AR, VR, 8K, Robots, Drones, AI, Security, small devices, big devices – OMG! CES is a big deal! Over 150, 000 visitors and more than 10,000 companies and vendors are in attendance. We are told that the Las Vegas Convention Center, along with the Sands Expo are ground zero of CES, but is that really true?

Hidden behind closed doors, pulled curtains, security guards, and welcoming (sometimes) receptionists, is the POWER  CES. Lots of people go to CES to show their wares and see the newest bright shiny objects, but I hear regularly from my business associates that “they didn’t even go to the floor”, “they just read the press coverage about the show”, or even silly questions like “Do you need a pass to go into the show”. Clearly many folks are here for the big M – Meetings, Meetings, and more meetings.

I probably had 20 meetings in 3 days, not to mention 70 people for dinners over two nights. But I only spent a few hours on the floor! (I did read the press coverage though). I know other people who said they never left their meeting suites. Whole floors of hotels, entire wings, and executive suites are bought out by all the big media and tech-related companies, plus every Dinesh, Gilfoyle and Richard (the characters in Silicon Valley – the Tom, Dick and Harry of Silicon Valley) have rented suites for their meetings.

Come to CES in 2021 if you care about consumer electronics, content, systems, and devices of the future. But remember, behind those very expensive closed doors at the hotels, the meeting rooms, suites, restaurants and concert halls, is a whole different CES focused on meetings, meetings and more meetings. That being said, I can hardly wait for my 8K Smart Wall in my IoT office!

1.   Unity will be a very big, and successful tech IPO in 2020.

2.   Home voice platforms will move toward ubiquity in the U.S. and many more services, content, gaming and other features will be offered through voice platforms.

3.   The “no code movement” will prosper in 2020. New tools enable the average consumer to make an app, game, or other software using creator tools from companies like AppOnboard, Roblox, Tongal, etc.

4.   The App Stores will encounter more competition from other companies as we have seen with Steam, Epic, etc. This year will be the beginning of the Post-App Store competition for Apple and Google.

5.   Everybody coming out of high school and college wants to be a start-up CEO.

6.   The best days are beyond for Netflix. They will see big challenges in 2020 from a wide variety of TV and film like content, including Disney+ who will be the SVOD winner in 2020.

7.   Snap will continue to dominate the social media usage of teens and young adults in the U.S. and other high-value countries.

8.   Cord cutting will continue to grow driving skinny bundles, SVOD, AVOD, and other digital content.

9.   The Internet and the Web are all about video. People don’t want to write, but they love pictures and video. The Web will be the strongest video platform ever. And the phone becomes both a camera and a TV with more video content being consumed on smartphones.

10. 5G will present amazing mobile opportunities for publishers and consumers. The phone will become increasingly central to the production and consumption of video and other content. 5G will be a game changer, especially in markets where traditional IP connections are slow.

11. AI will be central to most big data problems, prediction solutions, discovery solutions, and management decision. AI will be proven to be big business that delivers value now.

12. Tech and media companies will be challenged by the US, European and other government efforts to control data privacy and protect consumers from fraud and privacy breaches. Efforts will grow to break-up Facebook, Google, etc.