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Definition: CES


(Consumer Electronics Show) A major trade show sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held every January in Las Vegas, CES features consumer electronics, audio/video, computer hardware and software.

Due to COVID, the 2021 show was entirely online and became the largest digital tech event in history with nearly 2,000 companies unveiling their innovations. In 2022, a modified event drew roughly 40,000 people. In 2023, more than 3,200 exhibitors showed their wares to approximately 115,000 attendees.

New York 1967 - The First CES
The first CES was in New York in 1967 and subsequently in Las Vegas in the winter, occupying the Las Vegas Convention Center and several hotels. For many years, there was a Chicago CES in the summer. Major products have been introduced at the show, including the VCR, CD, DVD and HDTV. When the huge COMDEX computer show in Las Vegas was cancelled in 2004, CES became the largest technology expo in the U.S. See COMDEX.

High-Performance Audio
For several years, CES hosted a High-Performance Audio expo that brought together hundreds of audiophile vendors showing their latest equipment. Exhibitors used hotel rooms in order to audition their systems in isolation. By the mid 2010s, the number of exhibitors were dropping, and COVID changed the game. The number of high-end audio vendors dropped dramatically when in-person CES resumed (see audiophile). See trade shows and consumer electronics.




A Gigantic Show
For people in the field who love gadgets, CES is Nirvana and a lot of fun. Like COMDEX used to be, CES is a huge show and just as exhausting with long lines for hotel buses and the Vegas monorail.