ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® unveiled its new name – the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM – to be adopted immediately. CTA announced the name and introduced its new logo at CES Unveiled New York, a half-day event offering a sneak peek at the year’s most innovative products and technologies two months before CES 2016®, produced by the Consumer Technology Association. The association’s members ratified the new name during their annual membership meeting held during the Innovate! conference in New York City.
“Innovation and expansion are hallmarks of the consumer technology industry and our association – and as our industry changes, so must we,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association. “Our membership and the consumer technology sector have grown and evolved to engage almost every major industry segment and America’s burgeoning startup economy, touching almost every part of consumers’ lives. Our new name – the Consumer Technology Association – more accurately represents this growth and the excitement and innovative spirit of the industry we represent. CTA also better captures our association’s vision, scope of advocacy, current membership base and brand promise.”
The Consumer Technology Association represents more than 2,200 technology companies – 80 percent of whom are small businesses and startups, others are among the world’s largest companies – that are improving our world by transforming the way we work, live, learn, communicate and play. By replacing the term “Electronics,” which no longer captures the full breadth of the consumer tech industry, with “Technology” the Consumer Technology Association more accurately represents its members, many of whom are non-hardware innovators including BMW, Expedia, Inc., Ford, Google, Lyft, Netflix, Pandora, Snapchat, Starz, Uber, WebMD, Yelp and Twentieth Century Fox.
“As the tech sector has evolved at the lightning speed of innovation, we’ve broadened our membership to include new technologies and intersecting industry sectors,” said Dan Pidgeon, Starpower chairman and CTA Executive Board chair. “App and software development, crowdsourcing technology, content creation, personalized health care, the sharing economy, music streaming services – companies from all of these sectors and more now look to us as the public voice of industry, a champion for innovation and source of unparalleled market research.”
The Consumer Technology Association will continue to own and produce CES® – The Global Stage for Innovation. Because CES is a global brand representing innovation – where the international technology community comes to experience the latest trends, conduct game-changing business and enjoy the serendipity of discovery – the CES name will not change with the association’s evolution to CTA.
CTA has always ensured its name evolved to reflect the rapidly-developing technology industry it represents. The association began as the Radio Manufacturers Association in 1924, later became the Electronic Industries Association, then the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association and, in 1999, the Consumer Electronics Association.
“While our name has evolved, our association’s mission stands firm – to grow the consumer technology industry,” said Shapiro. “The Consumer Technology Association remains the voice of the industry, fighting for and defending pro-technology policies. Our focus and commitment to excellence in market research, public policy, industry promotion and standards, and events will continue stronger than ever.”
About CTA:
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM, formerly the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, is the trade association representing the $285 billion U.S. consumer technology industry. More than 2,200 companies – 80 percent are small businesses and startups; others are among the world’s best known brands – enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CTA also owns and produces CES® – the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technology. Profits from CES are reinvested into CTA’s industry services.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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CES
Unveiled Las Vegas
January 4, Las Vegas, NV
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CES 2016 – Register
January 6-9, Las Vegas, NV
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Winter Break
March 21-24, Park City, UT
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Technology & Standards Spring Forum
April 4-8, San Diego, CA
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CES on the Hill
April 19, Washington, DC
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Digital Patriots Dinner
April 20, Washington, DC
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CES Asia 2016
May 11-13, Shanghai, China
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CEO Summit
June 21-24, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Innovate!
September 20-22, San Jose, CA
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CES 2017
January 5-8, Las Vegas, NV
