1. International C.E.S.
Las Vegas
#1 Technology Industry Event (up from #2)
The debut show in 1967 wasn’t exactly a small event, bringing in 17,500 attendees and 250 exhibitors to two hotels in New York. The event overcame some struggles—it cancelled its 1995 summer show because of competition from the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), and in 1998 merged its winter and summer editions into one show. But now it holds a secure spot as the top tech event, where the world learns about the next must-have gadgets. Over the years the show has introduced the VCR, camcorder, Microsoft Xbox, and Blu-ray Disc, and in 2014 there were more than 20,000 product announcements. It covered more than two million square feet of exhibit space in the Las Vegas Convention Center and drew nearly 160,500 attendees and 3,670 exhibitors this year. The show also deploys innovative technology at the event itself, from show-specific apps to beacon technology to guide attendees around the show floor. “The sheer number of devices and how ubiquitous they are in our lives and the importance and relevance of the technology industry to consumers lives speaks to the growth and success of C.E.S. as well,” says Tara Dunion, a spokesperson for the show. Next: January 6-9, 2015