CES 2013, which winds down today in Las Vegas after a four day cacophony of lights, sounds and new tech gizmos, broke records for the always-popular consumer electronics showcase with more than 3,250 exhibitors showing off their newest technology and products in over 1.9 million square feet of space and in front of nearly 200,000 attendees and media. CES remains among the largest and fastest growing expos in the world.
The largest growth from last year’s show was concentrated in three areas: health technology, auto manufacturers and Apple’s iLounge Pavilion trade show exhibit, which ballooned to 150,000 square feet of space. The diversity and ingenuity of exhibitors and the wealth of innovative trade show displays Las Vegas that occupied the enormous space was enough to boggle the mind.
With colored lights flashing from every angle, eye-catching graphics and sounds flying past, this year’s CES was even more overwhelming than previous years. In a genius design move, one company decided to set itself apart from the light and noise by constructing a veritable oasis of peace and tranquility in the sea of distraction. Audi demonstrated that rebel design is alive and well in expos, by building a trade show display consisting of a large rectangular tunnel paneled on all sides with white daylight bulbs covered in plexiglass. Inside the trade show exhibit there were only two concept cars that Audi was showcasing, no signage, loud noises or flashing lights–only the names of each model written on the floor next to the cars. The trade show exhibit attracted a large number of people, many of whom may have been seeking shelter from the sensory-overload of the rest of the floor.
CES is one of the expos that is known for its high profile announcements and CES 2013 did not disappoint with Sharp announcing its new IGZO display technology which is 90% more energy efficient and allows more pixels to be jammed into a smaller place, Nvidia announcing its newest Tegra4 tablet processor and multiple companies showcasing 4K super-high-definition display technologies that provide a resolution 4 times that of 1080p displays. There was definitely no shortage of impressive trade show display design or high-tech devices at the show.
(photo by TechCocktail via Flickr)