Register by Jan 13 to save on passes and connect with marketers from Uber, Bose and more
Keep up to date with Digiday’s annual coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. More from the series →
Another CES is in the books — and as the organizers would say, it was the biggest one yet. Some companies and executives had a splendid week in Las Vegas, while others could have fared better. Here’s who won and lost at CES 2018.
The real CES impresarios:
MediaLink, as usual.
Thirstiest company:
Google. It was everywhere.
Best rumor:
Turner originally booked the Aria hotel’s wedding chapel — where it hosted meetings and presentations this week — because CES was supposed to be the official coming-out party for a merged AT&T and Time Warner.
Best photo:
You know you’re at #CES2018 when pic.twitter.com/paMZAmjqpb
— Ben Winkler (@bwinkl3r) January 9, 2018
Tastiest snack:
Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup at Turner’s wedding chapel. Sometimes, it’s the simple things.
Most interesting activation:
Gannett/USA Today hosted advertising clients at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where they also filmed some content in virtual reality. It was raining, and people still went.
Biggest blunder:
The lights going out at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Worst real-time marketing:
#CESblackout pic.twitter.com/JsR9VEun63
— Oreo Cookie (@Oreo) January 10, 2018
Best place to escape the smoke and madness:
Any suites inside the Vdara hotel.
Best party:
Spotify went full Vegas at Hakkasan.
Coolest performer:
Three-way tie between John Legend at Google’s party, Run the Jewels at Fusion Media Group’s party and Lauryn Hill at Pandora’s party.
Best sign of the times:
Turning in any direction and seeing a massive billboard with the words “Hey Google.”
Grossest example of why our industry is the worst:
The secret, invite-only mansion party referred to by one media executive as the “hookers and blow” party.
Most notably absent company:
Snapchat
Best quote:
“CES is good for business but bad for your soul.”
Worst panel:
The Federal Communications Commissions panel previewing 2018 with two commissioners, including chairman Ajit Pai, who was not in attendance.
Dumbest technology:
A robot that cuddles with you.
Worst organizer:
Every hotel that was woefully unprepared for just a sprinkle of rain.
More in Media
Media Briefing: Here’s what media execs are prioritizing in 2026
Media executives enter 2026 weathered by disruption, but refocused on AI revenue, brand strength and video and creator opportunities.
Why publishers are building their own creator networks
Publishers are forming creator networks to regain control, combat traffic declines, and reach audiences shifting toward influencers.
The accidental guardian: How Cloudflare’s Matthew Prince became publishing’s unexpected defender
Cloudflare’s day job is fending off botnets and nation-state cyberattacks, not debating how Google and other AI firms crawl publisher sites.