The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will return to Vegas in January for its third pandemic-era show — unlike most other events, it didn’t experience any cancellations due to Covid-19 as its 2020 show took place before shutdowns began, and it opted to go virtual in 2021.
In 2022, the show returned with a hybrid format, but as one of the first major trade shows to return post-pandemic — and its in-person attendance numbers lagged far behind historical numbers (about 40,000 compared to over 180,000 in 2019).
Next year, however, is shaping up to be different. Large-scale shows have been returning more successfully in the back half of 2022, including IMEX America, which reported close-to-normal numbers from its event last month, and Web Summit in Lisbon, which impressively broke attendance records earlier this month.
CES will still offer digital options for its upcoming event, including access to over 75 conference sessions, digital activations, and networking, but its main focus has shifted back to welcoming a large in-person audience. Show organizers have shared a goal of hitting 100,000 attendees, and the show footprint is on track to grow 40 percent compared with CES 2022.
There are currently over 1,300 exhibitors and over 750 speakers confirmed across 200+ sessions. The show will feature four floor tours: Automotive, Startup, Healthcare and the Metaverse Combo Tour, the last of which is new for 2023 and signals the growing influence of the metaverse in the tech world. Other themes will include Transportation and Mobility, Sustainability, and Human Security for All.
“People are excited to head back to Las Vegas for CES 2023, and it will rock,” said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of CTA, the organization that runs CES. “We are optimistic we can hit our attendance goal of 100,000, which would make it the largest independently-audited post-pandemic tech event. This year’s show will feature keynotes from tech visionaries and the opportunity to see and touch the tech that’s shaking up industries and changing our lives for the better.”