We’re just under three months away from the 60th year of the Consumer Electronics Show, and already a few big announcements are signaling how brands are rethinking where and how they engage audiences.
What was once a show defined by long-held convention center booths is now a citywide experience with traditional exhibiting brands leaning into experiential through restaurant takeovers, pavilions, suite experiences, and even stadium activations.
Here are three pieces of recent news that caught our attention.
The Allure of Sphere
The addition of Sphere on The Strip continues to feed level-up opportunities to brands, in particular keynoters of CES. Following in the footsteps of HP, Delta, and its first keynote there in 2026, Lenovo this year is taking over the venue with its second straight Sphere keynote with the return of Lenovo Tech World @ CES 2027.
Themed around “Hybrid AI,” the experience promises a “fully immersive event” that will leverage the venue’s atrium to showcase Lenovo’s AI ecosystem in addition to the “next generation of ideas and entrepreneurs shaping the future of AI and technology.”
No-Shows Announced
Panasonic, a CES exhibitor since the show’s 1967 debut, is skipping 2027 as it “shifts its communication channels,” according to reports. Last year’s exhibit demonstrated a pared-down look for the brand. It hasn’t ruled out showcases or displays through partner booths.
Sony is also out. It had no booth of its own at CES 2026, only a prototype of the Afeela EV it was building with Honda on the show floor. A couple of months later, Sony Honda Mobility scrapped the EV project and the two companies said they’d review the direction of their joint venture, according to Nikkei Asia, which first reported the news.
For many years, Sony occupied a dominant space within Central Hall—we’ll see who occupies that coveted real estate in 2027.
A Space for Experiential Tech to Shine
Technology not only powers and transforms the consumer space, it powers the things that ultimately move consumers—art and culture. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced a new category for the CES Innovation Awards called Art Tech, in partnership with Christie’s.
“Developed in collaboration with Christie’s, the category highlights how emerging technologies are reshaping the art ecosystem while preserving its human core,” according to the CTA. “Christie’s will also help curate a panel of expert judges for the category, drawing on its deep expertise and global network across the art market.”
Among eligible spaces: Creative tools (technologies that expand how artists create, including GenAI, algorithmic engines and virtual reality environments) and audience engagement (innovations that transform how audiences experience art, such as augmented and virtual reality, projection mapping and immersive installations).
It’s a sure sign of experiential’s pull across industries and at trade shows.
From the CES Archives:
