CES 2025 suggestions and tips: A information to tech’s largest commerce present

CES 2025 is coming to Las Vegas in the course of the week of January 5, and it will likely be one of many largest tech expos on the earth once more.

This yr’s present needs to be large once more. Final yr’s attendance reached 138,789, in line with an audited report by the Client Expertise Affiliation (CTA), the group that places on the present.

Final yr at CES 2024, I recorded round 80 press occasions, interviews, and periods. I walked 46.78 miles, or 105,407 steps, over six days. My toes damage and my again have been sore. There have been greater than 4,300 exhibitors and a couple of.4 million sq. toes of exhibit area to crawl. And the Goodyear blimp was there.

I’ve been attending the Client Electronics Present for the reason that Nineteen Nineties when then-Microsoft CEO Invoice Gates gave the opening keynote speeches yearly. This time, the largest speech will come from Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, the graphics chip maker that has grow to be the king of AI {hardware} with a market worth of $3.42 trillion — essentially the most worthwhile firm on the earth.

He’ll give a chat at 6:30 p.m. Pacific time on the Michelob Enviornment on the Mandalay Bay on January 6. Most attendees arrive on the present on January 7 and keep via January 10, when the expos are open. However the press — a number of thousand of us — begin arriving on January 5 for the afternoon previews and CES Unveiled (press solely, in Mandalay Bay), the place award-winning exhibitors present their wares at tables.

“The CES is an incredible, highly effective tech occasion. I used to be trying again at what you had written final yr about it, earlier than and after,” mentioned Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Client Expertise Affiliation, in an interview with GamesBeat. “Lots of people go along with a really full agenda, however we at all times say you must have time for serendipity and discovery. We’ve a brand new look, a brand new really feel. We centered the marketing campaign on “Dive in.” We’re inviting attendees to do three issues: join, clear up, and uncover.”

He mentioned the common attendee has about 29 conferences in the course of the present, as face-to-face enterprise remains to be essential. About 75% of attendees say their enterprise is primarily B2B, or each B2B and B2C.

My No. 1 tip is to at all times put on comfy sneakers. I discovered that lesson after some blisters throughout a CES years in the past. As for a masks, I put on it on planes and infrequently throughout large, crowded indoor occasions. However issues have modified for the reason that COVID days when the present was canceled outright in January 2021 and severely restricted in January 2022, with solely 45,000 displaying up.

A lot of my recommendation shouldn’t be rocket science. However I renew this story yearly since there are new individuals attending the present and plenty of going for the primary time. I take no accountability for dangerous recommendation. You’ll be able to try the CES app right here.

Attendance shouldn’t be fairly the place it as soon as was. Again in 2019, the present drew 175,212 in 2019 and 171,268 in 2020. CES 2020 had about 4,500 exhibitors throughout 2.9 million sq. toes of area. This yr, the present is not less than a number of days after New 12 months’s and that offers some respiration room for these planning on going. As a bonus, right here’s my gaming predictions for 2025.

The most recent phrase from the CTA: “CES 2025 would be the world’s strongest enterprise occasion, setting the tech agenda for the yr. With practically 140,000 international attendees at CES 2024, we’re seeing constructive momentum and curiosity from {industry} executives, prime producers, consumers, retailers, and media for CES 2025. Hundreds of startups and corporations from around the globe will showcase innovation that may clear up a few of our most urgent challenges.”

Must you go?

It’s an enormous present, and, not like the gaming {industry}’s canceled E3 present, it’s nonetheless related. Final yr, there have been 5,355 media final yr, up from 4,800 media attending CES 2023, up from 3,100 media at CES 2022. Eureka Park on the Venetian’s Sands Expo had greater than 1,400 startups.

There have been 46,000 worldwide guests, or 40.6% of the full, final yr. Some 5,975 have been from the Americas outdoors the U.S., 12,424 have been from Europe, 36,017 have been from the Center East and Asia, 229 have been from Africa and 552 have been from Oceania. About 15,723 have been presidents or founders, or 11.7% of general attendance, and one other 12,768, or 9.5%, have been C-suite executives.

Final yr’s prime areas of curiosity have been AI, automobile tech, IoT sensors, smarthomes and home equipment, AR/XR/VR, robotics, advertising and marketing and promoting, startups, video applied sciences, 5G, power/energy, cloud computing/information and health/wearables.

The yr earlier than, the highest areas of curiosity have been AI, IoT/sensors, automobile know-how, AR/VR/XR, smarthomes and home equipment, 5G, robotics, startups, power/energy, health and wearables and advertising and marketing and promoting.

I nonetheless view CES as a bellwether for the tech economic system, as no different occasion spans all the tech world prefer it does. Firms wish to create a buzz at CES, which is designed to sign merchandise coming within the subsequent yr. I discover the present a helpful solution to keep on top of things on the most recent know-how. For those who discover the well being threat acceptable, then it will probably nonetheless be a worthwhile solution to keep in contact.

Apple doesn’t attend the present, however nearly each different tech large does. It’s the place the tech {industry} might be subsequent week, although it’s not a lot of a sport occasion lately. Sony, nevertheless, might be displaying up and they’re anticipated to point out off the Afeela electrical automotive (created with Honda) full with a PlayStation 5 within the automobile on the present.

Since 2020, CES official exhibit venues have been geared up with improved air flow programs and contemporary air circulate. 

The Las Vegas Conference Heart, Mandalay Bay and the Venetian Expo have been awarded International Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Star certification by ISSA. This accreditation means the properties are observing cleansing protocols and work practices that decrease dangers related to the unfold of infectious ailments. 

Once more in 2025, CES will work to attenuate floor contact factors and enhance contemporary airflow at high-traffic areas. 

Hand sanitization stations might be positioned all through CES venues.  Pack heat as Vegas in January is a median of 57 levels.

Masks can be found onsite. For those who select to not put on one, please respect these round you who do, the CTA says.

Getting your badge and moving into the present

It’s important to work within the tech {industry} to get into the present. It’s a spot for professionals, not vacationers, and registration is designed to display the vacationers out. With 140,000 or extra individuals on the present, you don’t wish to get caught in lengthy strains.

All present attendees, together with media and particular person exhibitor personnel should decide up their very own CES 2025 official badge at a distant badge pickup location You can’t decide up badges for different attendees. I normally decide mine up on the Las Vegas airport.

To choose up your badge at a distant badge decide up location, it’s essential to current the next: Authorities-issued picture ID and a registration affirmation – both saved in your Google or Apple pockets or affirmation electronic mail with QR code to scan.

Safety

The CTA mentioned its safety measures imply attendees will face a bag search on the entrance to all present venues.

A singular electronic mail deal with is required for every registrant. CES badges embody a photograph ID for attendees, exhibitors and media.

Date of delivery will once more be required in step with steerage from federal regulation enforcement and {industry} greatest practices.

At CES 2025, the CTA mentioned you’ll discover a extremely seen regulation enforcement presence all through the present and in any respect venues. Legislation enforcement officers and K9 (canine) models might be at each the entrances to the venues and on the exhibit flooring. The venues might be performing random safety checks on present premises.

As an enhanced safety measure, the CTA is are implementing a automobile deterrence plan in and round key venues.

For those who see one thing suspicious, please report it to CES by way of the safety telephone numbers printed on the again of your CES badge. Venue safety numbers might also be discovered on the On-Website Providers web page. You can even ask any CES workers member or venue or safety personnel. You could contact CES Safety or venue safety via the CES App within the Safety part.

Attendees might carry two small baggage, every smaller than 12”x17”x6” into present venues. Attendees are inspired to contemplate their bag kind and use clear baggage (mesh, plastic, vinyl, and many others.) to expedite entry.

Rolling baggage of any measurement are prohibited together with baggage, carry-ons, laptop computer and laptop baggage, and rolling baggage carts.

Media with an official media badge are permitted to hand-carry tools onto present premises in extra of the two-bag restriction. Gear is topic to go looking and tagged as permitted for entry.

Exhibitors are permitted to deliver product and show materials onto CES present premises in extra of our two-bag restriction, starting January 6 and prior to eight a.m. on present days January 7-10. Exhibitors might also herald supplies on move-in days between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

You need to depart your baggage at your resort. Nonetheless, there are bag-check services at LVCC outdoors of Central and West Halls, Venetian Expo, Stage 1 Foyer; and the Venetian Ballroom Lobby.

Peak instances for CES crowds

The press occasions begin late on January 5 and proceed all day on January 6. That’s when a lot of the tales will run from CES bulletins, with some show-only bulletins occurring on January 7.

Along with Nvidia’s Huang, different keynote audio system embody

Panasonic Holdings Group CEO Yuki Kusumi, who’s doing the morning keynote on Tuesday January 7 at 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. with Shapiro of the CTA and Kinsey Fabrizio, president of the CTA.

Jennifer Witz, CEO of SiriusXM, is talking with podcaster Ashley Flowers at 11 a.m. Tuesday January 7 on the Aria.

Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, is talking at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday January 7 at The Venetian.

Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta, goes to be one of many highlights partially as a result of he’s obtained a fantastic location: The Sphere, the spherical live performance venue with superb particular results. He’s talking at 4:55 p.m. on the Sphere on Tuesday January 7. We’ll see what Delta has to say about know-how, contemplating it will likely be celebrating its one hundredth birthday as an organization.

The keynotes wrap up on Wednesday January 8 with Martin Lundstedt, CEO of Volvo Group, at 9 a.m. at The Venetian; Julie Candy, CEO of Accenture at 2 p.m. Wednesday January 8.

There are many different panels. I’m moderating a session on AI and video games. It’s referred to as Pace, Customization, Innovation: AI in Gaming, happening on the Aria Joshua 8 at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday January 7. It’s about unleashing the ability of AI in sport improvement. It’s about studying how publishers and builders use AI to hurry up releases and design and tailor video games for gamers.

My panelists embody Burcu Hakguder, cofounder and CRO, Layer; Emilee Helm, head of influencers, Gamesight; Haval Othman, senior director of expertise engineering at HP; and Devin Reimer, founder and CEO at AstroBeam.

Press days

As I discussed, the press day will begin on Sunday January 5 with a chat (solely press allowed) in regards to the CTA’s view of traits to look at. That can result in the press-only occasion, CES Unveiled, at 5 p.m. on the Mandalay Bay. That’s the place we get a primary take a look at the award winners for the CTA innovation contest.

Then comes (for the media) a baptism of fireside beginning on Monday at 8 a.m. Pacific with LG’s press convention. It peaks with Samsung’s press occasion at 2 p.m. and continues on to Sony’s 5 p.m. press occasion on the Las Vegas Conference Heart. These press occasions occur in speedy fireplace and it’s an actual problem to maintain up with the information. Happily, lots of the occasions are livestreamed for non-press to look at.

That is the day after I want the laptop computer with the longest battery life. (Sure, that’s nonetheless a problem). Then the press and others can head to the opening keynote speech for Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, on the Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Enviornment at 6:30 p.m. I’m undecided how I’m going to go from the Mandalay Bay to the conference heart and again to the Mandalay Bay is such a short while body. CES is all about such logistical nightmares and sophisticated options to them.

There’s additionally an enormous press-only occasion at Pepcom’s Digital Expertise at Caesars Palace (RSVPs required) on January 6 (7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., after Huang’s speech), and the rival Showstoppers press-only occasion takes place on the Bellagio on the night of January 7.

This yr, Tuesday is when the true crowds present up, and also you’ll discover it in eating places, transportation strains, conference halls, on line casino flooring, and on the airport. Let’s hope the climate might be good, in distinction to the torrential rains we noticed in 2018, when blackouts took out the primary present flooring.

For those who’re leaving the conference focus on 6 p.m., you possibly can catch a bus to a lot of the main motels. That’s an effective way to get off your toes and the strains can transfer quick. However that’s additionally the busiest visitors time. You’ll need to stroll (maybe a good distance) to designated areas for Uber/Lyft ride-sharing pickup zones. And there’s the monorail to contemplate as effectively for some motels.

Getting misplaced within the maze

The two.5 million-plus sq. toes of exhibition area will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday January 7.

The classes at this yr’s exhibit area embody automobile tech and superior mobility, digital well being, audio/video, gaming, good dwelling, AI/robotics, good cities and sustainability, C Area, sports activities and health tech, enterprise and B2B, IoT infrastructure, metaverse, fintech, way of life, accessibility, Eureka Park (startups), 3D printing and area tech.

For those who’re actually bold, you could possibly be strolling 30,000 steps a day, about three to 6 instances as a lot as common. For me, exhaustion units in round 20,000 steps. For those who can lower some pointless strolling out of your day, that will be clever to do.

This yr’s venues have been renamed the LVCC Campus (Las Vegas Conference Heart West Corridor, North Corridor, South Corridor and Central Corridor), Venetian Campus(The Venetian, Palazzo, Wynn, Encore at Wynn) and C Area Campus (Aria, Cosmopolitan, Park MGM and Vdara).

The LVCC campus has the sprawling South Halls 1, 2 and three (upstairs) with all kinds of merchandise. The Central Corridor consists of gaming, audio and video with big corporations like Samsung, Sony, TCL, Canon, and extra. The North Corridor consists of classes like AI, B2B enterprise options, fintech, IoT infrastructure, sustainability, good cities, good cities IoT and automobile tech.

The West Corridor is stuffed with automobile tech with corporations like Brunswick within the marine class, John Deere in heavy equipment, carmakers, EVs and eVTOL plane, self-driving autos, software program, suppliers and automobile tech.

Over on the Venetian, there are greater than 1,400 startups that might be at Eureka Park. Tech West is a bunch of pavilions on the Venetian. There are tons of startups on Stage 1. You’ll find regional cubicles equivalent to these from France, India, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands and extra. On Stage 2, you will discover AARP AgeTech, Kohler, Hyundai, Narwal, and extra.

One of the crucial steadily visited halls at LVCC was the South Corridor, however this yr the multi-level corridor is closed.

In Tech South, at Aria Lodge, you will discover C Area, which is the place there are a variety of talks about Hollywood and know-how. The Cosmopolitan has Cosmo exhibitors that embody Nvidia, Disney, Paramount, NBC Common, Netflix, Reddit, Roku, Samsung, T-Cell, and Snap.

What’s trending and what’s not

Whereas blockchain and the metaverse have been large themes a number of years in the past, AI was the massive theme for 2024. In 2025, AI will nonetheless command a variety of consideration. However that doesn’t imply that tech increase goes to occur. The worldwide economic system faces a variety of unknowns, like how pleasant towards tech and client gross sales the Trump administration might be, particularly if Donald Trump is threatening tariffs. Tariffs may result in commerce wars and that would imply a $300 to $500 sport console may immediately price $1,000.

Tim Bajarin, who’s going to his fiftieth CES, expects these traits: AI PCs are all over the place; earbuds might be smarter and smarter; smarter autos; smarter and better decision TVs; AI all over the place else; and spatial computing will make many appearances with XR/AR goggles or glasses.

Underneath the “join” a part of the theme of the present, Shapiro mentioned one main matter is human safety for all.

” We talked about human safety for all, our work with the United Nations specializing in the sustainable improvement targets, specializing in elementary human safety in areas like well being care, funds, private security. We see that in all kinds of how. In fact accessibility is one other large factor. Even for me, attending the present in 2024, that was one of many largest surprises and themes,” Shapiro mentioned. “I don’t suppose I even talked about that earlier than the present – how many individuals have been there searching on behalf of the incapacity group, and what number of corporations have been responding to that with all kinds of know-how.”

Requested about different scorching classes, Shapiro mentioned, “Clearly AI remains to be an enormous factor. It pervades virtually each class. Digital well being can also be very large. Mobility is big with electrical autos and related vehicles, autonomy, sustainability. We’ve finished our personal pivots as effectively. The idea of electrical energy being obtainable shouldn’t be one thing we’ve talked about at CES earlier than. Now we now have a complete convention observe on it. With electrical vehicles, generative AI, and quantum, all of them use large quantities of electrical energy that we’re not ready for. Not stunning to me, a variety of corporations within the final month have introduced offers with nuclear energy crops and issues like that, which is completely new, however it’s a manner of coping with it.”

And Shapiro mentioned, “We’ll have exhibitors specializing in power financial savings on the availability facet, warmth discount, native manufacturing. We’ll even have panels speaking about how we will take a look at the electrical grid. Equally to that vein, we’ll have a shift that we haven’t had earlier than to quantum computing. We’ve a half day of programming on that. Whereas AI and generative AI is at the moment the factor, now generative AI doesn’t get you to the end line with a variety of issues, for instance in well being care. It’s a complete shift upwards in computing that we haven’t had in a very long time.”

Regulators might be current, and Shapiro mentioned (earlier than the election befell) he was involved that the U.S. has grow to be too aggressive in blocking mergers for antitrust causes. He worries that the Biden administration has been anti-innovation. I famous that I’d like to see us return to balanced progress, the place we see innovation with AI, job progress for tech, and income progress for corporations all on the identical time.

Shapiro mentioned, “What I’ve discovered in my profession is that you just by no means get to good, however you simply attempt to do higher than you probably did final yr. The definition of good adjustments. I don’t suppose, in a free market economic system, that good is the place everybody will get to maintain their jobs. It’s important to study new abilities.”

He added, “There’s one other principle on the market, although, which is that it’s going to add extra free time, and that may generate its personal financial progress. My spouse goes to a variety of medical conferences, and there’s a generational distinction between docs in that the incoming docs don’t wish to work as onerous. They need common hours. They don’t need the prolonged hours. I’ve been speaking about this for 2 years now. It’s true, and I do know this as a result of I’ve talked to sufficient docs in several fields about it. Folks need time now. It most likely predated COVID. Folks worth expertise and time. That’s what it’s.”

Your CES survival suggestions

A lot of the following pointers are recycled from previous years, however I’ve gone via and renewed them with my newest information. As I discussed, it’s onerous to get round at CES. You need to hold appointments to a half hour however be aware that it takes time to stroll between venues. You could not notice it however the distance between motels (that are very massive) and halls might look visually shut however they’re usually actually far aside.

You could encounter delays as a result of different persons are delayed. And chances are you’ll even have hassle discovering individuals at massive cubicles. So, it’s good to pad your schedule to account for attainable delays and isolate the actually essential appointments.

The CES badges now have images on them, streamlining identification and making it tougher for individuals to share badges. Since they’re paper badges (plastic eradicated within the title of sustainability), you must watch out to not lose them.

In your crowded flights, attempt to journey gentle. For Southwest, I at all times verify in forward of boarding, setting an alarm for precisely 24 hours earlier than my flight. Examine your baggage if you happen to don’t need to get wherever shortly. Be ready for lengthy cab strains and rental automotive check-in strains. (Providers like Uber and Lyft are very helpful at CES, significantly as parking shouldn’t be plentiful sufficient and the massive casinos/motels now cost a payment per go to at their self-parking garages). I don’t lease a automotive anymore. On the airport, you must stroll to a delegated space in a parking storage and discover your rideshare in a selected parking slot to get out of the airport in an Uber/Lyft.

Uber and Lyft vehicles are actually the best way to journey from venue to venue now. In previous years I discovered that the pickup on the LVCC (close to the Renaissance Lodge) was a visitors logjam. The Tesla tunnel (the place Tesla EVs take an underground tunnel from one location to a different) is nice for attending to a number of the motels and between the central corridor and the west corridor of the LVCC. The tunnel now goes to the Resorts World Las Vegas, Westgate Las Vegas Resort & On line casino, Encore Las Vegas and Virgin Resorts Las Vegas.

Schedule your appointments in places which can be close to one another, and verify exhibitor places on a CES map. Arrive early for keynotes as a result of the strains are lengthy. I don’t usually stray past LVCC/WestHall/TechWest/Venetian because of the time it takes to get different locations.

I like to recommend sleep. The Vegas air is tremendous dry so perhaps use a humidier or nostril spray. If the events are what you care about, there are sometimes occasion lists that flow into. You’ll be able to Google CES 2025 occasion lists, however the KarenNet CES occasion listm has been round for a very long time.

Keep in mind to swap telephone numbers with the individuals you’re assembly so you possibly can coordinate, significantly as somebody is normally held up by the crowds. Incorporate driving and consuming instances into your calendar or use a calendar that does that routinely for you.

Smartphone reception is best than it was once, however it’s nonetheless most likely vulnerable to interference. Textual content message is normally an honest solution to talk with coworkers. We at all times search out the Wi-Fi/5G havens within the press rooms or wherever we will discover them.

However carry a MiFi or activate a private hotspot if you happen to can; even resort web connections are prone to be confused to the restrict in the course of the present. For those who’re chargeable for importing video, thanks for clogging the community for the remainder of us. By CES 2025, I hopefully gained’t need to complain about this, as 5G networks ought to theoretically allow quicker connection speeds on mobile information.

For those who acquire a variety of swag, you possibly can ship it dwelling by way of delivery providers as a substitute of carting it on the aircraft. I believe that the price of delivery might be larger than the worth of the swag.

You need to print a map of the exhibit flooring or rip one out of the present information. You must also print your tickets, schedule, and RSVPs for occasions — or make them simply accessible in your telephone. (If somebody steals your telephone or your major bag, it is best to have backups in a second bag).

You want battery backup on your laptop computer or smartphone, hand sanitizer, a great digital camera, ibuprofen, and nutritional vitamins. I’ve obtained Acer Swift Go 14 and a spare Dynabook laptop computer this yr. The Acer particularly has a great battery life. Convey a backup for every part, even when you must depart it in your resort room this yr.

I used to suggest taking enterprise playing cards. I lastly printed a batch for the primary time for the reason that pandemic. Now you possibly can swap your LinkedIn credentials with individuals by way of your smartphone. For those who’re exhibiting, put on your organization model in your shirt. Attempt very onerous to keep away from dropping your telephone. I put on a jacket with zippered pockets so I can put my telephone and pockets inside.

Make a while to stroll the present flooring. If the cab/rideshare strains have you ever annoyed, don’t take into consideration strolling to a close-by resort. Likelihood is the cab line there may be additionally dangerous, and the motels are so big {that a} mirage impact makes them look deceptively shut. You probably have a rental automotive, strive to not get caught in a visitors jam in a 10-story parking storage. And at all times mark down the place you parked your automotive in your telephone map or paper.

Drink a lot of water. Get some sleep — you actually don’t need to occasion each evening. For essentially the most half, I don’t shake palms anymore, because it’s an effective way to cross germs round. As an alternative, I do fist bumps. You don’t wish to come again sick with “CES crud” or COVID.

Don’t miss your flight on the best way out. Pack up a bunch of snacks early on to keep away from getting caught in breakfast or lunch strains. Take a smartphone with a great digital camera as a result of what occurs in Vegas … will get shared on the web.