Get ready for CES 2025

Kinsey Fabrizio, President of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and John T. Kelley, Vice President and CES Show Director for the CTA, gave a taste of what’s to come at CES 2025. But most notably, Melissa Harrison, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for CTA discussed some logistical changes that will impact the way you get around. Along with the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) being under construction right now, there are new exhibit areas and new ways to get around that show-goers will want to know about.

Changes

The LVCC is undergoing a $600 million renovation, and while no active construction will be taking place during the show, Harrison advises that there will be changes to entrances and pedestrian flow that will throw even the most seasoned CES veterans for a loop. This means you will need more time to navigate from one place to the next.

Additionally, exhibit spaces have been renamed. What was once Tech East, Tech West, and Tech South is now known as the LVCC Campus. This is joined by the Venetian Campus (once way back simply called the “Sands” for the Sands Convention Center), and the C-Space Campus.

One thing veteran show-goers will love is that South Hall is back this year. Within the hall, you’ll be able to check out classic products and accessories from brands like Ecoflow, Pecron, PKcell, Powkey. While CTA notes that there will be media rooms at the LVCC, including a new CES Creator Space in Central Hall, it’s unclear if we’ll see a return of the old “media room” in South Hall. There will presumably still be a media room on the upper level in West Hall, which you can get to by traveling through the Las Vegas Loop. The media room in the Venetian will also remain.

Most important to note for all show attendees is that even though construction will be paused, some of the shuttle bus stops and entrance locations may be different. Thus, those who have become accustomed to a routine will now see a wrench thrown into it.

The good news is that CTA, in partnership with Panasonic, has worked on revamping the CES 2025 mobile app to allow for a more seamless navigation experience. This includes detailed calendars as well as blue dot navigation to help you get around more easily. You’ll want to download the app ahead of time and bring along a portable charging bank to keep your mobile device powered up throughout the days and nights as you use it to help get around.

Harrison’s one crucial piece of advice is that it’s “important to make a plan. Map out where you want to go in advance.”

What to Know Ahead of the Show?

What else should you know ahead of the show. This year, CES 2025 will continue to welcome thousands of show-goers from around the world, including nearly 40% joining from outside of the U.S. This includes exhibitors like Amazon, AMD, Disney, John Deere, Samsung, Netflix, and Waymo, along with start-ups from around the world in Eureka Park. New exhibitors include Foxconn, Komatsu, Henkel, Oshkosh, and Scout.

Along with the open show floor, there will be sessions across more than 40 conference tracks, including emerging areas like quantum computing and energy transition. There will also be new categories for the innovation awards representing growing areas in the tech industry like beauty and personal care, fashion tech, and pet tech. A new partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America will explore how to work together to change the face of consumer wearables.

The keynote line-up at CES 2025 includes brands like Accenture, NVIDIA, Panasonic, SiriusXM, Volvo Group, and for the first time, Waymo co-CEO Tedekra Makawana, who will talk about the future of autonomous driving. Also for the first time will be a keynote at an especially exciting venue: Delta Airlines will hold its keynote address at the Las Vegas Sphere. You will need a separate ticket to attend, and they are distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Check the ces.tech website for more details. Note that if you do manage to snag a ticket, The Sphere has a very strict bag policy.

Additionally, there will be more than 1,000 speakers across more than 250 conference sessions held by brands like Meta, Vogue Business, Netflix, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Mastercard, and NASA. A total of 15 companies are participating on Media Day with press conferences as well, including Hisense, John Deere, AMD, Siemens, TCL, Toyota.

According to CTA, the average CES attendee holds 29 meetings during the show. Chances are, you’re in the middle of booking those as we speak, and your calendar is filling up quickly.

Where to go?

Central Hall: This will continue to be where you’re able to see the “big” brands like Hisense, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, and TCL showing off the latest in immersive entertainment, from TVs to speakers, and more. Central Hall will also be where you’ll find the aforementioned CES Creator Space, which is open to all registered media attendees as a spot for content creators to connect and engage.

Central Plaza: This is where you’ll find brands like Continental and Scout exhibiting the latest in mobility and transportation.

North Hall: Here is the home to innovations in AI, enterprise/fintech, sustainability, smart cities/IoT – it’s the space where “enterprise meets innovation.” Exeger, Hitachi, NASA, Siemens are among the exhibitors you’ll find there, all working to transform cities and infrastructure and shape the future of urban living.

West Hall: Check out the entire mobility ecosystem from self-driving cars to agriculture, construction and advanced air travel. Automotive OEM and tech, car audio, heavy machinery, marine tech, self-driving tech, software will all be on display. You’ll find exhibits from brands like John Deere, Volvo Group, and Waymo here as well as a new mobility stage.

C Space in ARIA: This area will return to the ARIA for those who like to visit.

Venetian: You’ll find plenty of brands exhibiting in areas like health tech and smart home, along with tons of cool gadgets and gizmos across every facet of the tech space. This year, there will be an upgraded digital health floor featuring health, wellness, and smart home tech. Some of the highlighted brands here include 3M, ADT, Moderna, and Resmed.

Eureka Park: As usual, the attendee favourite Eureka Park area will return with more than 1,400 global start-ups and international pavilions highlighting breakthroughs in tech worldwide. It’s the spot a lot of people like to visit first at the show or to check out on the last day to see where the future of tech lies.

Of course, AI technology will be a theme once again, found across every booth and area of the show as we look at how AI and machine learning are unlocking new business opportunities. It will also play a big role in many keynotes, says CTA. If you want to find AI specific products, you can look to the North Hall. But everywhere you look at CES 2025, AI will be a huge part of the show.

Don’t forget the usual tips that everyone attending CES should know:

Wear comfortable shoes

Stay hydrated

Keep snacks in your bag (protein and granola bars are great)

Bring breath mints and hand sanitizer

Keep a fully charged portable charging bank in your bag, ideally two!

Make sure to get sufficient rest

Leave ample time between meetings to get around and plot your meetings according to location as much as possible

Bring warm clothing as it tends to get chilly in Las Vegas in January, especially at night

Pick up your badge at the airport (right outside of luggage claim) to save time

Make sure to have fun as well!