The world’s biggest tech trade show just wrapped up last week. And this year’s CES was filled with a few unexpected twists. It all started when big names like T-Mobile, Amazon and General Motors chose not to attend in-person due to recent spikes in COVID-19 and others such as Google, Microsoft, AMD, Intel as well as several Kite Hill PR clients modified their in-person attendance plans at the last minute. Even many major media outlets chose to cover the event virtually.
However, despite the eleventh-hour switches, CES’ first attempt at a hybrid trade show went over surprisingly well – with lots of successful announcements happening. In our industry, we know how challenging it is to navigate in-person trade shows and live events during the continued uncertainty of the pandemic; it is all about staying agile. CES was able to pivot and the show went on!
Let’s take a look at a few key trends and takeaways we gathered coming out of CES 2022:
1. The metaverse is here to stay
The concept of the metaverse is a combination of virtual and augmented reality technologies in a new online realm. What does this mean for 2022? Over the course of the next year, we’ll see fashion brands sell makeovers where avatars will get dressed up with designers like Gucci creating digital outfits. Procter & Gamble will launch BeautySPHERE, which will walk users through the ingredients and processes used to make their cosmetic products.
Advertising company Wunderman Thompson even held its conference activation virtually in a metaverse-like environment and the agency says it will create for clients eventually using its “inspiration kiosks.”
2. Major improvements for work-from-home life
The Parks Associates released new data at CES 2022 showing that the number of connected devices in broadband homes continues to explode, growing from 9.6 in 2017 to 14.5 per home in 2021, and that 41% of broadband homes now have a streaming media player – both most likely a result of the pandemic.
This type of data brings good news as it seems, at last, the technology world has caught up to the home-office lifestyles we’ve all been living. From robots cleaning our houses to better webcams for video calls and everything else in between, 2022 could be the easiest year yet for WFH.
For example, Anker (a Kite Hill PR client) debuted its B600 video bar: the world’s first video camera with built-in light and high-end audio designed for the home office – great example of reading the marketplace and delivering what legions of work-from-home professionals will want to bring their best game to video conferencing. AMD and Intel both had chip announcements that should lead to some solid computers this year. Lenovo and PS have both opted for high-resolution webcams for their laptop launches this year. Faster processors, updated button layouts and longer power cables were also major conversations that happened throughout the week at CES.
3. Health-tech made CES history
This year marked an important first for the health-tech space: Abbott CEO Robert Ford presented the first healthcare keynote at CES. On top of that, over 100 health companies exhibited. The CES health-tech track once again proved itself the place to look for true innovation, making consumers even more aware of how technology can improve the industry.
The pandemic spurred rapid innovation from digital health companies across the globe who continue to find ways to make our lives safer. For example, Opteev developed ViraWarn, the first-ever airborne COVID-19 detector. The ViraWarn product line is divided into two types of products that will fight the COVID-19 pandemic with an instant diagnosis of COVID-19.
In addition to health, there was a collective focus on wellness for this year’s tech including a mat-based scale that gives recommendations on how to improve posture and a connected wearable that helps track sleep and activity. Skincare even made an appearance with new technology and an app offering individualized skin treatment, based on their selected beauty program.
4. The auto industry will be about much more than mobility in ‘22
Auto tech is always a big part of CES, but this year offered a new concept. To the automakers and tech companies, our cars are now a “third space” – a place where you can work or watch TV. If you’re just using your car to get from point A to B, think of it now as a device connecting you with the others important to everyday life.
Big automotive themes this year focused on BMW’s color-changing car, John Deere’s self-driving tractor, and electric vehicles becoming more affordable. Specifically, GM CEO Mary Barra unveiled the American automaker’s second electrified truck, the Chevrolet Silverado EV.
Microsoft is even getting involved in the auto space. Partnering with Wejo Neural Edge, they’re claiming to create a metaverse “digital twin” of both your car and driving environment, helping to bring autonomous vehicles and smart cities to a true realization.
5. Future of Fintech promises inclusivity and diversity
A main theme in the financial sector at CES explored how the industry might drive broader inclusivity in access to financial resources, the ways banks are changing, and how cryptocurrency adoption may further evolve. Sushil Prabhu, the CEO of Dropp, a blockchain-based micropayments technology and Kite Hill PR client, took the stage at a CES FinTech panel and drove home the ideal of financial inclusion, using micropayment to give the billions of ‘underbanked’ citizens access to financial services.
6. CES’ smaller audience gave small-biz tech a warm welcome
And last but certainly not least, small businesses and start-ups were given prime locations and forums for breakthrough ideas due to large corporations changing attendance plans – a positive outcome from the pandemic. Though known for its big names, CES is also a crucial international venue for smaller players to reach consumers and industry partners. This was even more so the case in 2022 with these major corporations not attending in person.
In fact, in-person attendees said that despite the smaller overall attendance, those who were on the ground were more open to discovering new technologies and engaging more deeply – especially after nearly two years of Zoom fatigue. This year, attendees were able to find start-ups and small businesses more easily as they were given better booth spots. And even though attendance was down overall, small businesses were able to have good-quality and high-impact conversations.
– Maggie Stasko, Senior Account Executive