We are now just about a month away from the biggest tech expo, CES or the Consumer Electronics Show. The whole tech community eagerly waits for the event every year. This event sets the trend for the technology and gadgets that will release throughout the year. As in previous years, CES 2020 will be held in Las Vegas and starts in early January.
CES 2020: how to attend?
CES 2020 begins on Jan. 6, where companies will present keynotes and programs. The main part starts on Jan. 7, when the exhibition floor opens. The event will run until Jan. 10 (Friday). Journalists, however, will start to pour into the city a few days before the start of the event to cover the conferences that start on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 12 p.m. PST.
CES is an annual trade show, where almost all major (and those who want to be major) tech companies showcase their latest innovations in the consumer electronics space. CES is held every year in Las Vegas, Nevada. The events primarily take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Some events are held at various locations around Las Vegas.
CES is not open to the public. Instead, interested attendees need to submit their credentials to get an invitation to the event. You can register for CES via the CES 2020 website. The registration is free for qualifying members of the media.
For the non-media personnel, early bird tickets are available for $100 to attend the show from Jan. 7-10 and the keynotes. The prices of the tickets are expected to rise as we move closer to the CES start date.
For $700 you can buy the Starter Conference Pass, which includes a curated list of events around the show’s biggest trends. There is also a Deluxe Conference Pass costing $1400, which includes more than 14+ partner sessions.
Also, don’t forget to book a hotel room. There are around 160,000 hotel rooms in Vegas, while the CES gets over 180,000 attendees each year.
Which companies to expect?
Almost every major tech company will be there at CES, including Apple. The iPhone maker, however, won’t be attending the event to showcase any new products, but to talk about consumer privacy. Apple is returning to CES after 28 years. At CES 1992, Apple’s then CEO John Scully unveiled the Newton personal digital assistant.
More than 4,500 companies across 30 product categories will be present at the CES. Other confirmed participants in the event are Samsung, Sony, Lenovo, Microsoft, Canon, Facebook, MSI, Nikon, Amazon, Intel, LG, and many more. The event will also be attended by many non-traditional tech companies such as Impossible Foods, Toyota, Turner, Daimler, Ford, John Deere, Bell, BMW, Bosch, Doosan, WWE, Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson.
Not all companies attend the show to unveil a new product. Some companies are there for business, while others use the event to collect feedback on a product they are planning. Still, we could expect hundreds of new products to make their debut at the event.
“Companies across every major industry are using technology to transform their businesses, and CES 2020 will be the global stage for the latest innovation across all sectors,” Karen Chupka, EVP, CES said in a press release. “The show will represent all facets of global business where attendees can expect the unexpected.”
What to expect
Talking of what to expect at CES 2020, the buzzwords that are expected to dominate this year’s event are 5K, AI (artificial intelligence), Esports, Digital health and more. So, most companies are expected to showcase technologies and products related to these buzzwords for the most part.
Speaking of individual companies, users eagerly wait for announcements from a few specific companies, such as LG, Sony, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Nvidia, Intel, TCL and more.
LG’s keynote is scheduled at 8 a.m. PT on Jan. 6. Traditionally, the company has used the CES to showcase every type of tech product that it makes including home-brewing systems, washing machines, new OLED TVs, Android smartphones and more. This year also the company is expected to reveal similar products.
Sony’s keynote is scheduled at 5 p.m. PT on Jan. 6, and everyone will be eagerly waiting for any news on the next-gen console. Along with PS5, the Japanese company is expected to reveal Dolby Atmos soundbars, along with sharing some news on PlayStation VR 2 (PSVR2).
Samsung has traditionally used CES to showcase the latest TVs, including 4K TVs and 8K TVs. This year is expected to be not much different, and the Korean company could unveil an all-screen, bezel-less QLED TV and some new computing equipment as well.
Qualcomm’s keynote is scheduled at 11 a.m. on Jan. 6. The chip maker only recently hosted the Snapdragon Tech Summit, so we are unlikely to see any new announcement from the company at CES. Qualcomm, however, could use the event to talk about the developments it made in the 5G space, self-driving cars and home appliances.
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organization that oversees CES, has revealed the full schedule of keynotes and conferences. To view the full schedule, visit the CES website.
