What to Expect at CES 2026: The Experiences, Itineraries, and Signals That Matter

TL;DR

CES 2026 is bigger, louder, and more consequential than ever, but the real story isn’t scale, it’s simplicity. Expect AI and quantum computing to collide at CES Foundry, brand storytelling to reinvent itself at C Space, and health tech to move from pilots to practical care pathways. Mobility goes software-first, sustainability shifts from pledge to practice, and the smartest brands will win by making complex tech feel human. Here’s what to watch and why clarity is the killer feature.

This year's CES feels like a contradiction waiting to explode: more scale, more spectacle, and more pressure than ever to feel human. AI and quantum aren’t just sharing the stage at Foundry, they’re rewriting the rules of computation in real time. C Space is turning brand storytelling into a survival game for relevance in the creator economy. Health tech? It’s racing to prove it can move from hype to actual care before trust runs out. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: the smartest brands aren’t chasing attention…they’re designing trust.

What's New (and Worth Your Time)

AI + Quantum
CES Foundry debuts as a dedicated hub for AI and quantum at the Fontainebleau (Jan. 7–8), with two alternating stages (Breakthrough + Discovery), hands‑on demos, and networking lounges focused on turning tech into practical workflows. Expect sessions and demos from leaders like AWS, IBM, NVIDIA, D‑Wave, and more.

Translation: novelty gives way to applied systems and agentic workflows.
Go deeper: The official Foundry Hub outlines the program’s focus and venue details.

Where Storytelling Meets the Creator Economy
C Space remains the nexus for advertising, entertainment, and content. This year it is spread across the ARIA‑centered C Space Campus (ARIA, Vdara, Cosmopolitan, Park MGM), with shuttles linking to LVCC/Venetian and a packed program of brand/creator sessions and studios. If your world is media, retail media, or creator collabs, this is your HQ. Explore C Space here.

From Pilots to Pathways
Digital Health Summit gets four days of community building. Sessions, mixers, and lounges are anchored at the Venetian Expo. Expect programming on AI in care, wearables, AgeTech (technology designed specifically to improve the lives of older adults and aging populations), and privacy/security, with dedicated spaces like the Digital Health Lounge and AARP’s AgeTech Collaborative. More info here.

Curated Discovery
Pressed for time? Show Floor Tours (presented by StoryTech) provide two‑hour guided sessions with headsets, briefings, and insight guides to hit the right zones at LVCC or Venetian (digital health, startups in Eureka Park, smart living, mobility, AI). It’s the most efficient way to navigate scale. Check out the Official Show Floor Tours for more info.

Sidebar - If you have one day at CES, here's your loop:

1. CES Foundry: pick one AI/quantum demo and one workflow talk.
2. C Space: Drop into a creator/CMO session and scan the studios for quick interviews.
3. LVCC North & West Halls.
4. Dolby Live Theater at Park MGM.

Trends That Will Shape CES: Tech + Experience

Health Tech: From Pilots to Pathways
Digital health is moving beyond prototypes into ecosystems that anticipate needs. Expect AI-powered diagnostics, remote monitoring, and wearables that interpret, not just track. Privacy and interoperability are front and center, and AgeTech is gaining momentum with solutions for independence and personalized care. Booths will lean into human-centric design with guided storytelling, opt-in demos, and spaces that feel less clinical and more empowering.

AI & Quantum: The Collision of Compute
At CES Foundry, AI and quantum computing are converging to tackle real-world problems. Think agentic AI workflows, quantum optimization for logistics, and chips powering next-gen devices. The design trend? Clarity over complexity. Expect interfaces that look like chat bubbles, drag-and-drop dashboards, and immersive zones that make abstract tech tangible through projection mapping and dynamic lighting.

Mobility: Software-Defined Everything
Cars are becoming platforms, not products. Hands-on demos from companies like Elektrobit will showcase embedded and connected software for automotive systems, enabling features like advanced driver assistance, autonomous driving stacks, and in-vehicle UX that feels as intuitive as a smartphone. Beyond land, CES will spotlight air taxis, drones, and smart watercraft.

Sustainability: From Pledge to Practice
Sustainability is no longer a side conversation, but an embedded practice in product roadmaps. Look for energy-efficient chips, circular design principles, and smart home ecosystems that prioritize resource management. Industrial players like Siemens will be showcasing the next generation of intelligent industry and infrastructure by bringing engineering, software, and real-world impact together in new ways while consumer brands lean into repairability and modular design. The signal here: sustainability isn’t just compliance, it’s a competitive differentiator.

Clarity Over Complexity
Tech loves to brag about complexity. But at CES 2026, the smartest players are doing the opposite: making the hard stuff feel stupid-simple. AI agents? They’re getting interfaces that look like chat bubbles, not command lines. Quantum workflows? They’re being packaged as drag-and-drop dashboards instead of PhD-level puzzles. The trend is clear: if your product makes people feel like they need a manual, you’ve already lost. Clarity isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s the killer feature.

Content Studios Built Into Booths
Content is king in 2026. Expect to see embedded content hubs where brands produce live podcast interviews, social cutdowns and thought leadership on the fly. The Drum will spotlight these activations in real time, showing how physical design doubles as a media engine.

Human-Centric Design
The ADWEEK House Panel, Designing for a Generation That Opts Out, nails the challenge: younger audiences are rejecting marketing that feels extractive. Booths may respond with opt-in experiences: spaces that reduce cognitive load, increase agency, and reward participation. We’re looking for fewer walls of specs and more guided storytelling and interactive choice points.

Sidebar: 5 Signals to Watch

1. Clarity over complexity: Tech that feels human, not overwhelming.

2. Utility baked in: Products that solve real problems, not just demo well.

3. Invitation to participate: Experiences that let users interact, not just observe.

4. Sustainability as a feature: Visible design choices that reduce waste and energy.

5. Trust through transparency: Clear data practices and ethical AI narratives.

See You in Vegas!

CES 2026 isn’t just a showcase of what’s next, it’s a stress test for how technology meets people. From AI agents and quantum workflows to health platforms and mobility ecosystems, the innovations on display will shape industries for years to come. But the brands that stand out won’t be the ones shouting the loudest; they’ll be the ones designing trust, clarity, and connection into every experience. In a world drowning in complexity, simplicity is the loudest signal and at CES, it’s the one that wins.