SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Keynote addresses from the United States Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and Qualcomm’s Vice President of Wireless Health, Global Strategy and Market Development Don Jones; new health and fitness content and a robust CE holiday sales and forecast were among the key highlights at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® Industry Forum. Designed to connect and educate consumer technology professionals, analysts and media on industry trends, emerging technologies, technical standards and legislation affecting the CE industry, the 2011 CEA Industry Forum ran through October 26 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, California.
“The compelling research, thought-provoking discussions and innovative ideas unleashed at CEA's 2011 Industry Forum make this year's event our best one yet,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “With our new Health and Fitness Technology Track and working group, CEA has really staked out a leadership role in this important and dynamic field. All our keynote speakers were terrific and the panels and market research offered insightful new perspectives to CEA members."
The 2011 CEA Industry Forum kicked off Monday, October 24 with the session “Five Technologies to Watch.” Moderated by CEA’s Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs, Jason Oxman, panelists provided a glimpse into five technology trends to watch over the next two to five years that will play an important role in shaping the technology industry, including cloud/locker, politics and technology, wireless broadband, next gen power and alternative input methods.
Don Jones, Qualcomm’s Vice President of Wireless Health, Global Strategy and Market Development, was speaker on Monday’s luncheon keynote. Jones’ wowed attendees with an overview of the evolution of digital health technologies and how seamless connectivity will enable easier and more efficient health information to be more readily available to consumers and their doctors. He was joined on stage by Dr. David Albert of AliveCor, Dr. Jonathan Javitt of Telcare, Inc., and Shelley Selvaraj of ResMed, who shared health technologies for diabetics and a demo of a wireless-Android solution to ECG. The panel agreed that the prevalence of wireless technologies will improve a wide variety of medical outcomes in the near future.
CEA’s 18th Annual CE Holiday Purchase Patterns Study was unveiled on Tuesday morning at the popular Holiday Sales and Forecast presentation. Shawn DuBravac, CEA’s chief economist and director of research, and Steve Koenig, director of industry analysis at CEA, announced research finding that spending on CE gifts for the 2011 holiday season will reach an all-time high. According to CEA, consumers will spend $246 on CE gifts, up six percent from last year and the highest level since CEA began tracking holiday spending. Overall gift spending will also increase. Consumers plan to spend on average $769 on gifts this year, three percent higher than last year. CE products will be among the hottest gifts to give and receive this holiday season, with notebooks/laptops, tablet computers, TV’s, eReaders and video game consoles topping adults’ wishlists.
CEA’s Shapiro delivered a report on the CE industry during CEA’s Annual Member Meeting Lunch Tuesday. Shapiro noted that CEA membership has increased by more than 450 companies since January and highlighted several new membership initiatives including the launch of Health and Fitness and IPv6 working groups and a new CEA Retailer Council. He stressed CEA’s continued effort to grow the consumer technology industry, which is estimated to surpass $190 billion in 2011, through policy, standards, market research and events. During his address, Shapiro praised the recent passage of free trade agreements with Columbia, Panama and South Korea and noted that free trade has helped foster a high-tech boom, created more than 25 million jobs and increased wages.
During the Membership Meeting, CEA held the election of its 2012 Executive Board and Board of Industry Leaders. The full list of CEA’s 2012 Executive Board and Board of Industry Leaders can be found here.
Aneesh Chopra, Chief Technology Officer of the United States, also delivered a keynote address at CEA’s Annual Member Meeting Lunch. Chopra described the "bottoms up" approach that the government is taking on technology innovation as it works to reach and empower US citizens to develop creative solutions to government challenges. He gave several compelling examples of how government solutions are enabling communications successes on issues including finding lost children, responding to international crises and fostering better collaboration among first responders. Chopra called out Compete.org as a site where entrepreneurs can go to find and respond to government challenges, some of which offer prizes and compensation.
Scattered throughout days one and two of CEA’s Industry Forum were various general sessions and presentations as part of the new Health and Fitness Tech Track. These sessions covered an array of timely topics for those with new or existing products in the health and fitness tech category. Topics included a first look at consumer research on interest in awareness of health tech, interoperability between health and fitness tech and established home automation systems, and notable success stories and product demos in health and fitness technology.
Closing day two of CEA’s Industry Forum was the 12th Annual Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Dinner, sponsored by CE Vision magazine, where 11 individuals were inducted into the CE Hall of Fame. The CE Hall of Fame honors the consumer electronics industry leaders who have shaped the advancement of innovation. Among the inductees were company founders and inventors, those who passionately move technology forward, marketing geniuses, retailers that bring products to consumers and journalists who write about the industry.
For more information on Industry Forum, visit CE.org.
About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $190 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online: www.CE.org and www.DeclareInnovation.com. Follow CES at www.CESweb.org and through social media: http://facebook.com/InternationalCES, http://twitter.com/IntlCES, http://blog.ce.org/.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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CES New York Press Preview featuring CES Unveiled @ NY
November 8, 2011, New York, NY -
CES Unveiled @ London
November 17, 2011, London, UK
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Future of Television East
November 18, 2011, New York, NY
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2012 International CES
January 10-13, 2012, Las Vegas, NV