CES: Huge Leaps or Status Quo?

As anyone in the CE industry knows, CES, North America's largest technology trade show, is fast approaching. Returning to Las Vegas this January, the show will feature everything from the latest in consumer electronics, computing, wireless technology and other portable gadgets, digital imaging, and entertainment. You name it: if it's a really influential, really cool, and attention-getting device or technology, it'll be at CES. But just as quickly as all the facets of the technology industry are coming together in harmony, so, too are they branching off in various directions. Because of this, does CES still have the same clout that it used to?

When you think about it, the show, despite its massive magnitude, is surrounded by several other smaller, more focused events. In September, CEDIA EXPO is where the custom A/V companies congregate, while PMA EXPO, held in March, is the show for the photo industry. If you're looking at wireless, whether we're talking handsets, software, apps, or business systems, April's CTIA WIRELESS event is a must-attend. Do you work on the commercial side of things? Then InfoComm is the show for you! So where does this leave CES?

Sure, CES gets the most media attention, and the most visitors, especially internationally. Because of this, many companies hold out for the iconic show to make major announcements. But what if you don't have that much happening in a year? If you're a flat-panel TV maker, for example, you can't hold back the following year's big items until January. Then what will you show at CEDIA? Hey, here's my old stuff. Thanks for coming. See you at CES! (?) Likewise, a camera maker might wait until March to make its big announcements at PMA, but then what do they show at CES? Do you divy up the line-up, showing off some teasers at CES followed by the grand reveal at PMA? Granted, it makes absolutely perfect sense to display the same products at CES that you did at CEDIA or PMA or whatever show floats your boat, because the smaller-scale events certainly don't target the same, massively mainstream audience that CES does. But if your dealers, partners, and specifically targeted media members were already at that other show, is CES worth it for the remaining exposure you're going to get?

The answer to this, of course, depends on a number of factors. How much does the rest of the exposure mean to you? What percentage of your dealers attend CES but don't attend the other targeted show(s), whether that be CEDIA, PMA, or what have you? How important is your message to both targeted and mainstream audiences? And finally, how major is the new product or technology that you're featuring this year? Even if it isn't a "revolutionary" breakthrough as so many companies claim the smallest adjustment to represent, the more exposure your company gets, the better. Exposure is everything. As they say, people might not notice you were there, but they'll certainly notice that you weren't.

With that said, while the 2009 CES might very well be a "status quo" year where we don't see any mind-blowing technologies introduced like we might have in previous years (Blu-ray and HD DVD, flat-panels TVs and 1080p, digital photo frames, and satellite radio, to name a few), it still remains a worthy event to attend if you're in the industry.

**Speaking of those in the industry, I'd love to know your favourite spots in Vegas to take dealers/clients, hang out for a drink or two, or relax during down time. If you send your top recommendation(s) to me via e-mail at cpersaud@marketnews.ca, we'll compile a "top spots" list to publish in the mag and/or online that you can peruse and get some ideas. Because hey, just as much as the show is about learning about products, it's also about wining and dining your dealers, potential dealers, and American/overseas affiliates. Here are a few of my recommendations to get you started:

Japonais in the Mirage Hotel: it serves a fusion of Japanese and French food, and has sushi dishes that are absolutely amazing. The ambience is great, and service is impeccable.

Cirque de Soleil’s LOVE at the Mirage: It’s an exciting, captivating show that’s worth experiencing at least once, especially if you’re a Beatles fan.

The Shadow Bar in Caesar’s Palace: Having stayed in that hotel for the past three years, it’s almost become like my “local bar” a few times every year. It can, in many ways, be considered the new Bugsy’s Bar because it often ends up being a meeting place for Canucks. You’re sure to run into some Canadian industry members there.

And of course who can forget Canada Night at Caesar’s Palace: It’s the event for the Canadian consumer electronics industry. No invitation is required, and all are welcome. We’ll see you there on Friday, January 9, 2009 at 6 p.m.! Click Here for more details.

The deadline to send me your suggestion(s) is November 20, 2008.

PMA 2008: Colour and Creativity

The 2008 PMA EXPO is currently underway in Las Vegas. Occupying just two floors in the south hall of the Las Vegas Convention Centre, the show is nowhere near the same magnitude as CES. However, it's a must-attend for anyone involved in the photo industry.

This year, it appears that the major camera manufacturers have convened on the lower level, while the top level houses more accessories and nifty gadgets.

Although the show seems a bit quieter this year in comparison to last, products are full of colour and creativity. On the lower level, we see digital cameras with sexy, classy, and vibrant new colour options, along with all of the fancy features we discussed in last week's blog post and in individual product announcements at Marketnews.ca. Meanwhile, exhibitors in the upper level are showing off every which way to display captured images creatively, in an obvious effort to encourage people to make more prints. This includes everything from printing personalized photobooks, to even imprinting images on puzzles, jewelry, and neckties! Sure, making prints on a T-shirt or coffee mug isn't a new concept, but the options have certainly been kicked up a notch this year.

HP is heavily involved in keeping prints alive via its Print 2.0 strategy, which looks at ways that customers can get excited about making prints and becoming their own "publishers", so to speak. This includes everything from new retail photo labs and kiosks that make printing easy; to an innovative photobook option that puts the creative process right into the customer's hands.

Also, there looks to be many more camera bag manufacturers on the show floor this year, offering designs that are more ergonomic, comfortable, and permit easy access to the equipment inside. Another important aspect observed in many bag designs is weather-proofing, which helps keep equipment protected from the elements. A company called Naneu pro was showing off a few nifty bags that include removable (and funky orange!) inserts that can be taken out, converting the bag into a "regular" backpack or messenger bag.

Speaking of weather-proofing, water-proof digital cameras seem to be all the rage as well. Olympus, for example, has expanded upon its SW series line with the new 1030SW. Panasonic will be debuting a neat and red-finished camcorder called the SD-RSW20R that can be submerged in up to 5-feet of water, and it's also shock-proof. It will sell for about $450.

Canon will also be focusing heavily on camcorders this year with its new Vixia line that will be shipping around the April/May timeframe. There are 5 models in the series, including three standard-definition and two high-definition. All but one offers the ability to record to both an internal hard drive (8GB or 16GB) or an SD memory card. We can likely expect to see many new camcorder models gravitating toward flash memory given its versatility, and ability to be used in a multitude of devices. In fact, some of Olympus' new models will ship with a microSD card adapter so that customers can easily use the same memory card across devices, even including camera phones or other portable gadgets.

As predicted, face detection, image stabilization, and "cool" capture modes that simplify the picture-taking process were evident in every company's offerings.

On the accesory side of things, I didn't see as many digital photo frames as I had expected on the show floor (although there certainly were a few). Surprisingly there were likely more standard wood and metal frames being exhibited!

All in all, there was plenty to see at PMA 2008, although holding the show right on the heels of CES may have hampered attendance slightly. Not to mention that it's SuperBowl weekend!

Visit Marketnews.ca for more new product announcements from the show as well as video demonstrations of many of the products discussed here (www.marketnews.ca/videos.asp); and industry members can stay tuned to the March issue of Marketnews for a full show report. Also, we'll be featuring and reviewing many of these new products in future issues of here's how! magazine. Visit http://www.hereshow.ca/ to subscribe, or find out where you can pick up a copy of the magazine.

Pre-PMA: Imaging in Canada Continues to Soar

PMA EXPO 2008, the Photo Marketing Association's annual imaging show, kicks off tomorrow in Las Vegas (see last post). This means that everyone involved with everything from compact digital cameras, to high-end DSLRs, photo frames, printers, memory cards, and the like, will be traveling over to Sin City to show off or check out the latest and greatest in imaging for 2008.

If 2007 was any indication, 2008 is poised to be an exciting year in the category. The Canadian Imaging Trade Association (CITA) reports that sales of digital cameras grew 26% in 2007, which was more than twice as much as they had expected! Manufacturers shipped 8 million more digital cameras to retailers in Canada in 2007 than in 2006.

There are likely many reasons for the continually strong market. For one, compact digital cameras are getting more and more affordable, making upgrading a more viable option. For example, Fuji will be showing off an 8 MP, 3x optical zoom ultra-thin digicam at the show that will sell for just about $150 in Canada!

The same goes for the price of digital SLRs, thus encouraging enthusiasts who would otherwise not have purchased a DSLR to join the pack. In fact, according to the CITA, DSLRs led the sector's growth in 2007, with 210,000 units shipped, representing a 45% increase from 2006. This year, customers can continue to purchase DSLRs like Canon's Rebel XSi DSLR (which will also be on display at the show) at sub-$1,000 price points.

When you think back to digital camera and DSLR pricing even just a few years ago, it's amazing to see how things have reached an entirely new pricing level altogether.

Another potential driving factor for increased purchase behaviour is that, as larger capacity memory cards become available (and for less money to boot), people are taking more and more pix. As they get better at doing so, they become more interested in digital imaging. More interest leads to better familiarity and understanding of the technologies, which in turn leads to a longing for more advanced, upgraded models. Imagine how many digital cameras went out as gifts this past holiday season!

Which brings us to another obvious reason for the surge: new and exciting technologies within the cameras themselves. And if the pre-show information that some of the biggest players have already sent out is any indication, we have plenty to look forward to in that department. (visit http://www.marketnews.ca/ for some highlights).

Meanwhile, here are a few pre-show observations for what's on tap for 2008:

In the DSLR arena, Live View, which lets you preview the shot in the LCD rather than the viewfinder, seems to be a more common feature this year. This is particularly useful when you want to snag a picture of a subject that's at an awkward angle, like a musical artist over a crowd of people.

Last year, I observed the "hot" features in the compact digicam arena to be face detection, high ISO, bright LCD screens, and image stabilization capabilities, and these all remain popular in 2008. However, each manufacturer is adding greater functionality within each technology, whether it be the ability to identify more faces, differentiate adult visages from children's, or even a smiling or blinking person from a stone-faced or closed-eye subject; or more advanced stabilization that can detect and compensate for fast motion of the subject. Automation of features is also increasingly popular, allowing technophobic, entry-level users to truly push a single button to snag a great shot.

Finally, although the megapixel race is still out in full force, it appears to be flattening out a bit, topping at about 10 MP, with 8 MP as the perceived "sweet" spot. This is a good sign that consumers might just be catching on to the fact that there are more important aspects to a camera than just higher numbers.

PMA EXPO 2008 is sure to be chocked full of goodies. Stay tuned to this blog, http://www.marketnews.ca/, and http://www.hereshow.ca/ for coverage, including live, video demonstrations right from the show floor.

[Photo: Nikon's S550 digital camera, scheduled for available in the Spring, offers a 10 MP sensor, 5x optical zoom, and new Smile and Blink-Warning modes. In the smile recognition mode, the camera will automatically take a photo once the subject smiles; while blink-warning will display a message if it detects a blink, then magnify the shot on screen to allow you to confirm or deny the claim. Additional features include ISO 2000; 2.5” LCD; macro shooting as close as 10 cm; three movie modes; and 50 MB of internal memory.]