A Walk-Up to CES: What to Expect from the Annual Tech Extravaganza

Driverless vehicles; virtual and augmented reality; wearables that monitor health, sleep, and stress; smarter features for the home and cities; and bigger, thinner televisions. Innovation has always been central to what used to be called the Consumer Electronics Show, which this year marks its 51st anniversary. These are just some of the product categories being touted in advance of the opening next week of CES in Las Vegas.

For the first time, NACD and Grant Thornton LLP will host CES Experience, which will include a tour for a small group of directors that is curated by Shelly Palmer. This annual hub of technology innovation now spans nearly a mile in and around the Las Vegas convention center. It is a colossal undertaking both for attendees and the organizer, the Consumer Electronics Association, which this year brings together 3,900 exhibitors, 67,321 exhibit personnel, more than 109,000 attendees, and some 7,400 members of the media.

There are 600 startups in just one wing of the show.

When NACD’s Chief Programming Officer Erin Essenmacher attended CES last year, she was nearly overwhelmed by the sheer number of exhibitors introducing potentially game-changing products. To both maximize her time and see those exhibitors most likely to be showing a next-generation gadget, Essenmacher recognized that a director-centric guided tour of this mecca of innovation could benefit NACD members.

CES 2018 opens Tuesday, Jan. 9, with a keynote address by Ford Motor Co. president and CEO James Hackett, the first “non-car guy” to helm the 114-year old automaker. Hackett has proclaimed the new Ford to be a mobility technology company, with vehicle safety to be driven by innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) rather than new material or safety features. Since he took the reins in May, Hackett, formerly president and CEO of Steelcase, has invested in self-driving and electric-powered autos and car-to-car communications. Ford was the first automaker to exhibit at CES at least 11 years ago and over the years almost every major automaker has become a regular. Innovations in the automotive industry have become so ubiquitous at CES that the North Hall of the convention center has been dubbed the “Las Vegas auto show.” At least 12 of the more than 200 information sessions at CES will be devoted to automotive-related topics such as cybersecurity and who insures the driverless car.

Part of NACD’s curated tour will be spent exploring person-to-machine interfaces and machine-learning sensors that can detect humans’ moods. Directors will also see advancements in haptic (from the Greek haptesthai, “to touch”)technology, which has evolved beyond vibration to synthesize feedback from even simple hand gestures made on a tactile screen.

At the end of each day, directors will have an opportunity to debrief and compare notes over dinner.

I will be blogging for NACD from CES and colleagues will be posting on social media.

Judy Warner is editor in chief of NACD Directorship magazine.