Industry professionals know the feeling. One moment it’s summer and the next it’s time to gear up for the holidays and CES.

In preparation for these activities, each fall season, we tend to reflect on what truly happened in tech the past year. The smart home, wearables, TVs, audio, 3D printing, and virtual reality have all remained hot topics across several CES shows. Still, the underlying question is, “Will the advances showcased at CES ever truly see large-scale integration on the consumer level?”

CES may always be a bit flashy, but what has really begun to garner more attention is how innovation can actually change lives for the better.

With technological innovations making big waves in the news, we sat down with Senior Account Manager, Heather Hewit, to speak about her experiences with CES marketing campaigns.

A seasoned PR pro and our expert in the consumer electronics field, Heather touches on technology trends, changes, and opportunities in the industry as we head into CE’s biggest season: the road to CES.

How is CES now compared to five years ago, in regards to changes in the type of exhibitors and attendees at the show? 

The face of CES has evolved, particularly in the past several years, with brands debuting technology from all facets of the industry – health, housewares, fashion, sports, artificial intelligence, and more.

As a veteran of CES, what is the biggest change you anticipate for 2019?  

CES will always be the stage for next-generation innovation, along with showy booths and some reiterations of the very same technology we have been seeing for years. But this year we may be moving away from the “just for the wow factor” types of innovations.

CES 2019 marks the push towards innovation through application. We are starting to see an increased number of companies become involved in CES that one would never have anticipated years ago. Technology is changing numerous industries, not just our own, from beauty brands offering face scanning for the perfect foundation, to 3D scanning for the top fashion choices, to promising advances in healthcare and beyond.

What are the greatest growth opportunities in the industry to see at CES 2019?

New Technology Applications

New technologies that can ultimately become a part of our lives in ways beyond entertainment represent tremendous growth opportunities. Across the gamut, how technologies interact with each other and ourselves is the largest trend and area for growth.

Health

We’re moving far beyond tracking steps to encountering new and innovative ways to analyze and adapt our health and our care. From tracking heart health to monitoring breathing, to vision and hearing testing and enhancements, the line between medical devices and healthcare gadgets is blurring, putting the consumer in the drivers seat with much more control in our hands.

Robotics & Machine Learning

We’ve long heard of robotics in business, working on product development, and even in critical surgeries. Now, the robots are coming home. Each year, we see the capabilities of robots not only improve, but also become more consumer friendly and affordable. Forget the giant, dancing robots just for kicks; bots today can chat with you, report on your shopping list and the weather, vacuum and mop, make phone calls, and even remember the layout of your home for effortless movement.

IoT, Voice Control, & Housewares

In essence, we’re moving toward making more and more of the items in our homes connected to the Internet and able to be spoken to. Naturally, we’ve seen this in entertainment over the past several years. Now, we’re focusing more on the kitchen, and are seeing housewares and appliance companies at the show, from startups to the most popular brands.

VR/AI

Another great example of the industry shifting towards more practical and real implementation is virtual and augmented reality. Our initial applications were all for pure entertainment, which have maintained a solid nice footprint. Now, we’re seeing VR and AR transform healthcare, education, corporate training, and so much more.

How will technology continue to infiltrate our lives for the better? Here’s to seeing what answers CES 2019 will provide.

Is your company showcasing innovative technology at CES 2019?

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