What is CES?

For those who aren’t in the know, CES is the “Consumer Electronics Show.” A trade show that takes place in Las Vegas, NV, and hosts technology companies from all over the world. It aims to be the largest tech trade show while also being exclusively for industry professionals.

You can see and interact with some of the largest and most well-known companies like LG, Samsung, Mercedes-Benz, who come to debut their next cutting-edge product. And you can discover brand new startups trying to change the world.

This show takes over Las Vegas. It is spread across 11 different buildings and has over 2 million sq/ft of convention floor space.

Pictures Don’t Do It Justice

I’ve known about CES for a while and always heard it was big. But, big does not even come close to describing it. It is overwhelming. The booths and displays don’t just have a large footprint, they take everything to the extreme. Huge LED display walls, music, water features, stages, and themed entertainment. If you can think of it, someone is doing it. The Las Vegas casinos felt tame and understated after leaving the convention floor the first day.

All the big players are trying to one-up each other. They don’t just display new technology like a piece of art at a gallery. They try to make it as immersive as possible. They want people to hold it, wear it, and play with it. They hire actors and camera crews to show off their products like you are watching a sitcom in Hollywood.

I walked 20,000 steps the first day as I was just trying to get the lay of the land in a couple of the convention halls.

Three Main Takeaways for Tech in 2023

1. Tech Isn’t An Industry Anymore

A decade ago, technology was a stand-alone industry. Companies started to focus on and solely export technology. However, now all companies are tech companies. Caterpillar and John Deere aren’t just heavy machinery companies, but tech companies that make heavy machinery. Abbott isn’t a healthcare company, but a company that uses technology to improve people’s health.

Everyone needs to recognize technology is important to all industries and businesses. Just because a company doesn’t make a piece of technology hardware doesn’t mean it isn’t pushing technology innovation.

2. VR is Going to Be Big, But Not Everyone Will Make it

I saw so many cool and innovative ways to use VR technology to enhance our world. It is still very new and has a lot of growing to do. It’s like the first iPhone, innovative, but not the best. The one flaw I see is that too many people are trying to jump on this new trend and not all companies can survive.

The market is very saturated and it’s an uphill battle for anyone trying to cut through all the noise. Big brands like Meta and Google are throwing a lot of money and manpower at VR, which means any small-time players need to find new angles in this market. This leads to some really strange applications and ideas.

3. Niches Are the Keys to Success

Even though I just made it seem like small niches are bad, they actually are the way forward for many companies. VR might be a little over-saturated, but that doesn’t mean only big companies with billions of dollars can be successful in technology. There are so many niches and sub-markets that are in desperate need of innovation. At first glance it might seem like CES is just for rich companies that want to spend a lot of money and brag about their new shiny toys, but much of CES is small and medium-sized companies truly sharing innovative technology with the world. And CES has plenty of room for those companies to get the attention they are due.

Integrating Tech Into Any Business

Butler Technologies has versatile technology that could comfortably fit products in any of the categories at CES. Our printed biometric sensors, for example, could make those VR headsets more powerful and comfortable by providing real biometric feedback as the user immerses in the virtual world without being annoyed by wires or messy gels. We even had some customers and partners that were at CES showing off their cool products. We can help companies find new ways to integrate technology into their business and who knows, maybe your company could be the next big thing at CES.

Meet the Author

Grant is an integrated marketing specialist at Butler Technologies. He is a Butler native and studied digital media at Slippery Rock University. He joins the team after spending many years in the non-profit world. He has a passion for technical writing, video production, and innovation.
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