By Brian Firth, Editor and Tech Reporter
CES turns 60 this January. The first show, held in New York in June 1967, featured pocket radios and TVs with integrated circuits. Today it fills Las Vegas with humanoid robots, self-driving cars and wall after wall of screens. For the 2027 edition, Jan. 6 to 9, the Consumer Technology Association has started naming its keynote speakers, and their themes say a lot about where tech is headed.
Between CES 2025 and CES 2026, the biggest change I saw on the floor was the robots. There were a lot more of them in 2026.
The keynotes announced so far
As of Oct. 10, CTA has announced three keynotes, all on opening day, Wednesday, Jan. 6:
- Stellantis, 8:30 a.m. PT, Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian. CEO Antonio Filosa speaks right after CTA’s State of the Industry address. CTA says he’ll show how Stellantis is building technology into its vehicles, software and digital ecosystems, and the company plans to unveil new vehicles and software platforms. (Source: CES press release, Sept. 8.)
- Waymo, 1 p.m. PT, Palazzo Ballroom. Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana will cover how Waymo keeps its safety bar while expanding internationally and evolving its fleet. Waymo recently started taking public riders in Las Vegas, so attendees can try a driverless ride. (Source: CTA release via PR Newswire, Sept. 21.)
- Lenovo, 5 p.m. PT, Sphere. Lenovo is bringing its Tech World event back to Sphere, with Chairman and CEO Yuanqing Yang on stage. The focus is what Lenovo calls hybrid AI: personal, enterprise and public AI working together. Attendance is limited to credentialed CES attendees. (Source: CES press release, Oct. 7.)
With CES 2026 already crowded with robots, two of the three are about getting around: cars that drive themselves, and cars as software. The third is about AI moving out of the cloud and into devices. In South Florida, autonomy is starting to show up on the water as well as on the road. That makes the mobility keynotes worth watching even if you never plan to hail a robotaxi.
The calendar that matters: Jan. 4 and 5
Most attendees think of CES as four days. For media, the most valuable hours come before the floor opens. According to CTA’s media page:
- Media Days, Jan. 4 and 5: press conferences from global brands, where many of the year’s first announcements land.
- CES Unveiled Las Vegas, Jan. 4: hands-on time with new products, exhibitors and startups before the show floor opens.
- Tech Trends to Watch, Jan. 4: CTA’s own outlook session.
Credentialed media also get media-only press rooms, reserved interview rooms, entry to the CES Creator Space, and access to press releases, photos and b-roll, CTA says.
Getting in
CES is a trade event, not open to the public. Every registrant needs a CTA/CES account and has to show industry or media affiliation, and media registration is separate from attendee registration. Under CTA’s current rules, print and online journalists qualify by showing one of three things: three bylined tech articles from the past nine months, an assignment letter from their editor, or a masthead listing them as an editorial contributor. Creators qualify through audience thresholds instead.
For South Florida companies going as attendees or exhibitors, the practical advice is to plan your meetings around Jan. 4 and 5 if you want press. That’s when reporters are hunting for stories, before the floor turns into a marathon.
Why a South Florida outlet goes to Las Vegas
Tech news doesn’t stop at the county line. Brands that launch in Las Vegas in January are selling in Miami and Fort Lauderdale by spring, and some of them show up again at local expos and the boat show. Citywide.TV covers the Fort Lauderdale docks and the CES floor for the same reason: our readers run businesses, buy the products and work in the industries those keynotes are talking about.
Citywide.TV will cover CES 2027 from Las Vegas. If your South Florida company is exhibiting, tell us at brian@citywide.tv.