World’s largest tech event unveils innovation that will solve global problems
LAS VEGAS — CES® 2020 wrapped today, following a week filled with over 20,000 product debuts unveiling the future of technology. More than 4,400 exhibiting companies launched their latest tech products to some 170,000 attendees across more than 2.9 million net square feet of exhibit space. From global tech brands to pioneering startups, the innovation at CES 2020 will revolutionize markets and change our world for the better.
“CES 2020 inspired and connected every major industry across the globe,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM, owner and producer of CES. “The innovation unveiled at CES 2020 will reshape industries, create jobs, fuel the global economy and improve lives around the world.”
“This week at CES illustrated that every company is truly a tech company,” said Karen Chupka, executive vice president, CES. “Global technology brands blended with non-traditional tech companies to showcase how innovation is furthering business across all markets – setting the stage for the decade ahead.”
Key Themes at CES
CES 2020 featured the entire spectrum of transformative technology that will redefine markets and shift business models, including:
Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
- AI was dominant throughout the show floor and will be a ‘key ingredient technology’ over the next decade. Companies debuted their latest AI solutions, including Brunswick, Doosan, John Deere and Kyocera.
5G and Mobile Connectivity
- CES is the only show where the entire 5G ecosystem – the backbone for connectivity, transportation, augmented and virtual reality, digital health and more – comes together. Carriers and mobile operators, such as Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, Nokia and Ericsson, demonstrated the latest advancements in 5G’s speed, reliability and efficiency.
Non-Traditional Tech Companies at CES
- Non-traditional companies used CES 2020 as a platform to launch products. Impossible Foods returned to CES 2020, debuting its Impossible Pork; John Deere was featured in the AI & Robotics Marketplace and other companies, such as Bell, Delta Airlines, L’Oreal, NBCUniversal and Procter & Gamble, unveiled how they’re transforming their businesses through technology.
Tech for Good
- Innovative technologies launched at CES that will change lives and improve our world. Digital health technologies were a major theme, with advancements in digital therapeutics, wearables and remote patient monitoring as digital health addresses real world issues like opioid dependence, mental illness and chronic disease. The Health & Wellness category saw an increase of nearly 25% with more than 135 exhibiting companies at CES 2020, including Humetrix and InBody.
- The Smart Cities exhibit area expanded by nearly 25% over 2019, with companies and organizations including the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Hitachi and Siemens , highlighting products that will revitalize economies and help communities survive and thrive.
- CTA also partnered with the World Bank Group at CES 2020 on a Global Tech Challenge, calling for companies around the world to create solutions focused on three key areas: health, gender inequality and technologies that enable communities to be resilient. The Health Tech Challenge category is accepting applications through February 25 to connect innovators with healthcare providers in East Africa.
Eureka Park
- CES 2020 was also the world’s largest startup event, with more than 1,200 companies from 46 countries featured within Eureka Park, offering disruptive innovations, attracting investors and big-name brands. Technologies unveiled within Eureka Park include the Oval Home smart sensor that analyzes temperature, light, humidity and movement in the home; Yoganotch, which applies motion capture technology to help users improve poses; and Caregiver Smart Solutions with sensors that track movement and patterns to provide caregivers reassurance and patients with more independence at home.
“CES has the unique ability for startups and young companies to get exposure to major global brands,” said Mara Lewis, Co-Founder and CEO, ID8 Innovation; member, CTA Board of Industry Leaders. “The opportunities for venture funding and growth are incredible here. And the CES 2020 Diversity and Inclusion conference track was mind blowing!”
Diversity and Inclusion
- CES 2020 had a large focus on Diversity and Inclusion, with new programming and partnerships. The Innovation for All conference program featured chief diversity officers and leaders from Bosch, HP and Walmart , and explored inclusive ways that D&I is contributing to the bottom line, shifting culture, hiring differently and investing in diversity. BDPA and NSBE members attended and contributed to this year’s Implementing Diversity from the Top multicultural info-session.
Travel and Tourism
- Delta Airlines was the first airline to keynote at CES. During his address, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian described the future world of travel through tech, including AI, AR, biometric security, smart incentive programs, and a new Parallel Reality experience, as travel becomes more customized.
Transportation and Vehicle Technology
- CES 2020 was revved up highlighting the future of transportation. Nine of the world’s leading car manufacturers, including Audi, BMW, Daimler (Mercedes), FCA, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota, and more than 150 vehicle tech exhibitors unveiled the latest in connected cars, self-driving vehicles and concept cars. Products included the Mercedes Vision AVTR concept car (top cover photo), Audi’s AI:ME and the Sony Vision S.
C-Space
- CES brought together content creators, Hollywood, the advertising and music industries, media and leading CMOs to explore the future of brand marketing and entertainment, including streaming services, through the return of C Space. The 2020 program featured more than 60 exhibitors, including AT&T Services, Comcast, Google, HP , Hulu, iHeart, NBC Universal, Pandora, Reddit, Roku, SiriuXM, Snap, Twitch, Turner, Univision and WWE.
Keynotes
- The CES stage featured more than 1,100 speakers representing major global industries, including keynotes from Samsung President and CEO of Consumer Electronics Division Mr. Hyun-Suk Kim; Daimler Chairman Ola Källenius; Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian; NBCUniversal Chairman of Advertising and Partnerships Linda Yaccarino; Quibi CEO Meg Whitman and Founder Jeffrey Katzenberg; U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao; Salesforce Chairman and co-CEO Marc Benioff; Unilever CEO Alan Jope; and Presidential Advisor, Ivanka Trump.
“We hosted 40 CEOs and corporate directors here, and over half were attending CES for the very first time,” said Nichole Jordan, Central Region Managing Partner, Grant Thornton; member, CTA Board of Industry Leaders. “As we debriefed, they said this show – this experience – helps them to reimagine their businesses and their futures.”
CES, the world’s largest and most influential tech event, returns to Las Vegas next year from January 6-9, 2021. For FY21, BDPA Members may check with local or participating BDPA Chapters to schedule BDPA Meet-Ups and Trade Mission delegations with BDPA Chapter Cities for CES 2021.
— by Caroline Finnell, CTA and Perry Carter, BDPA-DC
Photo credits: U.S. DOT, CTA, and BDPA
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