What Is CES 2026?
CES 2026 is the world's most influential technology trade show, organized annually by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held January 6–9, 2026, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Paradise, Nevada, CES brings together the global technology industry for four days of product launches, keynote addresses, live demonstrations, and business networking. The 2026 edition spans over 2.9 million square feet across multiple venues — the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Venetian Expo, and Resorts World.
CES traces its roots to June 1967, when the first Consumer Electronics Show debuted in New York City with just 200 exhibitors and 17,500 attendees. Today it hosts more than 4,500 exhibiting companies and 138,000 professional attendees from 160+ countries.
The 2026 edition marked the third consecutive year with AI as the defining theme — shifting the conversation from novelty to AI integration: how manufacturers, health systems, automakers, and logistics companies are deploying AI in real commercial environments rather than lab settings. Key themes included:
- Autonomous vehicle platforms
- Agentic AI assistants across consumer devices
- Next-generation health monitoring wearables
- Residential energy management systems
- Functional home and industrial robotics
Why You Should Attend CES 2026
CES is the only trade show where the entire global technology ecosystem converges in a single city for the same week. The concentration of decision-making authority — from retail buyers to OEM engineers to venture investors — is unmatched at any other event.
For product teams and engineers: CES is the definitive benchmark for where hardware is heading. The density of working prototypes and announced product roadmaps across display, audio, compute, and mobility makes it the most efficient way to benchmark competitive positioning across multiple categories in a single trip.
For business development and partnerships: CES's informal side — hotel suites, side meetings, and evening events running parallel to the official schedule — is where many of the year's most significant commercial agreements get initiated. Companies like Qualcomm, Samsung SDI, and automotive OEMs use CES to announce supplier partnerships and platform integrations.
For investors and analysts: CES gives institutional investors and technology analysts direct access to founders and product demos before companies reach traditional fundraising or analyst day cycles. Eureka Park alone provides a uniquely compressed view of early-stage hardware innovation across a dozen verticals.
For media and content creators: CES generates more technology media coverage in a single week than any other event. Being present enables direct access to brand communications teams, embargo briefings, and product demonstration sessions unavailable outside the show.
Who Should Attend CES 2026
CES serves professionals across a broad range of industries and functions. You should attend if you are:
- A product manager or hardware engineer benchmarking competitive technology across display, audio, compute, or mobility
- A business development or sales leader initiating partnerships and meeting OEM decision-makers
- An investor or venture analyst seeking early access to pre-fundraise founders and hardware demos
- A startup founder exhibiting in Eureka Park or scouting market trends and partnership leads
- A media professional or content creator covering consumer and enterprise technology
- A retail buyer or category manager evaluating new products for the year ahead
- A policy or government official engaging with the global technology industry on regulatory and innovation trends
Senior decision-makers (C-suite and VP level) account for roughly 30% of the professional attendee mix, making CES one of the highest-density events for executive access in the technology calendar.
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Who Is Attending CES 2026
CES 2026 drew approximately 138,000 professional attendees from 160+ countries. About 45% of attendees traveled from outside the United States, representing major markets across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
The audience spans every tier of the technology industry:
- Consumer electronics buyers and category managers
- Enterprise technology decision-makers and IT leaders
- Automotive engineers and mobility executives
- Startup founders and early-stage investors
- Policy figures and government representatives
- Media and press from every major global outlet
Want to know which companies are exhibiting? Lensmor tracks exhibitor profiles, booth data, and product categories for CES 2026 and 1,000+ other trade shows. Explore CES 2026 exhibitors on Lensmor →
Sponsors & Exhibitors
CES 2026 featured over 4,500 exhibiting companies, making it one of the largest editions of the show in years. Major exhibitors spanned every tier of the technology industry.
Lensmor provides real-time exhibitor intelligence for CES 2026, including company profiles, product categories, and booth locations. Access the full CES 2026 exhibitor list →
Speaker Lineup & Keynotes
CES 2026 featured three keynote stages:
- Main Keynote — Michelob Ultra Arena
- C Space Keynote — The Venetian
- AMD Keynote — Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC)
Full Agenda & Featured Events
CES 2026 ran across four full days, with programming split across the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Venetian Expo, and Resorts World. Official show floor hours run alongside keynote sessions, industry summits, and Eureka Park programming throughout each day.
Eureka Park — located in LVCC's West Hall — hosts over 1,200 early-stage startups from approximately 50 countries, organized by national pavilion (French Tech, Korea Pavilion, Israel Pavilion, and others). It is open to all registered attendees at no additional cost.
To get the most out of the CES schedule:
- Pre-schedule meetings at least two weeks before the show — prime slots fill quickly
- Use the CES Shuttle Network to move between venue clusters and avoid rideshare surges
- Plan keynote attendance early; seating fills up well ahead of start times
- Reserve unstructured time for Eureka Park — it rewards open-ended browsing across startup categories
- Budget 30–45 minutes of travel buffer during peak hours (8–10 am and 5–7 pm)
Registration & Ticket Pricing
Professional registration typically opens in September with early-bird pricing. Badge options for CES 2026 include:
- All-Access Pass (4-day): ~$1,000 for CTA non-members; $300–$500 for CTA members
- Day Pass: Available, but restricts keynote access
- Media / Analyst Credential: Requires employer verification; applications close in November
CES is a trade-only event — attendance requires professional registration tied to a verified company affiliation. Consumer badges are occasionally offered through promotional partnerships but are limited and not guaranteed.
Travel planning:
- Flights: Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) is 15 minutes from LVCC. Book 8–12 weeks in advance; prices spike sharply in December. Non-stop international services run from London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Tokyo Narita, and Toronto Pearson.
- Getting around: The free CES Shuttle Network connects LVCC, Venetian Expo, Resorts World, and Aria/Vdara. The Las Vegas Monorail runs along the east side of the Strip with a stop near LVCC. Note: the LVCC campus spans over a mile — the West Hall to Central Hall walk alone takes 15–20 minutes.
- Hotels: The CES official hotel block opens in late summer and sells out within days for adjacent properties. Closest options to LVCC include the Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World, Renaissance Las Vegas, and Marriott's Grand Chateau. The Venetian and Palazzo are premium options directly attached to Venetian Expo. Budget-conscious attendees often stay at off-Strip properties like Palace Station or Red Rock Resort and rely on the shuttle network.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When does CES 2026 take place and where?
CES 2026 ran January 6–9, 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and adjacent venues including the Venetian Expo and Resorts World. CES 2027 is scheduled for January 5–8, 2027 at the same venues.
Who organizes CES?
CES is organized and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the U.S. trade association representing over 1,000 technology companies. The CTA also publishes annual consumer technology industry revenue forecasts cited by analysts and investors globally.
How many exhibitors and attendees does CES attract?
CES 2026 drew approximately 138,000 professional attendees from 160+ countries and featured over 4,500 exhibiting companies. The 2025 edition drew 141,000 attendees; attendance is trending back toward the pre-pandemic record of 182,000 set at CES 2020.
What is Eureka Park at CES?
Eureka Park is a dedicated startup exhibition hall within LVCC's West Hall. Over 1,200 early-stage companies from around 50 countries showcase products and take meetings, organized by national pavilion groups (French Tech, Korea Pavilion, Israel Pavilion, and more). It is free to walk for all registered attendees.
Is CES open to the general public?
No. CES is a trade-only event requiring professional registration tied to a company affiliation. Consumer badges are occasionally offered through promotional partnerships but are limited and not guaranteed.
How should I prepare before attending CES?
The most effective attendees research before they board their flight. Study the exhibitor list, identify priority companies and product categories, and pre-schedule meetings at least two weeks before the show — CES weeks fill up fast. Lensmor lets you filter exhibitors by industry, company size, and product category so you arrive on Day 1 with a fully built target list.
Ahmed Shabbir
Ahmed Shabbir is a digital marketing strategist and AI event intelligence specialist at Lensmor — the AI agent platform that turns trade show exhibitor data into booked meetings before you arrive.
