Conference Report: Consumer Electronics Week NY

After returning from CE Week in New York, I’m only just realizing just how much fun I had. The convention ran for two days, and there were hundreds of consumer electronic companies in attendance. It was a pretty laid back convention, with several presenters talking in detail about topics such as how Amazon is taking on retail, while the showroom floor was open all day.

One of my favorite products was Muse, the brain sensing headband which elevates your meditation experience, gently guiding one’s meditation through changing sounds of weather based on the real-time state of one’s brain. I tried it that evening while at a hotel in The City that Never Sleeps and this product was amazing. I was blown away with how it helped me slide deep into a meditative state and by the way I felt following the experience. You can learn more about it on their website and purchase the band for $249.

I was also given a Zeeq smart pillow, which helps control one’s snoring, has built in speakers, completes a deep dive sleeping analysis, has a partner friendly alarm and a battery that lasts 2 weeks. I’ll be writing more about this product soon, so stay tuned. You can learn more about the Zeeq smart pillow on their website and purchase the pillow for $299 there.

Energizer came to the show and handed me their latest, a cell phone battery, which seemed to look and feel just like a MyCharge battery. Although, I’m glad to see Energizer jumping into this space, I was surprised that they did so without innovation. The battery seems strong and light, charging quickly, and charging my devices quickly, but I’m just not sure how to tell how charged the battery is. There are a few LED’s that are supposed to light up according to how charged it is, but they do not. Energizer did have a sample of a new product that would charge one’s computer, but it will not be available until the Fall. This product seems like a home run, but we’ll have to wait and see once it launches.

As always, my favorite event of the weekend was Showstoppers, which seemed to drive both the press, retailers to attend and is where I was introduced to most of the products I found. It’s amazing how every convention I attend where Showstoppers holds a networking event, they consistently have the best event at the convention.

Finally, one of my favorite moments during the convention was the Celebration of Young Entrepreneurs who were highlighted during the event for their accomplishments. This was a meaningful moment at the convention, giving scholarships to students in the New York School system who have made meaningful contributions to STEM and STEAM, robotics, mobile apps, web development and/or hardware. I believe it is important to note that this moment and moments like these are helping to shape our next generation of tech leaders, so thank you to Living in Digital Times for creating this scholarship and for giving back to our community!

All and all, this convention was a very good experience, I made some wonderful connections and I’m planning to attend again next year! So, if you are planning to launch a Consumer Electronics product in the summer, want to be someplace to meet the press and retailers, be sure to attend CE Week 2018 and drop me a line so we can connect. I’ll be there.