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CES Asia 2017 kicked off yesterday with more than 450 global companies introducing ground-breaking tech to the growing Asian market. Industry visionaries shared their outlook on the future of technology, exhibitors launched products and attendees experienced the latest innovations on the CES Asia show floor. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM and co-produced by Shanghai Intex Exhibition Co., Ltd. (Shanghai Intex), CES Asia 2017 takes place this year on June 7-9 in Shanghai, China.
“No other show in Asia demonstrates the extent of the global technology industry like CES Asia. It is an exciting and efficient way to reach the very important, huge and fast-growing Asian market, the biggest and among the fastest growing consumer markets,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA, during the show’s welcome address. “We are so proud to be in this important and wonderful city of Shanghai, with the excitement and all the innovation it possesses.”
The diversity of the exhibits as well as executives speaking at CES Asia proves that technology is transforming everything that we do.
Huawei’s COO Mr. Wan Biao delivered the opening keynote, sharing his company’s strategic vision and industry outlook. He also launched several consumer devices, including the Huawei MateBook X, MateBook D, MateBook E, MateDock 2 and the latest version of Huawei’s M3 Android tablet.
Conference sessions for the day concluded as Peter Han, VP, Partner Devices and Solutions, Microsoft and Rodney Clark, VP, IoT Device Experience, Microsoft, delivered a keynote address to attendees. Han and Clark showed a collection of innovative Windows devices and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions displaying the future of computing in devices and experiences that work together to improve people’s lives, transform business and create new experiences.
The CES Asia Conference Program on the first day of the show featured topics covering the wide spectrum of consumer technology, including the latest market research trends. In his session, 2017 Tech Trends to Watch, Dr. Shawn DuBravac, Chief Economist & Senior Director of Research, CTA, shared the four trends he sees unfolding at CES Asia 2017. These include invisible computing, mixed reality environments, algorithmic experiences and the digitization of lifestyles. Steve Koenig, Senior Director of Market Research, CTA unveiled the results of a new CTA study of over 3,000 Chinese survey respondents examining their views on social media, video streaming and online shopping in the session Digital Lifestyles in China. “Brands looking to compete in China need to be aware that social media is integral to Chinese consumers' lives, live streaming is popular and has the potential to grow, and consumers shop for nearly everything online.”
Koenig compared the consumer tech markets in China and the United States (US), with specific projections for consumer tech goods in each market in the session Tech Outlook for China and the US. Smartphones, wearables and VR hardware will see strong growth and, along with digital assistants and drones, are areas to watch.
Technology is disrupting every single industry, including sports and automobiles. In the session Sports Business Innovation – Tech Disruption in Sports, panelists including David Shoemaker, CEO, NBA China, discussed the possibilities in China, from partnerships to sponsorships and investments, amidst the nation’s goal to be the number one sports marketplace in the world.
Data analysis continues to play a big part in many brand decisions. In a room packed to the rafters, Tencent’s Joanna Jia, Group Director, Tencent Performance Advertising Solutions, Online Media Group (OMG) talked through some of the company’s big data capabilities, and how these can be used to help marketers in The Butterfly Effect of Big Data.
Challenged by the changes in the sector, established car manufacturers and new disruptors are redefining mobility through smart travel solutions, cooperation and unique brand experiences with partners across a wide range of categories. All these and more were discussed during the session Smart Cities and Smart Mobility. Additionally, in the session Exploring the Future of Mobility, the panel discussed the obstacles preventing the general public from using autonomous mobility solutions today.
Several sessions explored the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) and growth prospects for the sector. Speakers in the session Development Status and Analysis of AI looked at the performance of AI products now and where the opportunities and challenges lie for AI and the Internet of Things (IoT). Attendees at the AI Changing our Lives session looked at case studies of how technologies such as 3D nanosensor printing, AI recognition APIs and radar can be applied to the military, medical, consumer electronic and auto industries. Highlights included a presentation from Leopold Beer, Asia Pacific Regional President, Bosch Sensortec, on how a new architecture of IoT using smart sensors provides solutions through decentralized, preprocessed big data.
As global consumers grow accustomed to products that can predict their preferences, brands need to consider the needs of a smarter consumer. Xiaofei Yan, Vice General Manager, Crowd-Funding Business Department, Suning Commerce Group shared how data analytics is helping to improve retail efficiency and the overall customer experience in the session, Application of AI Technology in E-commerce Logistics. Nicon Yang, Sales Director, Alien Technology also shared how the logistics and subsequently e-commerce sector is being transformed by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology in the same session.
