Arlington, VA—CES celebrated its 50th Anniversary this summer. The very first CES was held in New York City 50 years ago, June 25–28, 1967. The inaugural show attracted 117 exhibitors and 17,500 attendees. The main exhibits were at the New York Hilton Midtown on 6th Avenue and the Americana of New York Hotel (now Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel) on 7th Avenue.
Since then, CES has grown immensely, with more than 4,000 exhibitors and 180,000-plus attendees at CES 2017 this past January in Las Vegas, Nevada. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), CES is a launchpad for innovation.
“Over the past 50 years, CES has evolved as the technology industry has changed, reflecting and helping drive the ever-expanding consumer tech landscape. We have succeeded throughout the years due, in large part, to our loyal customers, partners and the deep relationships we have made along the way,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA.
“We are honored to celebrate this anniversary and thank and celebrate our incredible industry partners, individuals and companies who have been with us for five decades and have helped make our show the global gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies.”
Since its start in 1967, CES has showcased an estimated 700,000 products. These include world-changing innovations such as the VCR (1970), the DVD (1996), digital radio (2000) and Blu-ray (2002). In addition, recent technologies include consumer 3D printers, AR/VR, artificial intelligence, digital cameras, smartphones, tablets, self-driving vehicles, 5G wireless, the Internet of Things, drones and 4K Ultra HD television.
The first CES featured products such as transistor radios, stereos and small-screen black-and-white TVs. Moreover, top companies exhibiting at the first CES included: 3M; Memorex (now MEM-CE); Motorola with Lenovo; Panasonic – Matsushita; Philips; RCA (now a Technicolor brand); Sanyo Fisher (now part of Panasonic); Sharp; Sony; Toshiba; Westinghouse; and also Zenith (now part of LG).
CES
CES is a gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and also breakthrough technologies for 50 years—a global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace. ces.tech
Consumer Technology Association
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is the trade association representing the $292 billion U.S. consumer technology industry. The industry supports more than 15 million U.S. jobs. More than 2,200 companies—80% are small businesses and startups; others are among the world’s best known brands—enjoy the benefits of CTA membership. They include policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and also the fostering of business and strategic relationships. cta.tech
