Jacobs Media Announces Its 2018 CES CEO Tour

Insider Access Provided to Radio’s Leadership

Bingham Farms, MI — This past January, Fred and Paul Jacobs started the year off touring a group of key radio leaders at the largest and arguably one of the most important gatherings of the year, CES® – the world’s gathering place for technology – in Las Vegas. After attending eight previous CES events, the Jacobs brothers believed it was important that radio’s leaders get a glimpse of the future of technology, media, innovation, automotive and more. And they organized their first CES CEO tour.

The response was outstanding, as 11 broadcast radio execs mingled with 180,000+ convention goers and took in a customized, guided tour of CES. Based on last year’s success, Jacobs Media announces an expanded tour package for CES 2018 – two tours to accommodate the radio industry’s increased interest in technology and innovation.

“The tour was a real eye-opener for radio’s CEOs,” President Fred Jacobs reflects. “It’s important to step outside the broadcasting business to learn what’s around the corner and how technology will impact radio. We saw the dashboard of the future at Visteon, witnessed the future of audio in the home and in vehicles at Panasonic and Mercedes-Benz, explored smartphones and amazing video screens at Samsung, and even played guitars at the incredible Gibson exhibit. There was a lot of camaraderie, but also valuable insight into the gadgets, trends, and opportunities ahead for the radio business.”

Because of the growing interest in attending CES, Jacobs Media’s two tours will run on consecutive days and are open to all radio broadcasters. Jacobs Media Vice President/General Manager Paul Jacobs remarks, “As soon as last year’s tour was complete, we began hearing from the CEOs who wondered whether we were going to do it again in 2018. Several asked if they could bring along other managers in their companies. So, we’ve doubled our capacity and opened our tours to execs in programming, digital, sales, and engineering.”

Jacobs Media and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM have once again forged a unique partnership to launch these private tours of CES 2018. Each will feature a maximum of 15 attendees and will be led by an executive from CTA who will provide invaluable insight as well as the opportunity to speak with leaders in each company visited during the tour.

Featured companies will be specifically selected by Jacobs Media to ensure relevance to radio broadcasting. “The tour removes the randomness and stress of attending a show of this magnitude,” says Fred Jacobs. “Our job is to organize a meaningful look at the innovations and technologies that matter to our industry, and we know where to go to maximize value and everyone’s time.”

Jacobs Media is once again partnering with the RAB, co-sponsoring a private dinner for all attendees. “It is our pleasure at the RAB to co-host the broadcaster dinner at CES with Jacobs Media,” notes RAB President and CEO, Erica Farber. “It’s a great opportunity at the end of the day to discuss the innovation taking place in technology and media and brainstorm how radio and audio can capitalize on it.”

Here’s what a few of radio’s leaders had to say about last year’s Jacobs CES CEO Tour:

Caroline Beasley, Beasley Broadcast Group CEO: “CES was invaluable. It provides an opportunity to see what the future may be in terms of technology, and as a result, how we can continue to adapt and change in order to be relevant.”
Weezie Kramer, Entercom COO: “It was a great opportunity to learn, be inspired, and share the experience and dialogue with colleagues about the future of radio. Plus, personally, it’s really cool to see how connected the whole world is becoming.”
Bill Hendrich, Cox Media Group EVP: “Cars, cars, cars. Everyone is focused on the in-car experience. Beyond the self-driving car, the technology going into cars for entertainment, safety, and connectivity is enormous.”

See the 2017 CES CEO Tour Recap