Technology solves the world’s biggest challenges

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is an annual tech conference that presents early adopters and its tech-savvy guests with a true smorgasbord of new electronic devices, even including electric cars. Businesses are also drawn to the convention, in the hopes of discovering the next big thing. 

Visitors to this year’s event will be greeted with tech solutions to the global challenges threatening the future of humanity, according to a CES executive. 

“CES 2023 will showcase how technology solves the world’s biggest challenges through innovation and collaboration,” said John Kelley, CES’s vice president and acting show director, who has been working for the CTA, the trade show’s organizer, for more than 15 years. 

Under the theme of ‘Human Security for All,’ or ‘HS4A,’ the electronics fair will show how invaluable technology is in improving human security issues, including food supplies, health care accessibility, environmental protection, personal safety, and political freedom. 

For this year’s event, the CTA has partnered with The World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS), a global network of scientists, artists and scholars working to support the UN’s efforts to advance human security around the world.

The following is The Miilk’s exclusive interview with John Kelley, in which he shares more about the upcoming CES 2023.

Last June, the CTA announced that CES 2023 will focus on how innovation is addressing global challenges. Can you tell us more about the main theme of CES 2023?

CES 2023 will showcase how technology solves the world’s biggest challenges through innovation and collaboration. For the 2023 event, CES is partnering with The World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) in support of the United Nations’ efforts to advance human security around the world. Human security recognizes the importance of personal well-being and lists security pillars tied to an individual's experience in life, including food, access to health care, personal income, environmental protection, personal safety, community security, and political freedom. 

CES 2023 will showcase the critical role of technology in enabling human security around the world. Human Security for All (HS4A) will be weaved throughout CES, from conference programming, to highlighting innovation and products that will improve lives around the world.

How will CES 2023 be different from CES 2022 in terms of the number of exhibitors and attendees? 

We’re experiencing record post-pandemic sales as we head into CES 2023. If the show were held today, CES 2023 would be more than 50% bigger than CES 2022. The exhibit show floor is currently more than 2 million net square feet/186,000m2  and will feature more than 2500 exhibitors, including nearly 1000 new companies. To date, we have 353 Korean exhibitors, including top brands such as LG Electronics, Samsung, and SK. Our attendance goal is 100,000 attendees with 1/3 traveling from outside the U.S. 

Some say that CES has also been affected by recent shifts in US-China relations. Is that true? Can you share the number of Chinese exhibitors and attendees as well?

We have more than 475 Chinese companies committed to exhibiting at CES 2023 (as of Dec. 2, 22). These include Hisense Visual Technology, Autel Robotics, Davinci Technology, Ecoflow, and Govee Movements.

We are excited to welcome Chinese companies back to the CES show floor. However, given return quarantine policies and limited international flights in the region, we do still expect a scaled-down presence from Chinese companies at CES 2023.

In terms of participation or the size of the exhibitions, which sectors have grown most significantly? The healthcare sector had a strong presence at CES 2022. Which key sectors is the CTA focusing on for the upcoming CES 2023?

The automotive sector will be bigger than ever at CES 2023, with nearly 300 exhibitors in a sold-out West Hall. The exhibits in West Hall will cover almost 25% more floor space than in 2022, featuring the latest in self-driving tech, electric vehicles, and personal mobility devices. This makes CES 2023 one of the world’s largest global auto shows. 

Additionally, the past few years have shown that consumers want to take their health into their own hands. CES is bringing even more digital health innovations and brands to the global stage, showing how rapidly this market is growing. Attendees can expect to see advancements in digital therapeutics, mental wellness, women’s health tech, and telemedicine. New this year, the Digital Health Studio will be located on the show floor featuring daily programming centered around today’s most pressing health challenges and the future of health innovation.

If you could share up to five global technology trends to keep an eye on in 2023, what would they be?

Digital health will be a main focal point at CES 2023, with companies such as Abbott, Asleep, and Omron healthcare unveiling new health innovations. As mentioned earlier, transportation will be one of the key trends at CES 2023, with top vehicle tech exhibitors including BMW, GM, Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Waymo. Electric vehicles will feature heavily on the show floor, as the world’s biggest auto brands launch all-electric fleets for a sustainable future. 

Sustainability will also be front and center for hundreds of exhibitors at CES. Global brands like John Deere and startups will demonstrate how tech innovation can conserve energy and increase power generation, address food shortages, create more sustainable agricultural systems, improve resilience and recovery from natural disasters, power smart cities, support access to clean water, and more.

And of course, as we look to CES 2023 and beyond, the metaverse will revolutionize how we live, work, and play in an immersive, inclusive, and distributed virtual universe. We can expect to see the metaverse across several sectors, from automotive to gaming, health, and beyond. 

It’s rumored that CoinDesk will be the title sponsor of the CES Web3 Studio. Can we assume this means the CTA views the blockchain and Web3 industries as key sectors? 

Web3 is transforming the internet through blockchain technology by ushering in a new digital economy – and CES 2023 will highlight the latest innovations revolutionizing the web, from crypto, to NFTs, to blockchain. 

Our new Web3 category will feature activations from Meta, SK, Incheon Airport and many others, with a focus on how associated technologies–including those related to the metaverse and cryptocurrency—can revolutionize how we connect with one another.

From a conference perspective, the CES Web3 Studio Presented by CoinDesk will be a curated half-day Web3 conference program. The studio will feature interviews with some of the most influential Web3 voices and will cover the latest cryptocurrency and blockchain news and innovations from CES. The show will also feature Web3 programming by the Blockchain Association.

As the Acting Show Director for CES, can you please share some tips for CES 2023 attendees ahead of the show? Is there an overarching message behind booth configurations and conference programs?

CES is all about the latest innovations that will solve global challenges and change the world for the better. Attendees will see that theme throughout the show floor, as well as the conference program. One of my favorite areas of the show floor, and a section I always recommend to attendees, is Eureka Park, the startup hub at CES. Eureka Park at CES 2023 will showcase more than 1,000 startups from around the world, including Korea, France, the Netherlands, the Congo, Japan, and Ukraine. 

Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Company, and LG Electronics will hold large-scale exhibitions and conferences at CES. Is the CTA focusing on any Korean companies in particular for CES 2023? 

Korea is an important market for the global technology industry and will be well represented at CES 2023, with more than 350 Korean exhibitors, including more than 150 Korean startups. Major Korean brands showcasing new innovations include Samsung, LG Electronics, SK, and Hyundai Mobis. 

Many international conferences were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. CES seems to have overcome that challenge, however, and  has continued to draw significant global attention as the world’s largest tech event. Can you share some insights into its ongoing success?

COVID has allowed for the rapid adoption of technologies connected to digital health, remote work, digital payments, and more. Keeping the innovation engine moving forward for CES 2022 was critical. People recognized the value of human-to-human interaction and the power of CES to have a business impact. Despite lighter attendance, CES 2022 was chock full of innovation and buzzing with optimism and excitement. The show has always provided a platform for businesses of all sizes to share how they use tech to improve people’s lives. 

We’re excited about this momentum and growth leading up to CES 2023, and expect it to further reinforce CES as the world’s most important innovation event.

What do you expect to be the most valuable takeaway for attendees and exhibitors at CES 2023? Please share some success cases for those considering either attending or exhibiting at future iterations of the event.

For more than 50 decades, CES has been an influential business event that has spurred new markets and advanced economic growth. CES keynoters–such as GM, NVIDIA, Sony, and Samsung–experience significant stock price increases after making announcements at CES. Additionally, since the space’s inception, investors have contributed more than $10 billion to startups within Eureka Park. In fact, Ring Doorbell, which debuted at CES 2019 was eventually acquired by Amazon and is now valued at $1.2 billion, which is a shining example of how the CES platform can elevate a company on a global scale. 

I saw how meticulously the CTA prepared CES 2022, including the COVID-19 self-test kits that were provided to attendees and exhibitors. Have the event’s health protocols changed this time around? What should visitors know ahead of attending the show?

The CTA recently announced a more touchless venue experience for CES 2023, as part of our commitment to creating a healthy environment to conduct and further global business. Health and safety measures will be taken across all show venues and will include increased fresh air flow and filtration systems, hand sanitizing stations, door greeters, and touchless public facilities.

Additionally, CES will provide access to rapid antigen tests. If attendees feel ill on-site at a CES exhibit venue, we will provide free testing at designated medical stations. We strongly encourage attendees to have Covid vaccinations and boosters. High-quality masks will be available at show venues for those who feel more comfortable masking indoors. Our health protocols page has the latest updates for attendees and exhibitors planning their trip to CES 2023.