Published: 12/23/2019
The start of a new year means something exciting for those of us in tech: CES 2020 is almost here!
As the world’s largest annual consumer technology event, CES presents a great opportunity to expand your network, share innovative ideas, learn from global thought leaders, and discover the industry’s hottest trends. Furthermore, the CES stage is home to groundbreaking product announcements.
Let’s take a look at enhancements to this year’s conference and dive into some expected hot topics to be covered at CES 2020.
New Programming and Exhibits
Consumer Technology Association, or CTA for short, are the organizers and primary sponsors behind CES. Like all event planners, they are continuously innovating with CES programming to please the crowds, and this year is no exception.
First off, we are super excited for the new partnership with The Female Quotient, an organization working to advance gender equality. For the first time at CES they will be implementing their famous FQ Lounge, which promotes collaboration, on the showroom floor. CES has also added additional programming called Innovation for All. This will be centered around diversity and inclusion, in particular the movement toward gender equality in our workforce — and it will surely be an attention-grabber.
CTA is also implementing a larger exhibit space and programming showcasing resilience technologies, which are those that help maintain safety and security in the world in categories such as disaster recovery, cybersecurity, and health. Additionally, CTA has added an entirely new Tourism and Travel exhibit area.
Lastly come announcements within the health and wellness space including a newly formed partnership with the American College of Cardiology. Through this partnership, medical professionals are given the opportunity to earn Continuing Medical Education credits through educational sessions that help them maintain their medical licenses.
Global Thought Leaders and Technology Trends
Below are some of the confirmed CES speakers who are bound to impress at the conference.
Keynotes: Delta, Quibi, Damler, and Mercedes Benz
The first confirmed speaker for this year is Delta CEO Ed Bastian. He was announced as a keynote speaker, which makes sense, given the new focus on tourism and travel. Making his second annual appearance on the main CES stage, he is expected to focus on augmented and virtual reality, among other innovations making an impact on this industry.
The next two keynote speakers come from the latest entertainment platform, Quibi. Meg Whitman, CEO, and Jeffrey Kratzenberg, Founder and Chairman of the Board, both have impressive backgrounds at companies like eBay, HP, Walt Disney, Paramount, and Dreamworks. They are expected to talk about disruptive trends in marketing and advertising, or what CES refers to as C Space.
Another keynote speaker is Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Ola Källenius. He will be presenting innovations in vehicle technology, and will be introducing a new concept car to the audience.
Featured Speakers: Facebook, Apple, The Female Quotient, and Material Impact
CTA has also already announced multiple other featured speakers for CES. Two speakers who will discuss the topics of data and privacy, which will be prominent at the conference, include Erin Egan, Facebook’s newly appointed Chief Privacy Officer, and Jane Horvath, Apple’s Senior Director of Global Privacy. Before heading to these forums, you can become acquainted with these topics by reading up on data privacy on our blog.
Another featured speaker is Shelley Zallis, who is the CEO of The Female Quotient, which we touched upon earlier. Her company was also announced as the official Equality Partner of CES 2020.
Last but not least is Carmichael Roberts, the Founder and Managing Partner of Material Impact, a venture capital firm in the materials industry. He is expected to shed light on resilient technologies.
CES Unveiled
We also looked at the CES Unveiled series, which is a miniseries of one-day events that took place this past fall around the world, meant to preview what’s to come at CES. The Amsterdam miniseries focused on how technology is improving our everyday lives through smart homes and cities, while Paris’ event focused on AI as well as entrepreneurship and innovation. Other overarching topics across the two included enterprise solutions, Internet of Things infrastructure, autonomous vehicles, 5G connectivity, and more. We expect these topics to be apparent in Las Vegas as well.
Now that your wheels are turning, it’s time to get your bags packed and Vegas-ready! In the meantime, be sure to check out our CES Survival Guide, which is jam-packed with expert tips and tricks to help you become the most savvy attendee possible!
