Videos

Cedia Expo 2023: Glenn Johnson Featured Speaker

Smart Stage Discussion Highlights

How Integrators Can Use Innovation to Build Relationships with Specifiers

Glenn Merlin Johnson, CEO and Founder of Adaptive Design Group Inc. is a Panelist in Cedia Expo 2023. In this discussion, we’ll explore the fundamentals of building relationships with specifiers, specifically, lighting designers and interior designers, and how innovative products can open up the dialogue. You’ll hear directly from Top Industry Experts on what it takes to form lasting, mutually-beneficial relationships that will satisfy their most discerning shared clients.

Watch discussion highlights on youtube!

Learn more at Cedia Expo 2023

Cedia Expo 2023

Cedia Expo 2023: Glenn Johnson Featured Speaker — Smart Stage Discussion Highlights
How Integrators Can Use Innovation to Build Relationships with Specifiers

At CEDIA Expo 2023, Glenn Merlin Johnson, CEO and Founder of Adaptive Design Group Inc., was featured as a panelist in a Smart Stage discussion focused on one of the most critical elements of modern luxury projects: collaboration. This session explored how integrators can use innovation not just as a tool, but as a bridge to stronger, long-term relationships with specifiers — particularly lighting designers and interior designers.

In today’s high-end residential and commercial environments, the success of a project depends on alignment between creative vision and technical execution. Glenn shared insights drawn from decades of experience in architectural lighting design, demonstrating how innovative products and thoughtfully engineered systems can create meaningful dialogue between disciplines. When integrators understand the language of designers, and designers trust the technical foundation being built, the result is more than a functional space — it becomes an integrated experience.

The discussion highlighted practical ways integrators can approach specifiers with solutions instead of limitations. Rather than focusing on what cannot be done, Glenn emphasized the importance of leading with possibility. By introducing advanced lighting systems, control technologies, and seamless infrastructure early in the design phase, teams can collaborate from a place of creativity rather than compromise.

Attendees heard directly from top industry experts on what it truly takes to form lasting, mutually beneficial relationships that serve the most discerning clients. Trust, consistency, respect for craft, and a shared commitment to excellence were central themes throughout the panel. These are the principles that allow technical teams and design professionals to work together fluidly, delivering homes and spaces that feel intentional, refined, and effortless.

At Adaptive Design Group, this collaborative mindset is not a trend — it is the foundation of every project. Each relationship built is designed to last, ensuring that every architect, interior designer, and client experiences a process defined by trust and performance.

If you’re developing a project that demands true collaboration between design and technology, connect with Adaptive Design Group to start the conversation and build something extraordinary together.

Total Tech Summit 2022: Featured Speaker

Orlando FL, Oct 26-28, 2022

Glenn Merlin Johnson CEO and Founder of Adaptive Design Group Inc. is a Panelist in CEPro’s Total Tech Summit 2022 in Orlando Florida event on “The Business of Lighting: Digging Deep into Electrical Partnerships, Margins, Design, Product Selection”. Moderator Jason Knott of CEPro, additional panelists are David Weinstein of Lutron Electronics, Gerald Lynch of Systems 7, Joe Borress of Tristar Electric.

See what the event is all about

Total Tech Summit 2022: Featured Speaker

Orlando, FL | October 26–28, 2022

Glenn Merlin Johnson, CEO and Founder of Adaptive Design Group Inc., was honored to serve as a featured panelist at CEPro’s Total Tech Summit 2022 in Orlando, Florida — an invitation-only event that brings together leading minds in design, technology, and integration from across the luxury residential industry.

The featured discussion, titled “The Business of Lighting: Digging Deep into Electrical Partnerships, Margins, Design, and Product Selection,” explored the complex reality behind modern lighting design in high-end homes. Rather than focusing solely on aesthetics, the panel addressed the critical business and technical relationships that make sophisticated lighting systems possible — including collaboration with electrical partners, long-term design strategy, product performance, and the economic realities that shape large-scale custom projects.

Glenn shared the perspective of an architectural lighting designer who approaches light as both an art form and a technical discipline. His contribution centered on the importance of intentional design — where lighting is not treated as a commodity, but as a core architectural element that must be engineered, specified, and coordinated with precision. In an environment where many projects are rushed or value-engineered, his insights highlighted the long-term value of thoughtful planning, layered lighting systems, and integrated control strategies.

The panel was moderated by Jason Knott of CEPro and included respected industry leaders such as David Weinstein of Lutron Electronics, Gerald Lynch of Systems 7, and Joe Borress of Tristar Electric. Together, the group explored how meaningful partnerships between designers, integrators, electricians, and manufacturers are essential to delivering exceptional outcomes for today’s most discerning homeowners.

What made this session especially compelling was its practical focus. Instead of theory, the conversation dug into real-world challenges — how to balance artistic vision with technical constraints, how to select products that perform beautifully over time, and how aligned teams can protect both quality and profitability without sacrificing design integrity.

Events like Total Tech Summit reflect the evolving role of lighting in luxury residential design. No longer an afterthought, lighting now sits at the intersection of architecture, technology, and lifestyle — and it requires leaders who understand all three.

If you’re ready to explore how strategic lighting design can elevate your next project, reach out to connect with our team and discover what a truly integrated approach can bring to your home.