Interview: CEO of CES 2017 on the Future of Connectivity

The year 2017 should go down in history as the breakout year for ubiquitous connectivity. Over 175,000 people swarmed into Las Vegas earlier this month for the 50th annual CES 2017 technology show, where more than 4,000 companies promoted their most advanced products in 25 themed marketplaces ranging from Baby Tech to Drones. The big message this year emphasized that everything is eventually going to be digitally connected, and the promise of the Internet of Things is now real, especially in automotive and residential design. The most high-profile marketplaces at CES 2017 were Self-Driving Technology and Smart Homes, occupying a disproportionate chunk of the 2.8 million square feet of exhibit space. However, the driverless cars really stole the show, positioned equally as both autonomous vehicles and online hubs integrated with artificial intelligence platforms. IBM defined that as cognitive mobility; Panasonic called it smart mobility; and Nissan referred to it as intelligent mobility. Volkswagen's new I.D. car was promoted as a portal for "connected community" with "intuitive usability," while Chrysler launched a new smart minivan called Portal. The travel and tourism industry has never been a major player at CES. According to Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, which produces CES, that's changing. He said, for example, Carnival CEO Arnold Donald this year was the first travel industry chief to ever give a keynote speech at CES. If you want to see how travel brands envision the future of consumer engagement, watch Donald's CES presentation about Carnival's new wearable Ocean Medallion. Much like Disney's MagicBand, the device is designed to help cruisers personalize their cruise experience to unprecedented levels before, during, and after the voyage. It also helps Carnival's 10 cruise lines collect consumer data, deliver messaging, and potentially upsell the bejesus out of ancillary cruise products in real time like never before. "The ship is one large mobile device," said John Padgett, chief experience and innovation officer of Carnival, referring to the Royal Princess ship during Donald's keynote. The ship was outfitted with more than 7,000 sensors and 4,000 new video screens to support the Medallion user experience. Shapiro called it a "smart city that's mobile." The C Space Storytellers forum based at Aria Resort was still relatively lacking in any significant travel industry programmi