Consumer Electronics Show Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Consumer Electronics Show
Microsoft CES 2009 Microsoft booth at the Consumer Electronics Show 2009
Status	Active
Genre	Consumer electronics
Venue	Las Vegas Convention Center
Location(s)	Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Country	United States
Inaugurated	June 24, 1967; 57 years ago (1967-06-24)
Attendance	170,000
Organized by	Consumer Technology Association
Website	http://www.ces.tech/

The Consumer Electronics Show (often called CES) is a huge yearly event. It's like a giant showcase for all the newest and coolest gadgets and technologies. Imagine a place where companies show off their latest TVs, phones, robots, and more!

The Consumer Technology Association organizes this big show. It happens every January in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States. People from all over the world come to see what's new in electronics.

History of CES

The very first CES happened in June 1967 in New York City. Before that, a music show in Chicago was the main place for electronics.

The first CES had 17,500 people attend. Over 100 companies showed off their products. A famous person from Motorola, Bob Galvin, gave the opening speech.

From 1978 to 1994, CES happened twice a year. There was a "Winter" show in Las Vegas and a "Summer" show in Chicago.

By 1995, the summer shows in Chicago started to lose popularity. So, the organizers decided to try different cities. But other big tech shows started to compete.

In 1998, CES changed to just once a year. Las Vegas became its permanent home. It's now one of the biggest events in Las Vegas. It takes many days to set up and take down the show!

Cool Moments at CES

Over the years, CES has shown off many exciting new things. Here are some highlights:

1967: The Start

The first CES in New York City showed off new pocket radios and TVs. These devices used tiny new parts called integrated circuits.

1982: Gaming Fun

At the Summer CES in Chicago, two famous gaming systems appeared. These were the Commodore 64 computer and the Vectrex game console.

1993: Open to Everyone

For one time only, the Summer CES in 1993 was open to the public. Usually, only people in the industry can attend. Capcom also showed off its game, Mega Man X, for the first time in North America.

2002: Windows Preview

Microsoft gave a sneak peek of its new computer system. It was called Windows XP Media Center Edition.

2004: Blu-ray Arrives

The new Blu-ray Disc format had its first big press event in the U.S. at CES 2004. This format would later become popular for movies.

2005: Oops, Bill Gates!

The 2005 show had a funny moment. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates was giving a speech. His computer showed a "Blue Screen of Death" during a demo! Everyone in the audience laughed.

Samsung also showed a huge plasma TV. It was 102-inch (2.6 m) big! A British company, Zimiti Ltd, won an award for its personal electronics.

2006: HD Takes Center Stage

HDTV was a big topic at CES 2006. Companies also showed off the first HD DVD and Blu-ray movie players. Philips showed a cool screen that could roll up. It could even keep an image for months without power!

This year, over 150,000 people attended. It was the biggest electronics event in the U.S.

2007: New Places, New Faces

CES 2007 changed its schedule and some locations. The main speeches moved to a new ballroom. Famous leaders from companies like Motorola, The Walt Disney Company, Dell, and CBS gave talks.

Games like Age of Conan and Crysis were shown for Windows Vista.

2008: Bill Gates Says Goodbye

Bill Gates gave his last main speech at CES 2008 before leaving his daily job at Microsoft. He even did a funny skit with famous people like Jay-Z and Steven Spielberg.

Panasonic showed off a giant 150-inch plasma TV. They also had a very thin 50-inch TV.

2009: Cool New Tech

CES 2009 showed off many exciting things. These included super-thin organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs and the Palm Pre smartphone. Tiny pico projectors and 3D projectors were also a hit.

The Minoru 3D Webcam, which could record in 3D, won an award. Dell introduced its thin Dell Adamo laptop. The TV show Jeopardy! even filmed episodes there!

Fewer people came to CES 2009 because of a big money problem around the world.

2010: Future Tech and Drones

Attendees walking by the LG Electronics display at CES 2010

CES 2010 had over 120,000 visitors. Intel showed a huge screen called the "Intel Infoscape." It displayed tons of information and videos. It looked like something from the movie Minority Report!

Parrot also showed the first version of its Parrot AR.Drone. This was a flying toy that could send video to an iPhone!

2011: Tablets and 4G Phones

Many new tablets were shown at CES 2011. The Motorola Xoom tablet, running Android Honeycomb, won "Best of Show." Many new 4G phones were also revealed.

Microsoft showed an early version of its Windows 8 operating system. Many companies also introduced new 3D TVs. Some even showed "glasses-free" 3D TVs!

2012: Microsoft's Last Show

CES 2012 was Microsoft's last time appearing at the event. The show had a record 153,000 attendees.

Companies like Intel and AMD showed off their new computer processors. Parrot also showed off "the world's most advanced headphones."

2013: Smart Homes and Cars

CES 2013 focused on big changes coming to the digital world. This included motion sensors, driverless cars, and smart home technology.

Samsung showed off TVs that could bend. Sony announced its Sony Xperia Z smartphone. Qualcomm showed new processors that could record 4K video on phones. Razer announced its Razer Edge tablet PC, and Nvidia showed off its Android handheld, Project Shield.

2014: Li-Fi and Curved TVs

At CES 2014, the first Li-Fi smartphone was shown. This phone could get internet using light waves! It also had a clear screen that could recharge the phone using light.

LG and Samsung both showed off new curved TVs. Audi showed off new laser headlights for cars. These headlights were super bright and energy-efficient.

2015: The Internet of Things

CES 2015 was the biggest show ever, with 3,600 companies. The big topic was the "Internet of Things." This means everyday objects connecting to the internet.

Wearable devices like smartwatches were also popular. Robots and home automation devices were everywhere. Companies like Toshiba and Intel showed off new robots.

Car makers like Audi showed off self-driving car technology. 3D printing continued to grow, with easier and cheaper printers. Many companies showed off new 4K TVs. Toyota even said it would share its fuel cell car patents for free!

2016: More Security

CES 2016 had more security than before. There were bag checks and police with special equipment.

2017: Stolen Laptops

At CES 2017, two special gaming laptops from Razer were stolen. The company called it "industrial espionage" and offered a reward for information.

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CES Sign
CES 1982.

Consumer Electronics Show facts for kids

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