CES kicks off January 7, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV
In a few weeks, approximately 140,000 people will attend CES in Las Vegas, which will run from January 7-10, 2025. I will be one of them, and this will be the 50th CES show I will attend.
This show has become the granddaddy of tech shows and is the largest in the U.S. The only larger tech show is IFA, held in Berlin in early September which draws over 200,000 attendees.
This year’s CES show will feature 4,300 exhibitors in 2.5 million square feet of exhibit space. Here’s some practical recommendations and logistical tips:
This show is enormous. In years past, I have averaged 22,000 to 25,000 steps a day covering it. So be sure to wear extremely comfortable, broken-in shoes. I cannot emphasize this enough. Most CES injuries are foot and ankle-related.
Attendees are also going to be rubbing shoulders with thousands of people. Carry a hand sanitizer and use it often. I especially use it if I have used banisters or held on to any other objects to be safe. I often wear a mask when on the crowded show floor for extra protection. This show is notorious for what has been called the “CES Flu,” which thankfully, I have only gotten once from the show.
The air in Las Vegas is very dry. I request a humidifier in my hotel room, which helps immensely with breathing issues if you are sensitive to dry air. And be sure to drink water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated.
Download the CES 2025 smartphone app and review it often. The show is distributed across seven or eight venues. Most are at or around the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) or the Venetian Expo, formerly the Sands Expo, and connected to the Venetian Hotel. But some are in hotels around the Las Vegas Strip. Remember, these various exhibition spaces are far apart, such as the Central Hall, North, East, South, and especially the West halls.
The new West hall is across the street from the main LVCC halls. There is a bridge you can use by going upstairs in the LVCC rotunda and looking for signs that point you in the direction of that bridge and the West hall. Because this show is so spread out, make sure to plan plenty of time to get to booths or meetings. My rule is that if I have a meeting in the Central hall and the next one in the South hall, I plan on 20-30 minutes of “commute” time.
CES provides bus services to both the LVCC center and the Venetian Expo from most mainstream hotels. However, because of traffic, this journey can take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, so plan accordingly.
CES Keynotes
CES always has great keynote speakers. Some of this year’s speakers include Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta, Mr. Yuki Kusumi, Group CEO of Panasonic Holdings Corporation, Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO, The Volvo Group and Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture.
I want to highlight the keynote address by Ed Bastian, Delta’s CEO. His address will be held at the Las Vegas Sphere. However, you need a dedicated ticket to attend. Those who wish to hear it in person must register for CES 2025, and this keynote also has a separate ticket.
I also expect CES to highlight significant trends and areas of interest for the tech world, such as:
1: AI PCs Everywhere
A significant announcement earlier this year was the introduction of the AI PC – the incorporation of AI-specific technologies into new personal computers. At CES 2025, major PC manufacturers are expected to showcase their latest AI PCs, which are projected to lead the PC market in 2025.
2: Smart and Smarter Earbuds
Apple launched an important new feature with its AirPods: They enabled new AirPods to also become hearing aids. While I expect a lot of new earbuds at CES, look for many that will also have the hearing aid feature in the designs. One other interesting twist with earbuds is the inclusion of AI functionality and voice translation.
I have been testing Anifer 3-in-1 AI Translation earbuds. I am impressed with its integration of Chat GPT and translation software into these earbuds. We will see many smart earbuds that integrate AI bots and many that focus on language translation. These smarter earbuds are a new area of tech innovation, and CES will showcase many of them.
3: Smart Vehicles
About five years ago, the auto industry decided that automobiles are now technology on wheels and that CES is a great place to showcase them. The tractor, truck, and boat manufacturers followed suit as they were electrifying their products and adding a lot of technology to their wares.
Most of these products are showcased in the new West Hall at LVCC, which is an area not to be missed. The demos of John Deere tractors with their high-tech wizardry and many auto companies showing high-tech concept cars are a must-see if you are at the show.
4: Smart and Higher Resolution Televisions
Now that 4K dominates the large-screen TV market, the TV industry is pushing us to 8K, our next leap in high-resolution viewing. Expect to see the latest and greatest in 8K TVs, which are in the early stages of development, and within the next three to five years, this will become the next big leap in television viewing. By the way, the next leap after 8K is 16K, which is most likely to be our new standard by 2030.
5: AI Everywhere
Artificial Intelligence will be a central topic of CES 2025. AI is the dominant technology impacting us today and in the future. However, its roots are in tech, and the tech industry is leading the AI revolution. I expect some type of AI link or feature to be highlighted in just about every product on the show floor, from smart vacuums, washers, and refrigerators to toilets to AI PCs, AI CE devices, and AI-electrified transportation.
6: Spatial Computing and XR-AR Goggles or Glasses.
Earlier this year, Apple introduced its amazing Vision Pro spatial computing headset, giving us a glimpse of our immersive digital future. While the Vision Pro itself has not been a big seller, it has been a game changer for many vertical markets, such as the medical field, industrial manufacturing, and automotive design.
Also, Meta released its Meta Quest 3 headset, which brings greater VR, XR, and some AR functionality and makes the headset even more powerful. Recently, they showed off its Orion AR smart glasses prototype, giving us a glimpse of what our AR glasses future could be. Orion is currently a prototype that is three years away.
CES has a dedicated track on Spatial Computing, and I have the opening session entitled – 2030: The Impact of XR headsets, AR, and Smart Glasses on Spatial Computing. This session is 9:00 a.m. on January 7 in LVCC West level 2, Room W218.
Many spatial computing-related sessions in this track make it clear that spatial computing is gaining momentum, especially in business markets, and AR glasses will soon lead the consumer market.
These are but a few of the major themes I expect to see at CES 2025. I always look forward to this show, which, for a tech geek like myself, is both fun, informative, and exhausting but worth my time. And if my health holds up, I plan to be there for my 51st CES in 2026.
Disclosure: Apple and Nvidia subscribe to Creative Strategies research reports along with many other high tech companies around the world.
