The Consumer Technology Association says it expects more than 100,000 people to attend the 2023 International Consumer Electronics Show, Jan. 5-8 in Las Vegas, more than double the number of approximately 45,000 who attended the Covid-abbreviated 2022 event. That show marked a 73% decline from the 2020 event when 171,000 attended in one of the last large trade shows to take place before the onset of the pandemic.
In a virtual press conference today, CTA President/CEO Gary Shapiro discussed the trends and major themes of the upcoming show with fellow CTA colleagues John Kelley, VP, CES & Acting Show Director and Kinsey Fabrizio, SVP, Membership & Sales.
Of the buzz in advance of the show, “the momentum is absolutely huge. I've never ever seen anything like this,” Shapiro said. “Now we're looking at hitting about 100,000 [attendees] and from every indication we're on track to get there.”
50% Bigger Show Floor
More than 2,200 exhibitors are expected at the event, slightly down from the 2,300 at the 2022 show; in 2020, more than 4,400 exhibitors were at CES, which takes place in the Las Vegas Convention Center and various Vegas hotels. More than 1,000 of this year’s exhibitors are new, according to Fabrizio.
“The show right now is 50% bigger than CES 2022,” she said. “We are at 2 million net square feet of exhibit space and we're continuing to grow.”
As for themes at the show, expect many of the same from recent years, including Health, Auto and Metaverse, Fabrizio said, adding that a new product category tied to Web 3 is being added this year.
"[Web 3] will encompass technologies from the metaverse digital assets and blockchain, and it will be throughout the show floor and conference programming,” she said. “You'll see it show up with shared immersive and virtual experiences as well as the hardware associated with these categories.”
And although the show is no longer dominated by its traditional focus on consumer electronics for entertainment, the sector did get a shout out from the executives. “Another area of the show floor that is a staple for me at CES—and I hope for all of you—is Central Hall,” Fabrizio said. “Here is where you can find our biggest exhibitors featuring the latest and greatest in TV technology and home entertainment.”
New Attractions
Other highlights include a live stream from the International Space Station, a first for the event, as well as a focus on how technology can impact human rights, according to Shapiro.
“We're partnering with the United Nations affiliate, the World Academy of Art and Science to show how technology can support human securities, or as we usually call them ‘human rights,’” he said. “It's like the right to health care, the right to clean air, the right to clean water, the right to food… and you'll see these themes and others on the shop floor and in many of the keynotes.”
Another new feature at the show will be CTA’s “2023 Global Innovation Scorecard,” which ranks countries into categories, based on innovation prowess. The top countries on the scorecard will be recognized during the opening keynote. “Many ambassadors and ministers from top performing countries will be with me on the opening keynote stage,” Shapiro said.
When asked what was the fastest growing tech category at the 2023 show, transportation technology was among those that topped the list.
“Vehicle tech is really growing rapidly. CES is going to be the largest auto tech show in North America,” Fabrizio said. “And it's not just cars—it also includes marine tech, agriculture, tech and EV tools. So that's a big category for us.”
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