The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest annual consumer technology trade show, which took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Exhibitors show off their newest gadgets and services, including technology for cars, games, cameras, 3D printers, and smart glasses, at the show.
The year’s event drew a large number of celebrities, including director (and poor public speaker) Michael Bay, Star Trek’s LeVar Burton and several other big names in film, television and music.
“One-third of the world’s population interacted with CES in some way this week, as we experienced the future,” Gary Shapiro, president of the CEA, said in a statement.
And for anyone wondering why a technology show held in the middle of the desert in the U.S. is called the “international” CES, the CEA also revealed that of the 150,000 attendees, about 35,000 (23%) were from outside of the U.S.
CES represents all aspects of the technology ecosystem and brings together leaders from major global industries, as well as policy makers and government officials. The 2014 International CES featured government officials from across the United States and Canada, including three members of the United States House of Representatives, four state elected officials, five members of the Federal Communications Commission, including Chairman Tom Wheeler, and 13 members of the U.S. Department of Commerce, including Secretary Penny Pritzker.
Other representatives from the Federal Trade Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency , the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Federal Aviation Administration were also in attendance.
In addition, governments from outside the U.S. sent leaders including the Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy from France and Vice Minister, International Affairs and Communications from Japan. Ambassadors from the Slovak Republic and Poland also attended this year’s CES.