Z-Wave Alliance Summit & Unplug Fest EMEA 2025

The Z-Wave Alliance Summit & Unplug Fest EMEA 2025 will take place Feb 7-8, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain at the El Avenida Palace Hotel and is open to both members and non-members. These events provide time to collaborate with other members, demo products to a targeted audience, join technical and/or marketing tracks, participate in speaking panels, increase brand awareness and visibility, and enjoy fun networking events with all attendees.

Register HERE with early bird pricing until 12/16/24

Agenda

*Agenda is tentative and subject to change. Stay tuned and check back for details as we approach the event.

Friday, February 7, 2025

*1:00 PM CET – 4:00 PM CET – Unplug Fest
*Unplug Fest is open to Z-Wave Alliance members only.

The Unplug Fest is where Z-Wave Alliance members can engage in unofficial device-to-device interoperability for Z-Wave and Z-Wave Long Range products. Take advantage of an invaluable opportunity to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and uncover new possibilities for seamless integration with the Z-Wave ecosystem.

4:00 PM CET – 4:30 PM CET – Unplug Fest Wrap Up 

5:00 PM CET – 8:00 PM CET – Welcome Reception and Opening Panel

Join us for our opening welcome reception with drinks and light bites.

5:45 PM CET – 6:30 PM CET – Keynote: State of Z-Wave Chips and the Role of Interoperability in the Smart Home [Panel]

Moderator: Avi Rosenthal, Chairman of the Board, Z-Wave Alliance
Panelist: Mariusz Malkowski, Chief Technology Officer and Founder, Trident IoT
Panelist: Gilles Drieu, SVP and Chief Technology Officer, ADT
Panelist: Leon Kralj, Chief Technology Officer, Shelly
Panelists will also include a representatives from Silicon Labs.

Moderated by Z-Wave Alliance leadership, this session brings together insights from key Z-Wave member companies—Trident IoT, Silicon Labs, ADT, and Shelly. As providers of Z-Wave chips and modules, Silicon Labs and Trident IoT will share how they ae supporting advancements such as Z-Wave Plus, Z-Wave Plus v.2, and Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR). Manufacturer representatives will share perspectives on customer demand, implementation, and deployment, providing a complete picture of Z-Wave within the market. Since the Alliance became an SDO in 2020, Z-Wave has transformed from a proprietary platform into an open standard, driving new applications and enhancing market reach. This session will discuss how Z-Wave’s evolution enables growth opportunities and technical advancements, with a focus on the EMEA region.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

8:00 AM CET – Registration Check-in (Breakfast refreshments available)

9:00 AM CET – Welcome Remarks

Presenter: Avi Rosenthal, Chairman of the Board, Z-Wave Alliance

9:15 AM CET – Why Open Source: A Discussion with Z-Wave and Home Assistant and the Global Opportunity of Smart Home

Presenter: Paulus Schoutsen, Founder, Home Assistant & Nabu Casa

Z-Wave’s established infrastructure offers reliability, security, and interoperability, while the open-source nature of Home Assistant fosters a community-driven approach to customization and integration. This combination provides installers, developers, and manufacturer8 with a flexible and scalable framework, enabling greater control and innovation in the deployment of smart home technologies. Open-source platforms are key to unlocking this potential, allowing for rapid deployment, adaptation to regional needs, and support for a vast range of devices. This discussion highlights the importance of open-source in democratizing smart home technology and examines how the collaboration between Z-Wave and Home Assistant can accelerate global adoption while addressing interoperability challenges in diverse markets.

10:00 AM CET – Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) – The Path to Seamless Expansion

Presenter: Serguei Poltorak, Head of IoT Controller Solutions, Trident IoT

Discover the full potential of Z-Wave Long Range (ZWLR) and how it is set to redefine smart home and IoT connectivity. This session will provide a comprehensive look at ZWLR’s capabilities, including its impressive fourfold range extension, star topology, support for up to 4000 devices, and improved battery efficiency through dynamic transmission power. Attendees will learn about ZWLR’s compatibility with Classic Z-Wave, SmartStart inclusion, and the SDK versions that support ZWLR for Europe (868 MHz). The presenter will outline certification requirements, including minimal range standards and logo guidelines, and offer insights on adding ZWLR functionality to devices and controllers. The session will conclude with an exploration of business opportunities to showcase how ZWLR opens doors to innovative applications. A Q&A will follow for an interactive discussion on deploying ZWLR solutions.

11:00 AM CET – Panel: Lessons Learned from the EUs Top Installers

Panelist: Tamas Langh, CEO of Yabune Solution
Panelist: Sylvain Riviere, Smart Spaces Designer, aiotee
Panelist: Tim Albright, President, AVNation
Panelist: Aniko Woods, Managing Director, S3 Entertainment, Europe

Join a panel of experienced installers as they share insights from the front lines of technology installation. Discover the elements they see driving customer adoption, common challenges they encounter, and how new solutions are enhancing the lives of their clients. This session dives into real-world project work, troubleshooting, and practical problem-solving, providing a look at what installers need to streamline their work and deliver seamless user experiences. Hear directly from experts about how emerging technologies are shaping their business opportunities and transforming customer satisfaction across the European market.

12:00 PM CET – 1:30 PM CET – Lunch

1:30 PM CET – What’s Missing? Bridging Gaps in Z-Wave Technology

Moderator: Avi Rosenthal, Chairman of the Board, Z-Wave Alliance

Audience participation and engagement required

This session is designed as an open forum where audience participation is paramount. Join us for an engaging discussion as we examine the current gaps and missing features within the Z-Wave ecosystem. Since becoming open-source in 2021, Z-Wave has solidified its role as a premier wireless communication protocol for smart home automation, known for its enhanced security, reliability, and low power consumption. However, despite this shift, there are still areas for improvement to fully unlock Z-Wave’s potential in a fast-evolving market. Attendees will have the opportunity to voice insights, share challenges, and propose ideas, making this session a collaborative effort to identify and bridge the technology gaps that could propel Z-Wave’s continued leadership in smart home innovation.

2:15 PM CET – Navigating New Regulations in Europe of Smart Home and IoT Solutions

Presenter: Jože Novak, Assistant Managing Director, Slovenian Institute of Quality (SIQ)

As Europe prepares for significant regulatory changes in 2025, businesses in the smart home and IoT industries must adapt to a complex and evolving landscape. This session provides a high-level overview of these updates, with a focus on new efficiency standards and the growing emphasis on cybersecurity requirements for connected devices. Attendees will gain insight into the compliance requirements of the Radio Equipment Directive (RED 2014/53/EU), particularly Article 3.3, and explore the foundational cybersecurity standards (ETSI EN 303 645 and EN 18031) shaping mandatory protections for smart devices. This session highlights how these regulations will impact device deployment, sustainability, and security, creating opportunities for companies to lead in innovative and secure technology. Attendees will leave with a strategic understanding of how to navigate and capitalize on these regulatory shifts in the European market.

3:15 PM CET – Roadmapping for EMEA  & The Future of Z-Wave 

Moderator: Avi Rosenthal, Chairman of the Board, Z-Wave Alliance, Mariusz Malkowski, Technical Workgroup Chair, Z-Wave Alliance

Audience participation and engagement required

This interactive session offers a forward-looking view of Z-Wave’s growth in the EMEA region and requires audience engagement for an open dialogue. Starting with an overview of smart home adoption data, the session will highlight the growing demand for Z-Wave solutions and explore the underlying market trends driving this shift. Following the data presentation, the Z-Wave Alliance Technical Committee will unveil a 2-year roadmap detailing Z-Wave’s technical advancements and development priorities, providing attendees with an insider’s view of what’s on the horizon. The session will conclude with an open discussion where audience members are encouraged to share insights, ask questions, and exchange ideas on how to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the European market.

4:00 PM CET – Closing Remarks & Networking

Presenter: Avi Rosenthal, Chairman of the Board, Z-Wave Alliance

SPONSORS

Thank you to our Z-Wave Alliance Summit & Unplug Fest EMEA 2025 sponsors:

We encourage members to get involved by choosing from one of the sponsorship opportunities, which include complimentary passes, on-site branding, marketing, special recognition during the event and more. Contact Jen Ferency at jenf@z-wavealliance.org if you have questions about participating.