[Editor’s note: This story was updated Tuesday, Jan. 6, to include Anouk Garnier’s record]
With CES 2026 set to open in Las Vegas in January, the Consumer Technology Association is outlining conference sessions and show floor areas likely to interest broadcasters, audio technologists and media engineers.
CES 2026 runs from Tuesday, Jan. 6, to Friday, Jan. 9, with programming across the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Venetian Expo and Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
On the eve of CES 2026, on Monday, Jan. 5, at the Nevada Climbing Center, French extreme athlete Anouk Garnier set a new world record in rope climbing. She set the record during a one-hour endurance climb, completing continuous ascents on a 5-meter vertical rope in a formally controlled and validated environment, achieving a distance of 350 meters.
The performance served as a live demonstration of immersive capture technology. Garnier completed the entire attempt wearing Meta smart glasses, recording the climb from a first-person perspective. Organizers say the setup was designed to place audiences inside the physical and mental demands of the challenge, reflecting broader CES themes around spatial media, wearable capture and experiential storytelling.
Following the record attempt, Garnier appeared at CES to discuss the project and its technical dimension, exploring how elite sport, immersive media and emerging digital platforms are converging in new forms of live and recorded content.
CTA says this year’s conference program includes several tracks relevant to broadcast and audio professionals. The Manufacturing Track, taking place Wednesday, Jan. 7, at the LVCC, examines how artificial intelligence and industrial transformation are reshaping production workflows and supply chains. The Tech and Standards Track follows on Thursday, Jan. 8, also at the LVCC, focusing on the role of standards in enabling new technologies to scale — a recurring issue for broadcast infrastructure and interoperability.
Emerging technologies changing hardware
The Wearables Track, held Thursday, Jan. 8, at the Venetian, explores developments in connected devices and body technology, with implications for audio capture, health-focused audio applications and data-driven media services.
CTA is also introducing CES Foundry, a new hub at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Jan. 7 and 8, dedicated to artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. Programming includes panels, fireside chats and demonstrations focused on real-world applications of AI, with sessions addressing how emerging technologies move from experimentation to deployment.
Manufacturing technology will also feature prominently on the show floor, with a new showcase highlighting automation, software and advanced production techniques. CTA says the focus is on how emerging technologies are changing the way hardware is designed, built and deployed — an area increasingly relevant to broadcast equipment manufacturers and systems integrators.
In addition, CES will offer hands-on AI training sessions on Friday, Jan. 9, aimed at helping participants move from theory to practical adoption, CTA says.
You can find more details and register for CES 2026 here.
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