(All images taken by Leslie Mujica at CES)
by Leslie Mujica
To some CES may have felt smaller this year, but I believe the intimacy of the show came from the fact that it was more spread out than years prior. CES 2024 was more vibrant, innovative, interesting, and ambitious, covering a broader scope than in years past. CES has always filled me with a sense of astonishment in seeing the new technology and what was in stored for the future: new televisions, sound systems, telecommunications, phones, and gadgets. Today, it is about a lot more than that.
When I entered the LVCVA West Hall this year, I thought I was at a car show. Every company was focused on Electric Vehicles, partnerships between car manufacturers (like Honda), communications and operating systems companies (such as Sony), and smart technology. This was designed not only to make the ride better and more comfortable, but smarter and safer for optimal functionality. When I recently took my vehicle in for service, the first thing my service representative of over 15 years said to me was, “Leslie you use your car as your office because you’re 24/7, we need to make sure we get you going.” Our vehicles are not just for driving and getting us from point A to point B anymore, every minute counts. Time management and efficiency allows us to optimize our day.
The advanced technology didn’t just involve transportation, communications, smart-homes, and building automation, it included cooking, cleaning and hair tools, toothbrushes, toilets, valet robots, mixologists on an app, scooters, and even kids’ toys. While the Jetsons were in the year 2025, it feels as if we are already living in their future.
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a major concern, some of the exhibitors I spoke with shared that it is necessary to assess needs and improve on outcomes. If you asked me just 10 years ago how incredible it would be to ask a device in my living room the statistics and the score of the Super Bowl 20 years ago, I would have said, “you’re insane, how is that even possible?” Alexa, Siri, and Google Home can pretty much answer any question, and thanks to AI, the more they learn.
Creativity leaves nothing to the imaginations when walking through the exhibit halls. The booths keep getting bigger and brighter. SONY, John Deer, Mercedes Benz, and many others do a great job year after year in making their booths evolve and grow not just keeping pace but staying one step ahead projecting and embracing the future.
There were big booths at the Convention Center venues and intimate product presentation events offsite. One stood out in particular: the iglooco Meet & Greet event in the Venetian Tower. Although iglooco displayed their product on the exhibit floor with technology partners including Ossia and SIMcom demonstrating their wireless charging solutions for their padlocks, as well as LTE-M connectivity for their enterprise INB1 deadbolt, they also held a private event. They are committed to developing innovative locking solutions that provide convenience and security around the house, assets, and facilities. They showcased a number of their products that included fingerprint-enabled deadbolt, an offline facial recognition module for seamless and secure access, a upcoming Matter-enabled deadbolt for full smart home connectivity, and a rugged and weatherproof padlock. Most importantly they had staff present to answer any questions. I had a nice conversation with Paul Hoggard, Head of U.S. Operations, he shared that they will most definitely be returning to CES in 2025. He said they were pleased with the outcome, “our leadership team was able to meet with industry colleagues in all areas of these functions and identified strategic opportunities for innovation in 2024. CES will continue to be a valuable tool to meet the right partners to continue our mission.”
Another great event was the CES – Cooler Master Tech Experience Party 2024 held at The View inside the Palms Hotel and Casino. This party was brilliant and well organized, with incredible ambiance and attendance, hospitality was second to none and the F & B was over the top. They went to great lengths to make this event a success and their invitation statement should be a model for all events in this beautiful town of lights and splendor “Your presence is crucial to the tapestry of this event, as we celebrate our past collaborations and forge new connections.”
Now this is what I call an invitation, this is Las Vegas.
