OK, so it’s a long story. But after years of Buzz Knight cajoling us about the innovative spirit that is part of the Consumer Electronics Show DNA, we made our first trek to Las Vegas in ’09. And we keep going back every year.
I would love to tell you that it’s all fun and games. But it’s not.
CES is expensive, challenging, and even arduous at times. Scheduled during the first several days of the new year, it always falls during a week when you’d rather be doing business back home.
It is also physically and even mentally challenging. It’s too big, there’s too much to see, it’s insanely crowded, it’s Las Vegas, and it’s just a sensory overload. You’re either waiting in line for a cab, searching for an electrical outlet, or wishing you had brought more comfortable shoes.
And we wouldn’t miss it for the world.
As many of you know, we started our annual trek to CES the year we launched our mobile app development company, jācapps. And CES was the place where we first met Julius Marchwicki from Ford, and started connecting those “connected car” dots. It is often difficult to ascertain the ROI of various activities a company is engaged in. But in the case of CES, it’s very easy to see exactly how we have derived benefit.
Without CES, we would not have put together our app development deal with Ford. And we would never have been in a position to create the DASH Conference.
It is also part of the reason we were able to meet and establish a friendship with Gary Shapiro, the head of the Consumer Electronics Association, and someone who will be even busier than us this week.
But as Buzz promised us, the value of CES transcends these very tangible milestones. In an era where the radio business has profound challenges and many broadcasters express concern about the future of the industry, CES is a breath of fresh air. It is one giant optimistic love affair with media, technology, and the future. It is easy to meet people at CES just in casual run-ins, over lunch, and on the convention floor. Everyone’s jacked up and excited about the future and what technology brings to our lives and our work.
And besides the excitement and the positive feelings, there’s also that intangible benefit you derive from getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing other businesses, new models, cutting-edge technology, and people from around the planet who are very different from one another but share the same focus on innovation.
So what’s new at CES 2015? Well, for one thing, it is clear that the wave of technological change in the consumer electronics industry knows no bounds. Consider this: “connected cars” will overtake video games this year at the convention. In all, 10 automakers will be displaying their latest in-dash technology at CES, now taking almost double the exhibition space they did just five years ago.
Who knew? Well, actually we knew. Or at least we figured a lot of it out several years ago. And as everyone from Roger Lanctot to Valerie Shuman will tell you, attaining expertise in this space requires more than just writing or talking about it. That’s why CES has become so important to our company. It’s our chance to chat with the engineers, designers, and marketing execs from the OEMs and Tier1s, face-to-face about this dynamic space.
Appropriately, Ford’s new CEO, Mark Fields, will be keynoting CES 2015, and his statement of purpose summarizes the automotive philosophy: “We’re thinking of ourselves as a mobility company and not only a car and truck company. We want to be viewed as being part of this community.” His predecessor, Alan Mulally, started the tradition at CES several years ago, setting the tone for the entire auto industry rethinking itself as consumer electronics gadgets on four wheels.
So what can we expect to see at this megawatt show? From big data to wearables to smart TVs to the Internet of Things, it will all be there – and more – at CES 2015.
We will be updating much of what we see this week on Twitter (@fnjacobs and @pauljacobsmedia), and in a new wrinkle this year, we’re putting together a presentation that will be suitable for state broadcaster association conventions and broadcast company conferences – “What We Learned From CES 2015 – And What It Means To Radio.”
It will contain videos, photos, and analysis from the floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center, as well as the other venues where there’s action and activity. I don’t want to say that we go to CES so you don’t have to because next year, we’d love you to experience it for yourself.
But if this week finds you hunkered down at home, we invite you to follow us on Twitter, and talk to us about presenting our behind-the-scenes look at CES later this year.
This year, what happens in Vegas comes directly to your conference room, company meeting, or convention.
We’re looking ahead to the future and we invite you to join us.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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What a great post “Fredrick” Can’t wait to see your stuff!
Dave, we’re having a ball, soaking up up the spirit of innovation and learning lots. Stay tuned.