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CES Is Way Different Than Ever Before

If you are reading this in Las Vegas this week welcome to CES 2016. Aside from the show’s new name (it is no longer “International CES”); the fact that attendance has been capped to 170,000; and that the show’s owner and producer (Consumer Technology Association) also changed its name, this event should be far different than any frequent visitor to this show has ever seen.

While this has been an evolving phenomenon, CES this year should truly reflect the entire plethora of technologies consumers can and will interact with today and the near future, developed and will be marketed by a wide-variety of companies — established CE players, start-ups and companies a few short years ago you would never think would show up in Vegas the first few days of January.

The numbers CTA released about this CES recently tell the story:
• 83 percent of the Fortune 100 companies will attend;
• 500 start-ups will be at Eureka Park;
• 3,600-plus exhibitors;
• and, let’s not forget, representatives from 83 percent of top retailers will also be here.

The show has been grouped into three major exhibit spaces.

Tech East (the Las Vegas Convention Center and its two neighboring hotels, the Westgate and Renaissance) feature everything from audio to video, but so much more, such as augmented reality, vehicle intelligences, cyber & personal security among others.

Tech West (Sands Expo, Venetian, Palazzo, Wynn Las Vegas and Encore) features health, wearables, fitness and sports devices, as well as 3D printing and smart home technologies, and, again, many more.

Tech South (Aria, Cosmopolitan and Vdara) is the home of the advertising and marketing community at CES, as well as many Entertainment Matters events.

For a complete list of product categories and their locations, go to http://cesweb.org/Show-Floor.

And I didn’t even mention all of the keynotes (cesweb.org/events) and conferences (cesweb.org/conference) that will be held this week to keep you up to speed on existing businesses, or to learn about new ones.

For those of you who are attending CES 2016 from the traditional CE point of view – brick-and-mortar and online retailers, as well as their suppliers – don’t just have blinders on and visit existing business partners. CES, now more than ever, is an opportunity for you and your companies to learn more about the world of technology that is changing the way your customers, and you, experience the world.

Steve Smith is editor at large of TWICE and was its longtime editor in chief.

» the bottom line: #ces2016

176,000
Attendance cap for CES 2016, the first time such a practice is being implemented by the CTA

150
Countries represented at the show

3,631
Number of exhibitors at CES 2015

2.4 million
Square feet of exhibit space at this year’s show

46
Virtual Reality exhibitors

68%
This increase vs. last year’s show

5,000
Square feet dedicated to the inaugural Augmented Reality Marketplace

29
Exhibitors in the Unmanned Systems Marketplace

208%
Increase vs. last year’s show

155
Exhibitors in the Health & Wellness and Fitness & Technology Marketplaces

1 in 10
Households who own a fitness tracker

24,050
Square feet dedicated to the 3D Printing Marketplace

500
Companies exhibiting at Eureka Park, the dedicated Marketplace for start-ups

23
Companies exhibiting in the Robotics Marketplace

$248 million
Expected sales in the home robotics market for 2016

200+
Conference sessions at CES 2016

800
Estimated number of speakers at the show

Source for all: Consumer Technology Association

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