Think deeply I am writing these words out of breath. Next week, TechCrunch returns to his CES in person for the first time in three years.
Phew. It was nice to finally get it off my chest.
Our team last flew to Las Vegas for an event in January 2020. This is an auspicious day. It wasn’t long before the whole world took the shape of a pear.It was a big show with 117,000 people attending, according to CTA (Consumer Technology Association) statistics. The event, which organizers would rather not call a consumer electronics show, has become a massive event in recent decades.
Trying to watch the entire show is a silly errand. In my more hopeful youth, I tried to see as much as I could and walked through all the official halls pretty well. It’s becoming more and more impossible each year as the show has spread far beyond the confines of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Venetian Convention and Expo Center (RIP The Sands), myriad hotel suites, and a variety of formal and informal event spaces orbit the Strip.
Like countless other live event producers, the last three years have been something of an existential crisis for CTA. After much drag, the organization finally has to admit that in-person CES 2021 was a terrible idea for all involved, and pivoting to a virtual event was understandably difficult. No. Last year, the show coincided with omicron’s surge, and TechCrunch and others made the decision to drop it. Contagious new strains and vacation travel were too far a bridge.
CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show, opens its doors to visitors on January 5, 2022 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Image credit: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Last year’s numbers were down significantly. The CTA puts the event at “well over 40,000” numbers (the commonly accepted figure is he’s 44,000), down 75% from 2020. Victory of sorts. CTA says he’s on track to hit 100,000 this year. Given the lack of other notable COVID-19 variants, it seems likely that there will be a significant increase from at least 2022.
I can’t be the only one who suspects that the CTA didn’t want people to get too used to the 2021 virtual event. Long before COVID, there were long-standing doubts about the effectiveness of in-person tech events. CES and other hardware shows dominate the debate, focusing on products that would benefit from being seen in person. That said, his last two years have really demonstrated that he can cover the show well from his living room.
But we’re moving beyond conversations about the “new normal” (honestly, when was the last time you heard that phrase uttered seriously?). The new normal happened when we weren’t looking. The new normal is that viruses don’t exist because we say they don’t exist. Did he get it three times, including once at the fair in Vegas? Recognizing that the act of attending a show that boasts of attracting 100,000 attendees has a reasonable expectation that in mid-January he may be staring for a fourth time. Are you sure? Find the CES COVID protocol here. TL;DR does not require vaccination, testing or masking, but can be done if desired.
Attendees walk through the hallways of the Las Vegas Convention Center during the first day of CES 2022 on January 5, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES is his annual world’s largest consumer technology trade show. Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Is it still worth going? I think yes I mean, go. Other TC staff also do. We have reduced our presence over the past few years, and I think we will continue to do so. Given the amount of CES news he gets in press releases, and the fact that nearly all press conferences are streamed, the right approach to covering an event like this is something smaller and more strategic. is to
This is not simply a product of this new endemic virus. This is the result of a change in the media landscape in general. For all of my personal issues with events, I really miss the days of pure, uncut blogging, when money was still being thrown into the format before everything was paywalled. Cool shows have value, but at least for TechCrunch it’s about having the right meetings and finding people doing cool stuff. After two weeks off, I’m back with 1,600 unread emails, which is harder than I imagined. I’ve made this list, but he’s going to check it twice before he gets on the plane next week.
Image credit: DENIS CHARLET/AFP/Getty Images
Even before these particular set of circumstances, CES has experienced several crises of confidence. As with the nature of these objects, numbers have gone up and down over the years. The smartest thing CTA has done in the last few years is leaning towards the automotive sector. What began as the adoption of high-tech in-vehicle systems has expanded significantly. It’s as if CES has become a car show when no one is watching.
One of the key plays in the show is timing. Unfortunately for everyone who tried to enjoy their vacation while on vacation, CES is technically positioned as the first show of the year to set the rhythm for the remaining 11.5 months. It starts on January 5th, but press day is two days before his. This year we leave on the 2nd to make sure we cover our base. There were years when I flew in one day. Let’s just say I’m glad I stopped drinking a few years ago.
Getting the show right at the beginning of the year jumps months at major auto shows like those in Chicago, Atlanta and New York. You can see micromobility very well. Expect some big news, including keynotes from BMW and Stellantis. Chip makers such as Qualcomm and AMD also have a lot to do at the automotive forefront, always at the show.
Image credit: hyundai
Hyundai also has a big presence at the show, walking the lines between automotive, mobility and robotics. In fact, judging by the inbox filling, this is going to be a huge year for robotics. From consumer to the presence of major industrial start-ups in various categories. Robotics is always difficult at CES. Big companies love to show off fancy robots that are going nowhere (believe it or not, the latest Sony’s Aibo is a relatively successful example) and lots of junky robot toys. will come out. But the show is a great place to see some legitimate breakthroughs up close, so stay tuned for his Actuator issue next week for the full breakdown.
Despite writing on the subject more times than I can count on one hand over my six-plus years on TechCrunch, my inbox is flooded with web3 and crypto pitches. To say the industry has roughly patched in 2022 is like saying that Elon “still gets it” as CEO of Twitter. We still believe that all solutions to problems are ours. With a bit of irony, expect that to drip into every aspect of the show, including the climate.
We hope that sustainability will be a major topic at CES. Apparently there is a section in the North Hall of the Convention Center. The show was mostly littered with climate-related companies, but I’ve certainly never been overwhelmed by them. The same is true for accessibility. We’ve heard a few companies focus on this on the show, but this is another one that really needs to be at the forefront.
Remote control smart home Image credit: Erhui1979/Getty Images
A lot has been written about Amazon’s Alexa struggles these days. It’s no exaggeration to say that the smart home market hasn’t worked out the way everyone planned. However, we expect to see quite a bit of coverage at CES, aided by Matter. The standard, which is supported by Amazon, Apple, Google, and others, has started gaining momentum in recent months. If all goes according to plan, CES will be a pivotal moment as it brings together different categories of connected home gadgets.
Image credit: meta
AR/VR — Yes, we say that every year. Yes, more than the smart home, this still hasn’t shaken the way many have wanted it. The recent debuts of Meta’s Quest Pro and HTC’s Vive Tees anchor big VR news. AR could become even more pervasive. More than virtual reality, augmented reality now feels like the Wild West. Many hardware manufacturers are currently vying for your spot on the face. Traditionally, CES hasn’t had much of a gaming focus, but Sony tends to make it the centerpiece of its own press conference, which could get you some face-to-face time with PlayStation VR.
Wearables should be loved on the show. Oura’s success gave momentum to the ring’s form factor. Movano’s pre-show announcement has already been made. While big companies such as Google, Samsung, and Apple have unveiled gadgets at their own events these days, CES is an opportunity for some of the smaller companies to make headlines. I would expect a greater focus on monitoring health metrics from names like Withings. Connected home fitness continues to be a key trend to watch, boosted by the initial pandemic his push.
Image credit: Oura
As usual, phones are hardly new here. Mobile World Congress is where that magic happens. Otherwise, expect a handful of announcements from hardware companies like Lenovo and Sony that don’t have much presence in the North American market. However, this has traditionally been a big show for his PC. Dell, Asus, and Lenovo all have big presences, but AMD and Nvidia could provide big news about the chips that power these systems.
We don’t cover it much, but CES is important for TV in many ways. LG, Samsung, Sony, and TCL may offer the latest, greatest, and greatest products. I think QD-OLED and MLA OLED are magic words or letters.
Press days are January 3 and 4, and the CES show floor officially opens on January 5. Please plan accordingly.
