The 2023 edition of CES marks the first time the event is back to pre-pandemic status, having been hosted in a hybrid format in 2022, while the show was online-only in 2021.
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023, which officially opened 5
January in Las Vegas, is expected to welcome around 100,000 attendees
over the course of the next four days.
Produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the annual
tech show is not only a strong indication that the events industry is
off to a flying start in 2023, but also reinforces the importance of
face-to-face meetings.
This edition marks the first time the event is back to pre-pandemic
status, having been hosted in a hybrid format in 2022, while the show
was online-only in 2021.
While
exhibitors from Russia are absent, having been banned owing to the
country’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine, participation from the
Asia-Pacific region - particularly China and South Korea, is expected to
be strong, with just under 500 companies from China named on the
official exhibitor list.
A number of start-ups are exhibiting, alongside established
businesses such as Hisense, TCL and Lenovo, with many exhibitors based
in Guangdong province, a hotbed for high-tech companies.
Exhibitors from other Asian countries include those from South Korea,
which number more than 500 and include the likes of Samsung, SK,
Hyundai Motor and LG, while just under 150 exhibitors hail from Taiwan.
Speaking a few weeks before the show kicked off, Gary Shapiro,
president and CEO of the CTA said: “We are optimistic we can hit our
attendance goal of 100,000, which would make it the largest
independently-audited post-pandemic tech event. This year’s show will
feature keynotes from tech visionaries and the opportunity to see and
touch the tech that’s shaking up industries and changing our lives for
the better.”
The show this year is focusing on a number of areas, including the
metaverse and Web3, digital health, sustainability, automotive and
mobility and human security for all.