CE Week concluded yesterday after two jam-packed days of interactive exhibits, engaging conference sessions and live press events. From connected cars to hi-res audio, robots to drones, smart home solutions to virtual reality, digital health to wearable tech, the show covered technology for every aspect of your life.
Over the course of the two days, there were hundreds of products on display and more than 75 tech industry leaders who participated in over 20 conference sessions, attracting 1500 geeks and thousands of media and CE industry professionals from across the nation.
CE Week kicked off on Tuesday evening with an Opening Night Party at B&H Photo Video. Guests explored the store, talked to the B&H experts and learned about the latest tech from 3D printers and drones, to virtual reality and games.
For the fourth year, the C3 Group brought together thought leaders from automotive, technology, policy and research to explore the opportunities and challenges occurring in transportation due to technology. At the C3 Connected Mobility Conference, executives from BMW, Daimler, Pioneer, AAA, NXP and other companies driving innovation in the industry, discussed how technologies like ride-sharing and car-sharing, self-driving vehicles and cloud connectivity are transforming not only driving but car ownership.
Hundreds of press attended the CE Week Exclusive Media Event powered by Showstoppers, getting a first look at new technology debuting at the show. Epson launched new Pro Cinema projectors with 4K UHD signal input and HDR. Roost announced its entry into a new smart home marketplace with its Smart Water and Freeze Detector. And Decibullz Custom Audio debuted the world’s first custom-molded wireless Bluetooth® earphones. Several other companies announced and debuted brand new products at the show including K.I.S.S. AV, Kensington, Catalyst, M3D, Netatmo, Tablo, Targus, SWON and Sandisk.
Tech enthusiasts were invited to attend CE Week for the first time ever through it’s partnership with getgeeked Media. The line outside the Metropolitan Pavilion started to form several hours before the doors opened for getgeeked New York Wednesday night and ultimately stretched several city blocks. Almost 1500 passionate geeks took over the CE Week show floor from 6pm to 9pm where they had the same access to the exhibits as the press and industry professionals. CE Week sponsors were thrilled to have an opportunity to demo their products, answer questions, get feedback, and engage with these highly influential consumers. getgeeked NY attendees were also treated to their own conference program, getgeeked@Night, which was hosted by Digital Trends, one of the country’s top technology blogs.
The CE Week Conference Program covered hot topics across the industry including the latest trends in hi-res audio, virtual reality, drones, wearable technologies, smart home, 3D printing, robotics and beyond. Moderators and panelists included tech thought leaders from: Chip Chick, Dealerscope, Digital Trends, Gear Diary, iMore, Indiegogo, LG, Samsung, TechRadar, Tom’s Guide, USA Today and more.
Also part of the conference was a keynote address from New York City’s Chief Technology Officer, Minerva Tantoco who discussed what NYC has on its tech docket. Ed Baig of USA Today sat down with IBM Watson Platform’s, Jeremy Pesenti, to examine how deep machine learning and AI will change our businesses and our lives. Seagate, Monster and Owner IQ all hosted dedicated sessions, putting their latest and greatest in the spotlight.
Several product awards were given out including the Best in Show, presented by Dealerscope, which was awarded to ten companies with the industry’s coolest products and technologies: Epson, Global Ionics, Jasco, KODAK PIXPRO, Lenovo, LG, Odyssey Toys, Onkyo, Phazon and Samsung. The Technovation Award for start-ups was presented to Uncharted Play for M.O.R.E., a revolutionary new technology that can transform normal, everyday products into sources of renewable power and FUSAR, a smart helmet system that transforms any helmet into an action camera, activity tracker, communication device, navigation unit, music player, black box and emergency alert system.
As always Monster was there to impress and hosted an exciting pop-up event to celebrate the launch of Monster Blaster, the reimagined boombox of the 21st century. The event kicked off with a panel discussion, ‘The Evolution and Impact of the Boombox on Pop and Hip Hop Culture”‘ and concluded with an upbeat breakdance competition featuring New York’s hottest breakdance artists. It was a tight competition but Miguel “Gravity” Rosario came out on top, winning $500 and a Monster Blaster.
CE Week honored ten enterprising New York City students from across the five boroughs at the inaugural ’10 Under 20: Young Innovators to Watch’ awards competition. This year’s recipients are already making an impact, taking on real-world Issues and solving them creatively using technology. Their winning projects include everything from a robotic maid to a new way to study visual processing, from a fun educational app to an automatic pill dispenser. These students are also tackling real issues in today’s society, such as police brutality, care for our aging population and gender equality in the hacking space.
For the second year, Value Electronics brought its Annual TV Shootout™ to CE Week where a jury composed of professional TV reviewers, certified calibrators, and video enthusiasts convened to crown a “King of TV” for 2016. As the show concluded, LG Electronics’ Signature 4K OLED TV was crowned the winner, competing among four contending flagship 4K Ultra HD TV models from LG and other leading brands.
Interviews with CE Week exhibitors and conference speakers can be found on CE Week TV and are available for tech enthusiasts around the world. For hi-res images from the exhibits and conferences please contact, Jayme Schwartz, [email protected].
