PR Vibes: 2010 International CES

By Laura Borgstede | February 3, 2010

Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas Convention Center/Las Vegas Hilton

Sands Expo and Convention Center/The Venetian
January 7-10, 2010

Attendees: More than 120,000
Exhibitors: More than 2,500
Media: More than 5,000

Calysto Overview


This year’s International Consumer Electronics show was a huge success, according to preliminary statistics from the Consumer Electronics Association, which produces the event. Final figures will be released in the spring, but we heard from several exhibitors and attendees that the show was bigger and better than last year and the excitement level reminded them of shows several years ago at the height of the booming economy.

Preliminary registration figures indicate that more than 120,000 industry professionals attended the 2010 International CES, up from the 2009 CES, which drew 113,085 attendees. International attendance also increased over the 2009 CES by more than 1,000.

More than 2,500 technology companies introduced more than 20,000 products at the show, and some of the hot segments this year included 3-D technology, mobile DTV, tablets, netbooks, eReaders, apps, connected TVs, embedded Internet technologies and green technology. Major innovations that created a buzz from CES included the Android OS, Lenovo’s IdeaPad U1 Hybrid, Microsoft’s Project Natal and Sprint’s 4G network.

As wireless connectivity continues to permeate more aspects of consumer electronics, the focus on wireless at CES continues to increase. Not only did the smartphone manufacturers make their usual splash at the show, but operators are starting to use CES as a venue for their developer events. AT&T Mobility hosted its annual developer event the day before CES opened. Verizon Wireless also hosted a developer event for its Open Development Initiative on the same day, and Sprint Nextel had a high profile at the show publicizing its 4G service. The carrier also hosted a big event Wednesday evening to launch its Overdrive Mobile WiMAXhotspot.

This year’s CES featured more than 2,500 booths, including a record 330 new exhibitors. There were also a record number of new exhibit areas on the show floor. One of the new areas was the iLounge Pavilion, which included 100 companies and featured the latest apps and accessories for iPod, iPhone and Mac products. The lounge was hugely popular and was packed much of the time. Also, areas such as Living in Digital Times unveiled the next generation of innovation for consumers of all demographics.

Keynote addresses from industry leaders included Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer, Ford’s Alan Mulally, Intel’s Paul Otellini, Nokia’s Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Qualcomm’s Dr. Paul Jacobs and Hisense’s Zhou Houjian. Ballmer once again fell short of many people’s expectations, as they were poised to hear details on new and exciting products that would take the wind out of Apple’s sails. Instead, we heard comments that he provided few takeaways for the press and that his presentation was lackluster.

Alan Mulally, president and CEO of Ford Motor Company, kicked off the 2010 International CES with an opening keynote address, giving an overview of Ford's 2009 success with Sync as an example of how smart technology integration allows Ford to better serve its customers. Paul Otellini, CEO of Intel, was the afternoon keynote speaker on Thursday. Speaking to a packed audience, Otellini stated his belief that Intel's job is to invent the future. To that end, the company demonstrated several new technologies, including 3DTV, IPTV, a Home Energy Management System, and a new technology called Wireless Display or “WiDi”.

Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo addressed a packed theater Friday morning as the opening keynote for the third CES Technology and Emerging Countries (TEC) program, which focuses on technology’s impact on developing economies. During Friday morning's second keynote, Qualcomm CEO Dr. Paul Jacobs talked about convergence in the wireless world, health care and FLO TV. Friday's one-on-one with the FCC chairman Julius Genachowski and CEA's Shapiro discussed broadband, spectrum, innovation and ethics.

More than 250 conference sessions took place over the four days, covering topics ranging from distracted driving to social media. The new conference program, Up Next at CES, focused on entertainment and featured industry executives and actors Richard Dreyfuss and Jason Bateman, who announced DumbDumb, a sponsor-driven advertising and production company.

More than 5,000 reporters, analysts and bloggers attended the show, generating significant global media coverage for Las Vegas and CES. On Tuesday evening, the 6th annual CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES kicked off the pre-CES media events at The Venetian. The event hosted more than 1,000 members of the media. With 67 exhibitors, including Lenovo, Logitech, Parrott and Samsung Mobile, CES Unveiled featured the latest technology innovations including 3D TV, Netbooks, eBooks and robotic devices. Product announcements continued on Wednesday with CES Press Day, featuring 14 exhibitor press conferences.

The 2010 International CES brought in entertainment and sports figures, including Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Dr. Dre, Drew Carey, P. Diddy, Tommy Lee, Joba Chamberlain, Prince Fielder, Illeana Douglas, Soleil Moon Frye, James Patterson, Bette Midler and CBS sportscaster James Brown. Actress Pauley Perrette of NCIS signed autographs at the Marvell communications technology booth before the show ended.

Other celebrities attending included Brook Shields, who hosted a corporate party at Palms Place; John Legend and Stevie Wonder in concert at the Paris; and Kid Rock, who performed a concert and launched SWAGG buying service with pals David Spade and Mario Lopez.

Additionally, Las Vegas and CES hosted more than 100 government officials from the United States and around the world, including U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and FCC Commissioners Meredith Atwell Baker, Mignon Clyburn and Robert McDowell.

Again, there were awards at CES. The Innovations Design and Engineering Awards give consumer technology manufacturers and developers an opportunity to have their newest products judged by a panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade press. Products chosen as the most impressive in each category are selected as honorees and were seen at CES in the Innovations Design and Engineering Awards Showcase in the Grand Lobby. Click here to see the list of honorees (http://www.cesweb.org/awards/innovations/2010honorees.asp)

CNET's editors combed through thousands of devices to find the most innovative gadgets that will set the standard by which they will measure all other products in the coming year. In the end, they nominated 27 products in nine categories, plus a Best in Show winner. Also, from the top 27 products, the CNET audience watched online to see who earned People’s Voice winner. Click here to see the finalists and winners (http://ces.cnet.com/best-of-ces/).

The show’s detractors say that the event is so big that individual announcements get lost in the shuffle. Still, CES obviously is a huge and impactful event. Most who attended reported a successful show and were able to conduct enough business to make the journey and the bling worthwhile. This year’s numbers hint at a more prosperous year ahead for the electronics industry. It will be interesting to see whether this holds true throughout the year.

Articles of Interest

CES 2010 Wrap Up (Video)
eWeek
By Nicholas Kolakowski
January 13, 2010
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/CES-2010-Wrap-Up/

Want It or Not, TV Goes 3-D
The New York Times
By David Pogue
January 13, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/technology/personaltech/14pogue.html?scp=9&sq=CES%202010&st=cse

CES: The industry’s New Wireless Show?
Telephony Online
By Sarah Reedy
January 12, 2010
http://telephonyonline.com/mobile-apps/commentary/ces-industrys-wireless-show-0112/

@CES: That's a Wrap
RCR Wireless News
By Dan Meyer
January 12, 2010
http://www.rcrwireless.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100112/DEVICES/100119983/-CES--That-s-a-wrap

CES 2010: LTE in Pictures
Light Reading’s Unstrung
By Dan Jones
January 12, 2010
http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=186566&

Engadget's Gear of CES 2010
Engadget
By Nilay Patel
January 12, 2010
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/12/engadgets-gear-of-ces-2010/

CES—More Than Just a Smartphone Launching Pad
FierceWireless
By Sue Marek
January 11, 2010
http://www.fiercewireless.com/ceslive/story/ces-more-just-smartphone-launching-pad/2010-01-11

CES 2010: Samsung's Super-Thin TV
The Wall Street Journal
January 8, 2010
http://online.wsj.com/video/ces-2010-samsungs-superthin-tv/268E0291-4B6C-481A-9DB1-BEB4443FC539.html


CES 2010: What We Learned (In Pictures)
Light Reading
By Phil Harvey
January 11, 2010
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=186537

CES 2010: Is it Time to End Consumption Electronics?
Guardian.co.uk
By Bobbie Johnson
January 11, 2010
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/jan/11/ces-consumption

Grabbag: CarMD for Checking Car Problems, Date Check Smartphone App, and the DocuPen (Video)
PC World
By Mark Sullivan
January 11, 2010
http://www.pcworld.com/article/186655/grabbag_carmd_for_checking_car_problems_date_check_smartphone_app_and_the_docupen_scanner.html

E-reader Makers Seek Bestseller But May End Up Duds
Telecom Engine
By Franklin Paul and Gabriel Madway
January 11, 2010
http://www.telecomengine.com/search/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_6090&SearchWord=

It Was Vegas, Baby -- Engadget Departs CES 2010
Engadget
By Ross Miller
January 10, 2010
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/10/it-was-vegas-baby-engadget-departs-ces-2010/

New Palm, HTC and LG Smartphones at CES (Video)
PC World
January 10, 2010
http://www.pcworld.com/article/186568/new_palm_htc_and_lg_smartphones_at_ces.html

C.E.S. 2010: Explosion of E-Book Readers (Video)
The New York Times
By Brad Stone
January 8, 2010
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/01/08/technology/personaltech/1247466451590/c-e-s-2010-explosion-of-e-book-readers.html?scp=5&sq=CES%202010&st=cse

Google Android Sees Second Coming at CES 2010
eWeek
By Clint Boulton
January 9, 2010
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Google-Android-Sees-Second-Coming-at-CES-2010-142239/

CES 2010: HP, From Dr. Dre to Vivienne Tam (Video)
The Wall Street Journal
By Shibani Joshi
January 8, 2010
http://online.wsj.com/video/ces-2010-hp-from--dr-dre-to-vivienne-tam/4A40D405-C371-4C91-A3CB-6B4C36D2F182.html

How to See Past the CES 2010 Hype Machine
InfoWorld
By Robert X. Cringely
January 8, 2010
http://www.pcworld.com/article/186422/how_to_see_past_the_ces_2010_hype_machine.html

CES: Washington Invades Vegas
The Wall Street Journal
By Amy Schatz and Marisa Taylor
January 8, 2010
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/01/08/ces-washington-invades-vegas/

C.E.S. Daily Diary: Day 1 (video)
The New York Times
By Sam Grobart
January 8, 2010
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/08/ces-daily-diary-day-1/?scp=4&sq=CES%202010&st=cse

@CES Worst of the Week: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste
RCR Wireless News
By Dan Meyer
January 8, 2010
http://www.rcrwireless.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100108/WORST_OF_THE_WEEK/100109971/-CES-Worst-of-the-Week--A-mind-is-a-terrible-thing-to-waste

CES 2010: More Scenes From CES
Light Reading
By Phil Harvey
January 8, 2010
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=186506

@CES: Jacobs Outlines Qualcomm's Mobile Evolution and Vision
RCR Wireless News
By Matt Kapko
January 8, 2010
http://www.rcrwireless.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100108/WIRELESS_TECHNOLOGY/100109968/-CES--Jacobs-outlines-Qualcomm-s-mobile-evolution-and-vision

What Were the Hottest Phones at CES?
FierceWireless
By Phil Goldstein
January 8, 2010
http://www.fiercewireless.com/ceslive/story/what-were-hottest-phones-ces/2010-01-08

CES Serves as Mobile TV Barometer
Telephony Online
By Sarah Reedy
January 8, 2010
http://telephonyonline.com/mobile-apps/news/ces-serves-mobile-tv-barometer-0108/

Mobile & Wireless: Killer Smartphones at CES: Nexus One, Motorola Backflip, HTC HD2
eWeek
By Nicholas Kolakowski
January 8, 2010
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Killer-Smartphones-at-CES-Nexus-One-Motorola-Backflip-HTC-HD2-456495/

CES: Nokia CEO Stresses Need to Democratize the Smartphone
Telephony Online
By Sarah Reedy
January 8, 2010
http://blog.telephonyonline.com/unfiltered/2010/01/08/ces-nokia-ceo-stresses-need-to-democratize-the-smartphone/

AlcaLu Will Do LTE in Vegas
Light Reading’s Unstrung
By Dan Jones
January 8, 2010
http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=186524

Tech Show Reflects Optimism
The Wall Street Journal
By Don Clark and Yukari Iwatani Kane
January 7, 2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703882804574642722770055180.html

@CES: Daringly Optimistic Outlook for Mobile DTV on Display
RCR Wireless News
By Matt Kapko
January 7, 2010
http://www.rcrwireless.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100107/MOBILE_ENTERTAINMENT/100109975/-CES--Daringly-optimistic-outlook-for-Mobile-DTV-on-display

CES 2010: Scenes From the Show
Light Reading
By Phil Harvey
January 7, 2010
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=186423&image_number=1

AT&T Plans 7 New Smartphones: 2 Palm, 5 Android
Telecom Engine
By Sinead Carew
January 7, 2010
http://www.telecomengine.com/search/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_6086&SearchWord=

Upgraded Palm Pre, Pixi Headed to Verizon This Month
FierceWireless
By Mike Dano
January 7, 2010
http://www.fiercewireless.com/ceslive/story/upgraded-palm-pre-pixi-headed-verizon-month/2010-01-07

CES: Ooma Adds Pure Voice, HD and Google Voice
FierceVoIP
By Mike Dolan
January 7, 2010
http://www.fiercevoip.com/story/ooma-adds-pure-voice-hd-and-google-voice/2010-01-07

Palm Unwraps Developer Program, But Some Remain Unimpressed
FierceWireless
By Mike Dano
January 7, 2010
http://www.fiercewireless.com/ceslive/story/palm-unwraps-developer-program-some-remain-unimpressed/2010-01-07

CES: Wi-Fi Direct Gains Momentum, Consumer Acceptance
Telephony Online
By Sarah Reedy
January 7, 2010
http://telephonyonline.com/fixed-mobile-convergence/news/wifi-direct-customer-acceptance-0107/

CES: Verizon Taps 4Home for Connected Home Over LTE
Telephony Online
By Sarah Reedy
January 7, 2010
http://telephonyonline.com/3g4g/news/verizon-4home-connected-home-0107/

The Stars Shine at CES 2010: Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Mia Hamm and Others (Video)
PC World
January 10, 2010
http://www.pcworld.com/article/186590/the_stars_shine_at_ces_2010_lady_gaga_taylor_swift_mia_hamm_and_others.html


 

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