Why we didn’t go to CES in 2025
CES has long been the place to go to see magic tricks. Companies, large and small, unveil their visions for the future with a mix of sleight-of-hand and fully developed solutions. For years, OCTO has engaged at CES—either directly on behalf of clients or indirectly for inspiration and education.
In 2024, however, we made the decision not to send anyone to Las Vegas for the first time in years.
This decision was guided by two critical questions:
1. Is CES the best place for us to learn how to better serve our clients and customers?
2. Is CES still where meaningful innovation is happening?
In our view, CES’s version of innovation increasingly feels like a landscape of incrementalism and fantasy. A new iteration of a robot vacuum displayed next to a connected door lock with an embedded camera across from a translucent LED wall no longer moves the needle.
At OCTO, we are focusing on areas where technological advancements are truly reshaping industries and, ultimately, the way we live and work. Whether it's advancing manufacturing to rethink supply chain dynamics, deploying autonomous systems to streamline complex and hazardous offshore processes, or reimagining women’s healthcare delivery to advance accessibility, we see opportunities for designers, developers, engineers, founders, venture capitalists, and major corporations to drive real impact.
Our vision for delivering value aligns more closely with the work being done behind the glitz of CES. Looking at the broader design and creative community, we see tremendous opportunities to apply the speed and energy of the consumer tech market to the complexity and scale of industrial and health tech innovations.
The shift in innovation from consumer-facing products (like those at CES) to foundational technologies (showcased at events like IMTS, Hannover Messe, and MWC) has been underway for years. At OCTO, we are committed to leveraging our expertise and energy to advance these crucial categories toward a better future.
Where is innovation happening in your world?