Why does CES Matter? You have to be there.
By Brian Seth Hurst
#CES2016. Come January 6, 2016 over 170 thousand people from all over the world will make the annual pilgrimage to CES. Last year’s attendance was record setting and for the first time spanning two locations, Tech East and Tech West CES, “The Global Stage for Innovation” was transformed from a trade show into a not to be missed OBLIGATORY experience for anyone in media, technology or entertainment.
From the big exhibitors to the sparkling gems of disruption, being at CES is literally seeing life change before your very eyes. True back a decade or so you might have been able to skip a few years. Some years seemed to have dreams for sale that never materialized. Now, it is truly all about lifestyle- things that not only make life easier but also have become essential. Can you leave the house without your smart phone? Especially since it can now be your wallet and your keys? At CES we are presented with the future of our interconnected lives from automotive to smart homes to wearables and products that used to be the stuff of science fiction turning to science facts of life.
These are not just consumer products. This is the Internet of Things (IoT) set up to provide an uninterrupted seamless life of convenience running on data; data that will be increasingly valuable to product development teams, marketers and consumers. Moreover and perhaps less noticed is that this always-on connection presents a channel for media- communications, content, marketing. The IoT is truly a media platform representing new distribution channels.
So, yes what you see on the CES floor may end up in your pocket but it’s going to be what’s behind what it does that counts. Entering the world of CES is in fact transformative and will set your imagination to work calculating how your business or content or customers can benefit from what is happening and yes, you need to be there.
Let’s face it. Technology is an experience. You can’t just read about it. It’s the difference between experiencing the mind blow of the Oculus Rift virtual reality and being told about it.
See you at CES!
Brian Seth Hurst is Co-Founder and Chief Storyteller at StoryTech. The company is an official provider of CES VIP Show Floor Tours. For more information on the tours visit StoryTech.