflow comprehension, professionalism, and technical awareness—all geared toward transforming new employees into high-performing contributors within their first 90 days.
“At IntegrateU, we believe that smarter onboarding and ongoing professional development are the cornerstones of sustained growth,” says Dante Walston, CEO & Co-Founder of IntegrateU. “This partnership is about more than training—it’s about building culture. We’re proud to help integrators create environments where team members feel supported, challenged, and inspired to grow. Teaming up with Azione gives us a platform to elevate the entire C.I. industry through meaningful transformation.”
Lighting Excellence Dojo Powers Up Hands-On Education for the CI Community
Advanced lighting technology is quickly becoming a centerpiece of the modern smart home, and Azione’s latest educational partnership ensures its members are ready. Enter the Lighting Excellence Dojo: a new, design-thinking, meets hands-on installation training initiative founded by some of the most respected voices in our industry. As a cornerstone of Azione’s 2025 partnership strategy, this program directly brings hands-on, real-world lighting education to our members.
Designed to blend conceptual instincts with technical savvy, the Dojo dives into key areas like design understanding & application, fixture installation techniques, and problem-solving strategies. The immersive sessions aren’t just lectures – they’re interactive workshops. Expect collaborative, peer-driven learning where ideas get tested and new skills are forged. An additional aspect that embodies the dojo essence is the model of developing a community of advanced learners that teaches emerging learners, sharing their wisdom and experience to better their peers.
“We’re excited to invite Azione dealer members into the Lighting Excellence Dojo,” says Bruce Clark, Founding Sensei of Lighting Excellence Dojo. “This is where design-thinking-meets-hands-on-installation training initiative developed by some seasoned and respected voices in our industry, answering the ‘why’ behind the what, where, and how. Our goal is simple: build lighting confidence, elevate capability, and unleash creativity. This is a milestone moment for education in our channel, and we’re proud to share it with the Azione community—and we’re just getting started.”
Azione dealers can expect direct access to dojo sessions throughout the year, reinforcing their leadership in one of the fastest-growing categories in the channel.
Online Learning Gets a Boost via CEDIA Learning Academy
Azione Unlimited also reinforces its investment in digital learning by renewing its commitment to the newly revamped CEDIA Learning Academy. Through this partnership, members gain complimentary access to CEDIA’s full suite of professional training modules, covering a spectrum of advanced technologies, installation best practices, and business skills. This move reinforces Azione’s Education Ecosystem as a multi-dimensional learning framework catering to an integration company’s entire spectrum of roles.
New updates to the Academy include microlearning tracks, certification prep tools, and role-specific roadmaps for technicians, project managers, and sales professionals. Azione will also promote cohort-based progress among members to enhance completion rates and encourage peer accountability.
Leadership Symposiums Return with Expanded Focus
Azione is also excited to announce that the subsequent sessions of its acclaimed Leadership Symposiums are underway. This summer, the association will host two immersive, in-person events:
- Emerging Leaders Symposium: Aimed at rising stars in operations and management, this event fosters peer connections, leadership development, and industry insight. Attendees will engage in sessions on team motivation, conflict resolution, and systems thinking to prepare them for more strategic responsibilities.
- Sales Leaders Symposium: Designed to arm sales professionals with practical strategies, communication tools, and inspiration from top-performing peers and vendors. Curriculum highlights include value-based selling, pipeline strategy, and client engagement through immersive storytelling.
Both symposiums are free to members and include hands-on learning, vendor-led sessions, and exclusive facility tours at host venues IC Realtime and Environmental Lights. Attendees will also receive travel reimbursements and customized takeaway resources to implement back at their businesses.
Learn more at AzioneUnlimited.com.
About Azione Unlimited
Azione Unlimited is a Smart Home Association with more than 300 custom integration members and 53 carefully selected vendor members. Azione’s focus is to bring everyone together to create relationships, build trust, share ideas, and, most importantly, prosper. The association offers its members access to a nationwide network of high-caliber business owners, diligent rebate monitoring, leadership symposiums, and national conferences.
See also: VITAL Joins Azione Unlimited
