When the going gets tough, we’ve got you. Day in and day out, Guild Member teams are out in the field confronting challenges and navigating their way through the complexity of it all. So we created a way for them to document in real time, compare notes, refine, test, re-test… and of course send word of their ultimate success. We then post those findings here as THE GUILD FIELD GUIDES.
THE GUILD
FIELD GUIDES
Because while our industry may have a low bar for entry, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep setting the highest standards.
APRIL 2025
THE GUILD FIELD GUIDE 06: SPECIFIER LIGHTING EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
Bridging the lighting knowledge gap, this hands‑on Field Guide was created by the masterful Guild Members from Minneapolis: Team Lelch. They let us behind the scenes on crafting a boutique, in‑person event to empower integrators as true lighting specifiers.
From custom invitations and high‑impact presentations to immersive demos in a state‑of‑the‑art lighting lab, you’ll learn to champion fixture specs, design nuances, and control strategies that transform residential spaces. More than just education, this experience forges lasting partnerships—arming you with the tools and follow‑up framework to spark collaboration with architects and designers long after the lights go down.
THE ARCHIVE
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THE GUILD FIELD GUIDE 01:
SONOS NETWORKING BEST PRACTICES
SONOS is a DIY product we all love up until the point where you’ve gone beyond a certain number and can’t rely on auto-configuration. And you also only do the highest level of work for your clients and want their beautiful home in perfect working order. So we took this problem to SONOS directly and they worked with us to co-author this epic guide on how to set up the largest system of SONOS magic possible.
We root for SONOS and spiritually high-five them for understanding our world. One where someone could DIY all day but it takes D-I-E diehards to get this stuff right. Which is really what everyone ultimately wants. Can we get an AMEN?
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THE GUILD FIELD GUIDE 02:
LUTRON SERVICE PROCEDURES
We learned this one the hard way. Or you might say the “hard-earned” way. Which is: by calling, being told it can’t be done, trying again, caring about it, following up with integrity, and then ultimately figuring it out anyway.
Sharing this one with gratitude to the masterminds at Lutron for all that they do… and equal appreciation and respect to our teams for regularly navigating all things Lutron. Keep shinin’.
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THE GUILD FIELD GUIDE 03:
DYNAMIC THEATER LIGHTING
Make some popcorn for this hot topic! Experts agree that having ambient light behind the video display reduces eye strain and improves perceived image quality. And cool people everywhere agree that it makes a room even more fun and energy-filled. The feature can be turned off for “serious” dramas or amped up for concert videos, sports, etc.
Get into it!
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THE GUILD FIELD GUIDE 04:
THE GUIDE TO CORD CUTTING
The latest addition to our Field Guides library, Cord Cutting, provides a comprehensive overview for those looking to transition from traditional cable or satellite services to streaming-based solutions.
Covering everything from performance and reliability advantages to service recommendations and multi-TV setups, this guide offers expert insights to ensure a seamless experience. It also highlights important considerations such as bandwidth requirements and synchronization issues across multiple displays.
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THE GUILD FIELD GUIDE 05:
HIGH-PERFORMANCE HOME CINEMA BEST PRACTICES
The Guild’s High-Performance Home Cinema Field Guide draws heavily from the comprehensive CEDIA RP22 Guide, distilling the essentials specific to home cinema into an excellent, streamlined resource for designing and optimizing high-end home theaters.
Covering essential topics such as HDR, wide color gamut, screen selection, speaker placement, immersive audio formats, and low-frequency room optimization, this guide provides expert-level insights to create reference-grade cinematic experiences. Whether you’re fine-tuning acoustic treatments or balancing performance objectives, this guide ensures every detail is engineered for excellence.