The Judges

TECHNICAL JUDGE

Adam Pelz is the Owner and President of Bespoke Cinemas, a custom integration and consulting firm located near Nashville, Tennessee. Adam began his career as the Technical Director of a 3000-seat concert hall, while studying Engineering Physics. Prior to developing his own company, Bespoke Cinemas, he was the Senior Design Engineer at REAL Audio Video in Salt Lake City, Utah.  He is an expert in home theater design, installation, and audio & video calibration.  He is a sought-after expert consultant with numerous A/V manufacturers including, most notably, Trinnov Audio.  He is ISF, THX and ARCOS certified. He is an expert instructor with the Home Acoustics Alliance, and considered by many to be the foremost audio calibrator in the world.

TECHNICAL JUDGE

Guy is a fully qualified registered electrical and electronics engineer. Guy currently resides on the CEDIA EMEA standards council, as well as many of the technical councils and white paper groups. Guy has steered his UK custom install company, “Imagine This”, to international recognition; wining CEDIA, Crestron and other Industry awards. His portfolio of projects includes CEDIA award winning large-scale cinema builds and home automation projects for major film directors, rock stars and royal dignitaries.

TECHNICAL JUDGE

After founding Audy Instruments Inc., Dave Tkachuk was hired as sound designer and engineer for the legendary folk group Peter, Paul, and Mary and has continued this relationship. Dave’s experience includes twenty years as president of Tkachuk Associates, a high-end systems integration company. Dave’s work is represented in CEDIA’s national and global awards for Best Home Cinema and Best Special Project, as well as Crestron’s Home Technology Award for Best Design and Engineering. He was chosen as CEDIA’s 2011 Volunteer of the Year, was Co-Chairman of the CTA/CEDIA Systems Documentation Work Group for the Development of the AV Architectural Drawing Symbols ANSI Standard (J-STD-710) and is also presently working with CEDIA committees on technology and certification. Dave holds a B.S. in Physics from UMass Lowell and is a member of the Imaging Science Foundation.

TECHNICAL JUDGE

George is currently President of Rayva LLC, the originator of turnkey Home Theater solutions.  Rayva provides interior designs and engineering to simplify the sales and installation of home theaters and media rooms.   Rayva provides curated designs under the guidance of Theo Kalomirakis, combined with pre-engineered electronic packages which are sourced by the integrator.  Rayva solutions are designed to be repeatable, reliable and predictable, adding efficiency to Home Theater.

DESIGN JUDGE

Carol is an architect and Interior Designer and Principle of Carol Kurth Architecture + Interiors. Her work has won numerous design awards and has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and on television broadcasts. Her diverse portfolio of places to live, work and play embodies an intensive spirit, creating transformative backdrops for living and insporations for the luxury lifestyle. Carol is a Registered Architect in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Florida; and is a member of America Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

DESIGN JUDGE

NKBA Insider Rebekah Zaveloff is Co-Founder and Director of Design at Kitchen Lab & Rebekah Zaveloff Interiors. Rebekah’s passion for collaborative style and the natural inclination for taking care of people create a synergy that influences the work she does at Kitchen Lab. She works closely with people to create spaces tailored to each client’s needs, tastes, and budget, always offering unpredictable and unexpected ideas. Rebekah’s studies include University of California, Los Angeles, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Harrington Institute of Interior Design.

TECHNICAL JUDGE

After studying as a sound engineer, Pip worked in the home technology industry for over ten years, and set up NV Integration, a high-end residential integration company in 2010. Pip is a regular contributor to CEDIA with the CCI and COI programs, and lectures at the Inchbald School of Design, where he educates graduates on the latest in smart home technology.

TECHNICAL JUDGE

Simon has over 20 years’ experience in the home technology industry, having experience in every element of the client experience — from sales, design, and programming, to onsite installation and support.  The range of projects he has worked on covers single room music and cinema rooms, luxury homes, and super yachts. He founded SONA in 2012 with a vision to deliver intuitive and beautiful integrated systems that truly enhance life in any place you call home. SONA is a CEDIA Member of Excellence — the highest status a member company can achieve, and currently one of only 10 globally.

TECHNICAL JUDGE

Owen, principal of CinemaWorks, set up his integration company in 2014 after 18 years’ experience working in other roles within the industry. CinemaWorks was established as Owen wanted to bring brilliant design, technical expertise and customer care to the South West of England and South Wales. With his clients wanting a full service, Owen developed an offering that includes data networking, Wi-Fi, control programming, design, technical drawing and a strong understanding of modern housebuilding. In 2019, Owen took steps to ensure CinemaWorks was the first company in the world to achieve “CEDIA Member of Excellence,” reflecting award-winning craftsmanship, commitment to professional education and excellent customer service. He holds CEDIA’s ESC-T, ESC-D, and ESC-N certifications. Owen is  a committed industry volunteer with a focus on industry outreach. He recently wrote the acclaimed CPD course “Designing Home Cinema and Media Rooms” for CEDIA.

TECHNICAL JUDGE

Geoff is a twenty-five-year veteran of the AV business. He owns and runs Presto, a web design and digital marketing agency, and specializes in digital marketing for the smart home, hi-fi, and home cinema markets. Geoff is also Lead Instructor for CEDIA EMEA and holds CEDIA’s ESC-T, ESC-D, and ESC-N certifications. He has a wealth of experience teaching audio, video, IP networking, and online marketing. Geoff has taught hundreds of AV professionals in numerous technical subjects across six continents.

TECHNICAL JUDGE

Chris has over 20 years of experience as a  salesperson, integrator, programmer, designer, project manager, and department manager. His main passion is the design of specialist bespoke cinemas from conception to reality with extensive technical knowledge of audio, visual, and acoustics using CAD and visualization tools, then make them a reality with his dedicated team of experienced in-house fabricators and integrators. Chris works at CEDIA member company Cyberhomes, which has won numerous accolades and awards including the highly sought-after CEDIA Awards Best Home Cinema (EMEA, Level III) in 2018.

DESIGN JUDGE

Following a degree in French from Royal Holloway, University of London, and a career in international marketing, Dean studied for a Diploma in Interior Design with Rhodec and set up Armstrong Keyworth Ltd. in 1997. Armstrong Keyworth offers a wide range of services from informal design consultancy to full project co-ordination including building work, planning, lighting, decoration and furnishing. As well as his design acumen, Dean provides business and management skills that help to ensure the smooth progression of design projects from single rooms to large country houses. His work has been featured in House & Garden, Ideal Homes, 25 Beautiful Homes, as well as on Channel 4 and London Live television. Dean served on the board of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) for 4 years and was elected as its President for 2006-7.

DESIGN JUDGE

Susie is the Founder and Creative Director of Tessuto, a successful, multidisciplinary design studio based in London. Established in 1993, Susie has built up a prestigious portfolio of commercial and private clients. Her practice specialises in both the design of large residential developments for the sales and private rental sectors, and luxury homes for private clients. Susie is Past President of the BIID, following roles as CPD Director and Vice President. She now works closely with Gilly Craft, current President of the BIID, to ensure continuity on the Council.

DESIGN JUDGE

John grew up in Dublin where he was inspired by the extraordinary Georgian architecture of the city. From his earliest years he sought out exuberant rococo plasterwork and romantic country house ruins. Coupled with this was a strong concern for the poor quality of so much contemporary design and the ongoing loss of many historic buildings. Smallwood Architects was founded by Christopher Smallwood in 1976 to provide a very personal service to clients in delivering to them beautiful buildings of the highest quality. We are London architects, drawing upon the diversity, creative excitement and high skill base of this most international of cities, while also bringing profound respect for the historic basis of our built environment.

DESIGN JUDGE

Peter has been the Director of EAB Homes since 2013. Working in this family business that has been established for well over thirty years, Peter has personally overseen the delivery of hundreds of new homes, extensions and refurbishments, from concept through to completion. He has extensive on and off-site experience, a keen eye for detail and time and cost management. EAB Homes is a multi-award-winning boutique development company, building exceptional, high-end residential properties in and around the Home Counties, with an emphasis on modern family living.