Cox displays smart-home technology at Omaha Lifestyle & Home Expo

The Omaha area is home to seven companies among the Fortune 500 and 1,000.

A hands-on display of smart-home technology is among the attractions at this weekend’s Omaha Lifestyle & Home Expo 2023.

The exhibit reflects an effort this year to provide visitors with an engaging and interactive experience at the CHI Health Center on Saturday and Sunday, organizers said.

The Omaha World-Herald expo, which kicked off Friday, is presented by Cox Communications. It is a showcase for home improvement, remodeling, landscaping, decor and more.

“This year we’re definitely making it much more interactive and engaging,” said Cheri Dickmeyer, regional experiential and events marketing director at the Omaha World-Herald. “In our advertising, we’re saying: ‘Bye-bye old home shows.’ This is something that families can come down and enjoy.”

There are traditional booths erected across the hall floor, but also attractions such as soccer drills, field hockey and even a virtual basketball court presented by Cox.

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In addition, for basketball fans, there’s an expo lounge with the NCAA tournament all weekend long, Dickmeyer said.

“They can get a beer from concessions and go over to the expo lounge and sit on the couch and watch the game,” she said.

Mark Lawson, chief marketing and sales officer for Cox Communications, tries his hand at virtual basketball Friday at the Omaha Lifestyle & Home Expo 2023. The expo is at the CHI Health Center this weekend.

JOE DEJKA, THE WORLD-HERALD

Another attraction is the giveaways, including a $2,000 fireplace, $900 smoker and a 65-inch TV, she said.

Visitors will find some new vendors this year, among them nonprofits including the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Habitat for Humanity and the Open Door Mission, Dickmeyer said.

One area of the expo is focused on health and well-being, and there’s a marketplace area where people can shop for items such as jewelry, aromatherapy and clothing.

In one corner of the hall, visitors can get a close-up, hands-on look at examples of smart-home technology, powered by Cox Internet.

The Cox exhibit demonstrates what’s possible in a home today — everything from smart coffee makers and exercise equipment to an oven with a camera inside so you can watch your muffins cook on your smartphone.

Mark Lawson, chief marketing and sales officer for Cox Communications, said there’s a growing demand for data consumption in homes.

Prior to the pandemic, consumption already was on the rise, but when COVID hit, “it took a spike, and it hasn’t slowed down,” he said.

That was partly because people were sheltering at home and streaming, which takes a lot of bandwidth, he said.

At the same time, he said, new streaming entertainment was emerging, such as sports events on Amazon and YouTube.

“It’s an opportunity for us to continue to look at consumers’ homes and to make sure we have given them all of the bandwidth that they need,” he said.

Some homes have older devices that can’t take advantage of increased bandwidth, he said. Yet some renters are expecting to have smarter homes with features like automated door locks, thermostats and lights, he said.

He said Cox is constantly investing in its network “so that it provides the experiences that consumers demand from us.”

“And a great example of that,” he said, “is us bringing our mobile converged offer to the marketplace, so that now customers have connectivity in the home and on the move.”

The company recently introduced Cox Mobile, with cellphones and data plans, and it is pursuing a vision to offer customers the ability to combine Cox Mobile and Cox Internet.

The company intends to add iPhones to its portfolio of devices at the end of March, he said.

“We will launch officially on 3/31 with the devices in store, start selling them,” he said. “So we’re excited.”

The expo hours are Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for seniors. Children 12 and under are free.

Roeder Mortuary is sponsoring free admission for veterans and active military.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of March 2023

A pedestrian walking south on 13th Street from Farnam Street uses an umbrella to shield themself from the snow on Thursday.

CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD

Graffiti covers the walls on the first floor of an old office building at Forrest Lawn Cemetery on Tuesday.

CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD

Platteview’s Connor Millikan, right, and Omaha Skutt’s Kyle Cannon watch Millikann’s three-point basket going in during the class B Nebraska state boys basketball championship game on Saturday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Platteview’s Connor Millikan, left, gets fouled by Omaha Skutt’s Wyatt Archer while going for a loose ball during the class B Nebraska state boys basketball championship game on Saturday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Omaha Skutt’s Justin Ferrin scores two points after a steal with less than a minute left against Platteview during the class B Nebraska state boys basketball championship game on Saturday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Bellevue West’s Josiah Dotzler goes up for a shot against Millard North during the class A Nebraska state boys basketball championship game on Saturday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Millard North’s Jacob Martin puts on his shoe after losing in the first half against Bellevue West during the class A Nebraska state boys basketball championship game on Saturday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Bellevue West’s Steven Poulicek celebrates a three-point basket against Millard North during the class A Nebraska state boys basketball championship game on Saturday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Platteview’s Connor Millikan, left, gets fouled by Omaha Skutt’s Wyatt Archer while going for a loose ball during the class B Nebraska state boys basketball championship game on Saturday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Bellevue West’s Eldon Turner attempts a three-point basket in front of Omaha Westside’s Tate Odvody during a semifinals class A Nebraska state boys basketball game on Friday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Bellevue West’s Isaiah Wraggs-McMorrris shoots a basket in front of Omaha Westside’s Caleb Mitchell, left, and Rickey Loftin, center, during a semifinals class A Nebraska state boys basketball game on Friday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Gretna’s Alex Wilcoxson watches from the floor as his last-second shot fails to go in, giving Millard North a victory during the class A Nebraska state boys basketball semifinals on Friday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Bellevue West’s Jaxon Stueve shoots two points in the second half against Lincoln North Star during the class A Nebraska state boys basketball tournament on Wednesday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Omaha Westside’s Caleb Mitchell goes up for a shot against Lincoln East’s Christian Melessa during the class A Nebraska state boys basketball tournament on Wednesday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Bellevue West’s Josiah Dotzler celebrates a first-half dunk against Lincoln North Star during the class A Nebraska state boys basketball tournament on Wednesday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

OPS bus driver Yvonne Johnson poses for a portrait on a bus she decorates for the students on Tuesday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

The aftermath of a three-alarm fire at a warehouse located at 4508 S. 28th St. that contained shopping carts.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

The aftermath of a three-alarm fire at a warehouse located at 4508 S. 28th St. damaged a nearby billboard.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

The aftermath of a three-alarm fire at a warehouse located at 4508 S. 28th St. that contained shopping carts.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Omaha Skutt’s Presley Douglas sits on the bench during a timeout after she injured her knee in the second half against Elkhorn North during the Class B championship game of the Nebraska state basketball tournament on Saturday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Elkhorn North’s Mckenna Murphy, left, and Omaha Skutt’s Peyton McCabe react differently to a possession call in the second half during the Class B championship game of the Nebraska state basketball tournament on Saturday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Elkhorn North celebrates their win over for the Class B championship game of the Nebraska state basketball tournament on Saturday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Oakland Craig’s Chaney Nelson, left, and Adilen Rennerfeldt watch as Pender celebrates winning the Class C2 championship game of the Nebraska state basketball tournament on Saturday. Rennerfeldt missed a three-point basket that would have tied the game in the closing seconds.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

French Onion soup photographed at Le Bouillon.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Millard North’s Brylee Nelsen (33) gets tangled up with Lincoln High’s Dyvine Harris (33) and Josie Hilkemann (25) in the Millard North vs. Lincoln High girls basketball NSAA Class A semifinal in Lincoln on Friday.

ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD

Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman dribbles the ball against Georgetown on Wednesday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Artist Nathaniel Ruleaux leads a community project called “To See If I Could Go Home: A True History Paste-Up” at The Union for Contemporary Art in Omaha on Thursday. His son, Luca, 3, walks away after handing him a print to demonstrate with. A member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, Ruleaux often uses his art to bring attention and activism to Native stories. “I go in wanting to be punk and get people riled up, but the more I learn and get into it, the more I realize how heavy and traumatic a lot of these stories are,” Ruleaux said. “But I use this as a chance for art as a form of therapy and healing.” For this piece, Ruleaux asked members of the community to help paste images of his great-great grandfather, Nicholas Ruleau, who attended the Carlisle Indian Boarding School, over the phrase “Kill the Indian, Save the Man”, a propagandist motto used by the school.

ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD

Rebecca Chen, of Omaha, helps in a community project lead by artist Nathaniel Ruleaux called “To See If I Could Go Home: A True History Paste-Up” at The Union for Contemporary Art in Omaha on Thursday. A member of the Oglala Lakota Nation, Ruleaux often uses his art to bring attention and activism to Native stories. “I go in wanting to be punk and get people riled up, but the more I learn and get into it, the more I realize how heavy and traumatic a lot of these stories are,” Ruleaux said. “But I use this as a chance for art as a form of therapy and healing.” For this piece, Ruleaux asked members of the community to help paste images of his great-great grandfather, Nicholas Ruleau, who attended the Carlisle Indian Boarding School, over the phrase “Kill the Indian, Save the Man”, a propagandist motto used by the school.

ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD

The Millard South girls basketball starting five, from left, Cora Olsen, Mya Babbitt, JJ Jones, Khloe Lemon and Lexi Finkenbiner. Photographed at Millard South High School on Tuesday.

ANNA REED, THE WORLD-HERALD

The City of Omaha on Monday will start a $32 million, 18-month project to widen 168th Street between West Center Road and Q Street. This will include the widening of the bridge over Zorinsky Lake.

ANNA REED photos, THE WORLD-HERALD

A Common Goldeneye lands at the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge on Tuesday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

Migratory birds fly past the rising sun at the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge on Tuesday.

CHRIS MACHIAN THE WORLD-HERALD

joe.dejka@owh.com, 402-444-1077

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