Sony will be exhibiting at CES® 2024, the world's largest technology event, in Las Vegas from January 9, 2024. Sony first exhibited at CES in 1977, forty-six years ago, and since then, CES has remained an important venue for Sony to introduce its latest technologies and initiatives, as well as convey various messages to the world. At CES 2024, Sony will showcase various technologies and initiatives that support creators, based on Sony's purpose to "fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology."

"CES 2024" Sony Press Conference (online distribution)

Date and time: January 8, 2024, 5:00 p.m. PST
How to watch: Sony Square

We're sure you're curious about what will be announced at CES 2024, so for more information, please watch the live stream of the press conference on January 8th(PST). In this blog, we would like to look back on the history of Sony at CES.

What is CES?

CES, currently held in Las Vegas every January, originally started as a consumer electronics trade show under the name "Consumer Electronics Show." It is one of the world's largest technology trade shows and was first held in New York in 1967. It has since continued for more than 50 years, while undergoing various event frequency changes and taking place in a number of different host cities, including Chicago.

Sony and CES

Sony exhibited at CES for the first time in June 1977, at the Summer CES held in Chicago. The company newsletter at the time stated, "The CE Show is an event held twice each year, in winter and summer, and is equivalent to Japan's audio fairs and electronics shows, where we give `big demonstrations' of audio products at the venue." At the time, CES was more of a consumer electronics trade show, and for Sony it had a strong meaning as a place to unveil new products. For example, at the 1982 Summer CES, the Sony booth set up a "Future Corner" featuring a spaceship and exhibited the world's first CD player, which was about to be released at the time, as well as the innovative Mavica Prototype, which could record still images on floppy disks and was a precursor to the electric still camera.

Proposing renaming CES as the "Creative Entertainment Show" in 1990

In 1990, Akio Morita, then chairman of Sony, was the first Japanese person to provide the keynote speech at CES, an event where executives from leading companies give presentations. In his speech, Morita touched on the products that Sony had developed to date, emphasizing that the consumer electronics industry had entered an era in which new forms of entertainment were being created. He also cited the spread of movie video software and music CDs as an example, saying, "I leave it up to you whether you believe CES still means "Consumer Electronics Show". But by looking back at the past, and peeking over the horizon at the future, I believe the letters CES could be better read as, "Creative Entertainment Show." It is clear that the words "creative" and "entertainment" have been extremely important to Sony ever since then.

In 2019, about 30 years after Morita took the stage, current chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said, "Sony is a Creative Entertainment Company". He also stated, "Working with creators, Sony's professional grade technologies support creators across the entertainment industries to produce compelling content", which would form the foundation for Sony's current Identity.

Recently, CES has been increasing its presence as a place where the world's latest technologies can be experienced, not only those from electronics manufacturers but also the automotive, semiconductor and consumer goods manufacturers, as well as various startups. Sony has also gradually changed the approach of its exhibitions, contributing to the possibilities of entertainment and making CES one of the most important venues for introducing its latest technologies and initiatives that support creators. What kind of "future cutting-edge technology" do you think will be introduced this year?

Sony's press conference at "CES 2024" will be available to watch on Sony Group Official YouTube from January 8, 5:00 p.m. (PST), (archived viewing available). In addition, "Sony Square" will gradually release video content related to on-site exhibitions. Please look forward to it!