CES, formerly the Consumer Electronics Show, is a four-day exhibition of the latest in consumer gadgets, entertainment, health tech, green energy and more.
This year’s event has 2,800 confirmed exhibitors from around the world, according to CES2023 organiser CTA. That is up from 2,200 the previous year, with a strong showing expected from Asian companies – even though recent Covid easing in China could, paradoxically, disrupt attendance from the region’s biggest economy. The gathering is also a chance for exhibitors to shake off some of the gloom following last year’s broad downturn in the global tech sector.
From the trends to watch to who will attend, here are five things to keep an eye on at this year’s CES.
Bouncing back from Covid
The Covid-19 pandemic dealt a major blow to CES. Like a number of other major trade and consumer shows around the world, the event went fully online in 2021 to deal with the pandemic. It switched to a hybrid format in 2022, with both online and in-person events, though attendance was markedly lower than in previous years.
This is the first year that the event is mostly back to normal, with most countries easing Covid travel restrictions and the number of participants on the rise. CTA is asking participants to test before arrival and during their stay and says it will provide masks on-site.
In terms of attendees, CTA has set a goal of 100,000, which would more than double last year’s roughly 45,000. The target, though, pales to the attendance mark set at the last pre-pandemic iteration of the event in early 2020, which drew more than 170,000 attendees.
The return of China
With Beijing suddenly dismantling its zero-Covid policy last month, this will be the first time in three years participants from China can travel to the US with relative ease.
This is reflected in the numbers: 485 Chinese companies are slated to attend this year, according to the official CES exhibitor list, much higher than in 2022, with a considerable proportion coming from the manufacturing hub of Guangdong province.
Brands such as TCL, Hisense, Konka and Formovie are among those on the exhibitors’ list, though many will be presenting via their US subsidiaries.
Some of the biggest names in China tech will not be exhibiting, however. Huawei Technologies is sending representatives to the event, while Alibaba Group Holding said it is considering sending a team to CES “in the near future”, having last attended in 2019.
Guangzhou-based Asensing, which provides positioning technology primarily for Chinese EVs, will be attending for the second time to “communicate better with overseas clients”.
“Many Chinese companies see the urgency to bolster their global presence, as they see the huge market needs abroad, and also partly because of the slow growth and rising uncertainties in the domestic market in recent years,” Zhang Haizhou, Asensing’s PR director, said.
Asensing said many Chinese companies decided to attend in part because Beijing had shortened its quarantine requirements for travellers returning from overseas.
In a last-minute wrinkle, however, CTA said it will require participants coming from China to provide a negative Covid test if they arrive in the US before Jan 5. From that date, the US government will require the same of anyone arriving from China by air.
And some Chinese companies that planned to attend as exhibitors have told Nikkei that as of Tuesday they still had not received their visas; others said they will not attend because they tested positive for Covid.
Who else is coming from Asia
“Participation at CES 2023 from Asia remains strong, particularly from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan,” CTA vice president of research Steve Koenig told Nikkei Asia, referring to both exhibitors and attendees.
Like their Chinese counterparts, many are involved in the auto industry in one way or another.
South Korea’s Hyundai Mobis, an automotive parts supplier under Hyundai Motor, will show off its new types of PBVs, or purpose-built vehicles. Attention will also be on any announcements from Japan’s Sony, which unveiled a concept car at CES2022.
Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world’s second-largest shipbuilder, plans to announce its strategy for marine decarbonisation in the shipbuilding industry, which has struggled to reduce carbon emissions.
LG Electronics, meanwhile, has announced a partnership with auto parts maker Magna of Canada to integrate the South Korean company’s infotainment tech with the latter’s advanced driver assistance systems. The two companies plan to discuss supplying their technology to global automakers at CES.
Longtime exhibitor Panasonic will also be there for the first time in three years, giving visitors a glimpse of its technology for sustainable solutions.
Food tech, ESG … and what about the metaverse?
Familiar areas like EVs, automation and internet-connected devices will feature heavily at this year’s CES, but with an emphasis on how their applications are evolving.
The ongoing “electrification” of the EV ecosystem, for example, promises improvements in everything from battery design to charging systems to the interior design of the car itself.
How to feed a growing population is another key theme – the CEO of tractor maker John Deere is among the keynote speakers – and automation is being touted as a vital tool for the “farm of the future”. Other panels and presentations will discuss the growing importance of sustainability as well as the environment, social and governance (ESG) in tech.
“Metaverse” was a big buzzword at the last CES. The year that followed saw companies, including Facebook parent Meta, betting big on immersive digital worlds where users interact as avatars.
While many of those bets have yet to bear fruit, interest in the area remains high. CES2023 will have an area dedicated to the metaverse in its exhibition hall, with companies lining up to demonstrate its potential in areas ranging from health care to entertainment.
On the hardware front, Sharp aims to enter the market with its first lightweight headset, while HTC is expected to make a metaverse-related announcement. Asian companies like these are looking to challenge Facebook parent Meta’s Quest, which holds a 90% share of the global market for VR headsets.
Geopolitics to the fore?
While tech is the focus of CES, politics – and geopolitics – also make an appearance.
A record number of US Congress members, including Nevada senator Jacky Rosen, will attend this year, while a trio from the House of Representatives will discuss tech priorities for the next session of Congress.
Among the most senior officials will be Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who will talk about the Joe Biden administration’s plans for energy efficiency tools, a particular concern since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threw global energy markets into disarray.
Other officials and politicians will talk about issues ranging from cybersecurity to the future of 5G. Such topics could be particularly interesting for companies like Huawei, the subject of a yearslong US clampdown, and TikTok, which has come under intense scrutiny from Washington over data privacy and security issues.
Other Asian companies caught between the Chinese market and US restrictions will also be keen to hear Washington’s latest views on these topics.