Japan's Sony Also to Skip Next Year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Following Panasonic's Decision Not to Attend

[Financial News, Tokyo = Correspondent Seo Hye-jin] Sony Group has decided not to participate in CES, the world's largest technology exhibition, which will be held in the United States next year. Although it continued exhibiting this year through a joint venture, all of its affiliates will also sit out next year's event. Panasonic Holdings, which had participated for 60 consecutive years, has likewise decided not to attend next year's CES.
According to Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 28th, Sony Group will not set up an exhibition booth at next year's CES. Its affiliates, including Sony Honda Mobility, a joint venture funded by Sony and Honda, will also stay away, meaning the entire group will not participate.
Sony Group participated in CES every year from 1967 through last year. Although it did not set up a booth under the Sony Group name this year, Sony Honda Mobility exhibited its electric vehicle, AFEELA. The booth also featured PlayStation experiences and space-capture technology.
Sony Group said, "We have put our participation on hold as the center of our business shifts toward entertainment, intellectual property (IP), and creation technologies," adding, "We will continue to work with the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organizer of CES." The company explained that the growing share of its entertainment businesses, including gaming and music, has reduced the need to participate in CES.
It has not yet decided whether to participate after 2028. At CES, companies that build relationships with the organizers through consecutive participation are more likely to secure prominent locations and larger spaces. Even if Sony Group returns, it remains unclear whether it will be able to set up a booth near the venue entrance as it did in the past.
Earlier, Panasonic Holdings also decided to end its participation in CES after 60 years and skip next year's event.


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