Tens of thousands of show-goers are hoping for a return to the packed halls and rapid-fire deal-making that were once the hallmarks of the annual gadget extravaganza, which was forced to go virtual in 2021 and hybrid last year due to the pandemic.
The CES show officially begins on January 5, but companies will begin competing for attention with the latest tech wizardry as early as Tuesday.
CES will take up more than 18 acres (seven hectares), from the sprawling Las Vegas Convention Center to pavilions set up in parking lots. Ballrooms and banquet rooms throughout Sin City will be used to increase business.
With transportation becoming computing’s new frontier, next-generation automobiles, trucks, boats, farm equipment, and even flying machines are expected to emerge.
Cars now have operating systems that are more like a smartphone or laptop computer than ever before, and Accenture predicts that by 2040, roughly 40% of vehicles on the road will require remote software updates.
And, with connected cars, come apps and online entertainment as developers compete to entice passengers with streaming or shopping services on board.