GE, Sears' Kenmore To Exhibit At CES

Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 9/8/2010

Arlington, Va. - GE Appliances and Sears' Kenmore majap brand will be among the first exhibitors to inaugurate the Connected Home Appliances TechZone at the 2011 International CES in January.

The early exhibitor list, announced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), also includes floor-care manufacturer Bissell.

Other major white-goods vendors, such as Whirlpool, Electrolux and International CES exhibitors LG and Samsung, have not formally announced their plans for the new CES section.

The Connected Home Appliances TechZone was created to showcase next-generation "smart" appliances that can connect with the energy grid and other household products.

"These major name manufacturers are flocking to the Connected Home Appliances TechZone because they know it's the best area at CES for showcasing products designed to integrate, connect and network the lives of consumers throughout the home," said Gary Shapiro, CEA president/CEO. "Consumers want to connect devices within their homes, and this area provides an opportunity for CES exhibitors to demonstrate how connected home appliances will make home life easier and more energy efficient."

The Connected Home Appliances TechZone will showcase manufacturers, suppliers, utilities and others in the connected-appliances arena. This exhibit area will feature major and portable household appliances and innovative technologies that integrate with other electronics products to improve consumers' health and productivity while reducing their environmental impact.

Betsy Owens, Sears' Kenmore brand VP, said, "Kenmore is excited to participate in the 2011 International CES Connected Home Appliances TechZone. This year, we have undertaken a massive relaunch, introducing breakthrough innovations across all our categories. We are proud to be among the innovation leaders at CES and look forward to showcasing our latest advancement, Kenmore Connect, that shares real-time diagnostics directly from the appliance to highly trained Kenmore Connect service experts."

For more information, contact Ryan Strowger, CES business development director, at rstrowger@ce.org.