One of the biggest events in the US exhibitions calendar, the CES technology and gadget show in Vegas, has lost its biggest supporter.
Microsoft has announced that, after 20 years of being a keynote speaker or a major booth taker at the event, the 2012 event this month will be its last. In what could a warning to the rest of the events industry, the company cited a ‘disconnect’ between its marketing activities and what the trade show can offer, as well as mentioning its growing reliance on alternative means of getting news out there, including….
….Twitter and Facebook.
Will we see other major players withdraw from big, costly events in order to concentrate of cheaper new media communication offerings? Don’t be surprised. Apple hasn’t attended CES in recent years but it still manages to dominate news from the event.
“As we look at all of the new ways we tell our consumer stories—from product momentum disclosures, to exciting events like our Big Windows Phone, to a range of consumer connection points like Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft.com and our retail stores—it feels like the right time to make this transition,” explained Frank Shaw, corporate vice president of corporate communications for Microsoft.
While undoubtedly a big blow to CES, the show organizers are putting on a brave face.
In a statement, the CEA said: “In the fourteen years that we have invited Microsoft to deliver a keynote address at CES, the company has unveiled some great innovations, from operating systems to gaming platforms to mobile technologies. Both CEA and Microsoft have agreed that the time has come to end this great run, and so Microsoft will not have a keynote at the 2013 CES.”
What’s your thoughts?
Tags: business, exhibition, marketing, show, technology