– CES, the stage of technological innovation that filled Las Vegas, USA
– Korea’s representative companies reveal their great presence in a heated global technology contest
From January 1th to 5th, 'CES 7', the world's largest IT and electronics exhibition, was held offline in Las Vegas, USA for the first time in two years. CES, which is famous for being an extra-large event held at the beginning of the year, is attracting great attention from all over the world, encompassing not only consumer electronics but also numerous and diverse fields where innovative new technologies are applied. Unlike last year, which was 2022% online only, this CES 2, which was held both online and offline, was crowded with many visitors who had been waiting for the scene where they could see, hear, and experience firsthand. Due to the spread of the Omicron mutant virus, the number of participating companies and visitors decreased significantly compared to usual, but at the CES site I visited, I could feel a more lively atmosphere than expected.
The main contents and scene of CES 2022, where various companies representing Korea showed a particularly strong presence, are divided into parts 1 and 2 and reviewed once again. In the first part, we will look at the overview of CES 1 and the atmosphere of the exhibition sites of global companies including Korean companies in detail.
CES 2022 Overview
CES, which started in 1967, is now one of the most famous global trade shows. As all consumer electronic products, as well as products and services to which new technologies are applied, are included in the CES exhibition category, members of the relevant industry around the world are using CES as a stage for launching and contesting new technologies and new products, as well as as a venue for a wide range of networks. have.
More than 2,300 companies from around the world participated in the offline event this year. In 2020, before the pandemic, about 4,500 companies participated in the event, but in 2021, when it was held only online, the size had decreased by more than half to about 1,900 companies. Many participating companies, who were preparing to return to offline events after two years, havetily canceled their participation due to the spread of Omicron mutations that came shortly before the event. Amazon, Google, Meta (formerly Facebook), Intel, Microsoft, AMD, and LG are representative companies that have decided to cancel face-to-face exhibitions just before the start of the event. In the field, empty exhibition spaces of companies that decided to cancel at the last minute were noticeable, but nevertheless, the overall size of participating companies increased compared to the previous year's 2% online event. This year, in particular, more than 100 Korean companies participated, and the scale of the participation of Korea was remarkable. Meanwhile, the number of visitors who directly visited the offline event site was estimated at 500, which is about a quarter of the previous one.
<View of CES 2 held offline for the first time in 2022 years>
CES 2022 exhibits include 'Tech East', which includes Las Vegas Convention Center Westgate Las Vegas, Renaissance Las Vegas, 'Tech West', which includes Venetian Expo, The Venetian, The Palazzo, Wynn Las Vegas and Encore at Wynn, ARIA Park It was divided into three areas of 'Tech South', which includes MGM and Vdara, and was held at a number of venues including conventions and hotels throughout the gorgeous city of Las Vegas. The main topics are the same 3G Internet of Things, advertisements and entertainment contents, automobiles, block chains, health and wellness, home and family, immersive entertainment, product design and manufacturing, robot and machine intelligence, sports, and startups. 'Food Technology' and 'Cryptocurrency & NFTs (Cryptocurrency & NFTs)', which are included in the 5 technologies to watch out for this year, received new attention. In addition to the existing special exhibition 'C-Space' and the new technology startup contest 'Eureka Park', there are also new and A special exhibition 'The Good Tech Can Do' has been added.
CES' 'Keynote Addresses', a representative program to announce the start of the event, also drew a lot of attention this year as it was held on the offline stage rather than online. Leaders from global companies with global influence, including Samsung and GM, as well as Abbott, a healthcare company participating in the keynote for the first time, gave enthusiastic speeches about the future of the technology industry at the offline keynote stage, which returned after two years. In his keynote speech, Vice Chairman Han Jong-hee of Samsung Electronics, which stands tall as a global top electronics company, drew attention by emphasizing the focus on realizing sustainability for the future with the slogan 'Together for Tomorrow'.
The stage of the global technology feast, the presence of Korean companies 'boom-boom'
Tech East (Las Vegas Convention Center) and Tech West (Venetian Expo), which are considered the main stages of CES 2022, are filled with large booths of numerous global companies such as Sony, Bosch, Hisense, Qualcomm, Panasonic, and Canon. The presence of Korean companies was also remarkable. In particular, Samsung Electronics, which boasted the largest booth among all exhibitors, could not help but stand out, and other companies such as SK, Doosan, Hyundai Motor, and Hyundai Heavy Industries caught the attention of visitors with their innovative and colorful exhibitions. Let's take a look at the exhibition sites of major companies that attracted the most attention on the main stage, including Korean companies.
First of all, Samsung's exhibition site was overwhelming. Samsung's booth, located on a large scale in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, overwhelms the eyes with huge screen displays that stretch from the entrance to both sides. did. The density of the exhibition site was controlled by not allowing all visitors to enter immediately, but after registering at the kiosk and allowing them to enter at a time lag. raised
<First impression of Samsung booth, which overwhelms eyes with screen displays arranged on both sides>
Samsung's TV products, which have been leading the world for a long time, also pleased the eye. 'The Frame' TV products created the illusion of a piece of art hanging on the wall, and 'Neo QLED 8K' and 'MICRO LED' TV products caught the attention of visitors with their amazing clarity and color. In particular, in front of the surreal display of the MICRO LED TV, many people stayed for a long time and could not hide their surprise. On the other hand, it was also very interesting to demonstrate rotation by attaching wall mount and freestanding accessories to 'The Sero', a TV product that rotates horizontally and vertically.
<Samsung's TV products that drew attention>
'The Freestyle', a Bluetooth projector for smartphones that was newly introduced at CES, also drew attention. Boasting an unbelievably small and cute design for a projector, this product presented a screen of any size from any angle, and attracted attention by showing bodies and cases of various colors and designs. In addition, smart home demonstrations with robots and interesting exhibitions of Samsung's flagship smartphone Galaxy S21 FE and Z Flip series also stopped many people's steps. Meanwhile, the company's vision for sustainability was once again emphasized by separately exhibiting eco-friendly changes that Samsung is attempting, such as saving ink used in product boxes, reducing the use of packaging accessories, and upcycling product packaging.
<Samsung's Bluetooth Smart Projector 'The Freestyle'>
The booths of Hyundai Motor Company and Hyundai Heavy Industries were also impressive. In the case of Hyundai Motor Company, since it took over Boston Dynamics, a representative American robot company last year, and threw its vote into the robotics field, this CES also focused on robot technology exhibition rather than automobiles. The main items on display are various robot products that directly help our lives in industrial sites, commercial facilities such as hotels, and in each home. . On a large screen in the booth, a video containing the vision of modern robot technology caught the attention of the audience, and on a large stage, a robot spot was directly demonstrated.
<Hyundai's exhibition site focusing on robot technology>
Hyundai Heavy Industries' booth was also sufficient to capture the attention of visitors. This is because it was unusual for a ship manufacturing company to participate in CES, and the exhibition in which the screen on the wall inside the large booth and the floor space connected to it were expressed like a vast sea was very impressive. In particular, on the central stage where the rippling waves are reproduced as it is, the autonomous leisure boat model of 'Avikus', a subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries that focuses on ship autonomous navigation technology, was exhibited and received great attention, and the construction and In the industrial equipment field, various products applied with unmanned robot technology were introduced and attracted attention.
<Exhibition site of Hyundai Heavy Industries, which showcased autonomous ship navigation and robot technology>
Japanese electronics company Sony also caught the attention of many visitors. At Sony's booth, which focused on consumer electronics such as laptops, TVs, and game devices, the most notable exhibited item was by far the new electric vehicle 'Vision-S' series. In particular, while the prototype of the SUV model Vision-S 02 was unveiled for the first time at this CES, the world's attention was drawn to the futuristic yet simple interior and exterior design. As such, Sony also appeared to be stepping into the electric vehicle market and entering the next-generation mobility field in earnest. In addition, various color editions of the popular video game device 'PS5' and the exhibition of 'Airpeak', a professional drone product, were also interesting.
<Sony's exhibition site attracting attention with the electric car series 'Vision-S'>
※ In the next [CES 2022 Review Part 2], each national pavilion, including the integrated Korean pavilion, and the Eureka Park site focusing on new technologies and implications are continued.
Source: CES official website, CTA website, and other KOTRA Los Angeles Trade Center materials