Look, we know you’re busy. But here’s the thing: if you’re investing anywhere from $149 to $4,000 to attend CES 2026 (not to mention four days away from the office), you’re probably better off investing 15 minutes right now to actually understand what you’re getting into.
Think of this as your pre-flight briefing before landing in Vegas. Bookmark this page, grab a coffee, and let’s make sure your CES investment actually pays off. Your future self—standing in a crowded convention center wondering where to go next—will thank you.
“CES 2026 represents a pivotal moment for enterprise technology buyers. We’re witnessing AI move from experimental to operational—from tools that assist to orchestration layers that actively drive productivity. The vendors showcasing this year aren’t just iterating on existing platforms; they’re fundamentally rethinking how technology enables human collaboration.”
Bookmark this page now. You’ll want it on your phone when you’re navigating the show floor.
What collaboration technologies will be showcased at CES 2026?
CES 2026 will showcase ten major collaboration technology categories that are reshaping enterprise workplaces: AI orchestration platforms, real-time multilingual collaboration tools, collaborative robots for service industries, digital twin collaboration platforms, telepresence robotics, industrial XR for remote expertise, AI-powered video collaboration intelligence, manufacturing intelligence platforms, open-source collaboration models, and wireless display solutions.
These technologies address critical workplace challenges including global team communication barriers, frontline worker shortages, remote expert access, hybrid meeting equity, and collaboration efficiency across distributed teams.
Why should enterprise leaders attend CES 2026?
CES 2026 attracts 305 Fortune 500 companies, with 53% of attendees at senior level and 62% having significant influence in buying decisions. The show provides direct access to emerging collaboration technologies 12-18 months before mainstream adoption, enabling enterprise leaders to evaluate solutions, meet vendors, see live demonstrations, and build strategic technology roadmaps for 2026-2027.
The event also offers keynote insights from technology leaders including Dr. Lisa Su (AMD) on edge AI, Dr. Roland Busch (Siemens) on digital twins and automation, and Yuanqing Yang (Lenovo) on AI reshaping work, alongside networking opportunities with peers facing similar workplace transformation challenges.
CES 2026 by the Numbers
- 305 Fortune 500 companies attended CES 2025
- 53% of attendees are senior-level executives
- 62% have significant influence in buying decisions
- 158 countries, territories and regions represented
1. What are AI orchestration platforms and why do they matter?
AI orchestration platforms sit above existing unified communications stacks like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Slack to actively facilitate productivity rather than just enable communication. Unlike traditional collaboration tools that passively support meetings and messaging, orchestration platforms use AI to understand context across multiple tools, automate follow-ups, route information intelligently, and convert conversations into structured actions without human intervention.
Key exhibitor: AI Collaborator (Booth 9624) is creating the AI Enablement & Orchestration category, making Enterprise AI more dynamic, experimental, and scalable.
Business impact
Organizations using AI orchestration report improved meeting effectiveness, faster decision cycles, and reduced administrative overhead as AI handles routine coordination tasks. The technology addresses the problem of employees using 10+ collaboration tools daily without integration.
Evaluation criteria
When assessing AI orchestration platforms, ask vendors about integration capabilities with your existing UC stack, data privacy and security certifications, employee learning curves, and measurable productivity improvements from customer deployments.
2. How does real-time multilingual collaboration work?
Real-time multilingual collaboration platforms provide instant voice and chat translation with context awareness, enabling global teams to communicate in their native languages simultaneously. Unlike basic translation tools, these enterprise collaboration platforms maintain conversational flow, preserve technical terminology, and unify translation with meetings, messaging, and business applications.
Key exhibitor: emotii.ai (Booth 6419c) offers real-time and asynchronous voice and chat in 126+ chat languages and 70+ voice languages, unifying translation, collaboration, meeting transcription, and accounting functions.
Business impact
Multilingual collaboration removes language as a hiring barrier, enabling companies to recruit talent globally without requiring English proficiency. Organizations report improved employee engagement, faster decision-making in regional markets, and reduced miscommunication in cross-border projects.
Evaluation criteria
Test translation accuracy during technical discussions, measure latency impact on meeting flow, assess cultural context handling beyond literal translation, and verify security for sensitive business conversations.
“The modern workplace isn’t defined by location anymore—it’s defined by capability. What excites me about CES 2026 is seeing technologies that finally deliver on the promise of true location independence. Whether it’s telepresence robots giving you physical presence across continents or digital twins enabling remote experts to collaborate on industrial assets, we’re moving beyond video conferencing to genuine spatial collaboration.”
Rob Scott, Publisher, UC Today
3. What are collaborative robots and where do they work?
Collaborative robots (cobots) are designed to work safely alongside human employees in shared workspaces, featuring sensors, AI, and safety systems that enable human-robot teamwork. Unlike traditional industrial robots behind safety cages, cobots operate in service industries including hospitality, healthcare, retail, and office environments, handling repetitive tasks while humans focus on customer interaction and complex problem-solving.
Key exhibitors: Neura Robotics (Booths 8331, N105) develops cognitive collaborative robots from Germany. Neuromeka (Booth 8871) is Korea’s leading robotics company offering collaborative to humanoid robots. Richtech Robotics (Booth 8447) has proven deployments in hospitality, healthcare, and automotive since 2016.
Business impact
Organizations deploying collaborative robots report 30-50% productivity improvements in targeted tasks, reduced employee burnout from repetitive work, and ability to maintain 24/7 operations. Cobots address critical labor shortages while augmenting rather than replacing human workers.
Evaluation criteria
Assess total cost of ownership over five years, employee training requirements, safety certifications, maintenance and support models, and employee satisfaction data from existing deployments.
4. How do digital twin platforms enable distributed team collaboration?
Digital twin platforms create virtual replicas of physical assets, facilities, and equipment that serve as collaboration spaces for distributed teams. Remote experts can inspect equipment, guide on-site workers, conduct training, and troubleshoot issues through 3D visualization, AI analytics, and real-time data integration without traveling to physical locations.
Key exhibitors: JNE WORKS (Booth 63416) offers AI-driven Digital Twin solutions integrating 5G, XR, and Metaverse technologies with proven deployments at HL Mando and Doosan Heavy Industries. GAUSSLAB (Booth 63416) provides AR-powered Digital Twin solutions for manufacturing, construction, energy, and plant industries. EBARA Corporation (Booth 8219) showcases human-centered digital transformation integrating 3D visualization and virtual collaboration technologies.
Business impact
Companies using digital twin collaboration platforms report 40-60% reductions in expert travel costs, faster problem resolution, improved training effectiveness, and ability to scale expertise across multiple locations simultaneously.
Evaluation criteria
Evaluate bandwidth and infrastructure requirements, integration with existing maintenance and operations systems, employee learning curves, and measurable outcomes from customer case studies.
5. What is telepresence robotics and when should you use it?
Telepresence robotics provides physical presence at distance through remotely controlled robots equipped with cameras, microphones, speakers, and mobility. Unlike video conferencing where remote participants appear on screens, telepresence robots give remote workers physical agency in spaces, enabling them to navigate facilities, inspect equipment, participate in meetings, and interact with people and objects.
Key exhibitor: iPresence (Booth 8677) delivers “Teleportation as a Service” with telepresence robots, digital twins, and metaverse integration enabling connection and collaboration beyond physical limits.
Business impact
Telepresence robotics proves valuable for facility inspections, executive presence at multiple locations, customer site visits, and situations requiring physical interaction that video cannot provide. Organizations use telepresence to reduce travel while maintaining relationship quality and operational oversight.
Evaluation criteria
Assess control latency, battery life and charging infrastructure, mobility and navigation capabilities, and realistic use case ROI compared to travel costs and video conferencing alternatives.
6. How does industrial XR enhance remote collaboration?
Industrial XR (extended reality) combines augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality specifically for industrial environments, enabling remote experts to see what field workers see and provide real-time guidance through AR overlays, 3D annotations, and spatial instructions. The technology bridges the gap between remote expertise and on-site execution.
Key exhibitor: MetaVu (Booth 15241) develops industrial XR solutions for remote collaboration, realistic training, and real-time work guides through VR, AR, MR, and digital twin technologies designed for manufacturing, construction, and maintenance environments.
Business impact
Industrial XR reduces mean time to repair by 30-50%, accelerates technician training, improves first-time fix rates, and enables companies to scale limited expert knowledge across global operations.
Evaluation criteria
Test ruggedization for industrial environments, evaluate hands-free operation capabilities, assess integration with existing maintenance management systems, and review training effectiveness data.
“The modern workplace isn’t defined by location anymore—it’s defined by capability. What excites me about CES 2026 is seeing technologies that finally deliver on the promise of true location independence. Whether it’s telepresence robots giving you physical presence across continents or digital twins enabling remote experts to collaborate on industrial assets, we’re moving beyond video conferencing to genuine spatial collaboration.”
7. What makes AI-powered video collaboration different from recording meetings?
AI-powered video collaboration platforms go beyond recording to understanding meeting content, extracting insights, optimizing video quality, tracking decisions and action items, and making video archives searchable and actionable. These platforms use AI to analyze conversations, identify key moments, generate structured summaries, and connect meeting outcomes to workflow systems.
Key exhibitors: ELBA (Booth 50523) develops YouViCo, an AI-powered SaaS for video collaboration backed by experience operating YouTube channels with 3M+ subscribers. Firefilm Group (Booth 50732) offers a SaaS platform serving the commercial video optimization market.
Business impact
Organizations using AI video collaboration report improved meeting effectiveness, better knowledge retention, reduced need for meeting attendance (AI summaries enable asynchronous participation), and searchable institutional knowledge captured from conversations.
Evaluation criteria
Assess integration with existing video platforms (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet), accuracy of AI-generated summaries and action items, searchability and knowledge management features, and compliance with data retention and privacy regulations.
8. Can manufacturing intelligence platforms work for knowledge work?
Manufacturing intelligence platforms integrate project management, production scheduling, quality control, and team collaboration using methods refined over decades in manufacturing environments. These cloud-based systems enforce workflow discipline, provide real-time visibility, enable structured handoffs between team members, and use data to optimize collaboration efficiency.
Key exhibitors: MY LINK (Booth 62845) provides a cloud-based manufacturing DX platform built for make-to-order manufacturers. CADDi (Booth 62801) offers AI-driven data management streamlining how manufacturers manage drawings and collaborate. bananaz (Booth 61701) is a design copilot using AI to streamline CAD workflows and improve engineering team collaboration.
Business impact
Project-based knowledge work teams adopting manufacturing collaboration principles report 20-40% improvements in project completion time, reduced rework, clearer accountability, and better resource utilization through data-driven scheduling.
Evaluation criteria
Evaluate flexibility for knowledge work versus rigid manufacturing processes, integration with existing project management tools, employee adoption rates, and applicability of manufacturing metrics to your work environment.
9. How do open-source collaboration models work in enterprises?
Open-source collaboration models enable competitors to collaborate on foundational technology through community-driven development while competing on implementation, services, and customer experience. This approach reduces vendor lock-in, accelerates innovation through shared development, creates interoperable ecosystems, and distributes development costs across participating organizations.
Key exhibitors: TIER IV (Booth 6050) pioneers Autoware, open-source software for autonomous driving with platforms and services built on collaborative development. Wi-Fi Alliance (Bassano 2703) demonstrates how worldwide networks of companies collaborate across the Wi-Fi ecosystem. VAMOS Ecosystem (Booth 4665) is an innovation cluster bringing companies together to collaborate, compete, and create solutions for autonomous mobility in smart spaces.
Business impact
Organizations participating in open-source collaboration benefit from faster innovation cycles, reduced development costs through shared investment, access to broader talent pools, and standards-based interoperability that prevents vendor lock-in.
Evaluation criteria
Understand governance models for IP protection, assess contribution requirements versus benefits received, evaluate community health and sustainability, and determine how to balance open collaboration with competitive differentiation.
10. Why does wireless display technology matter for collaboration?
Wireless display and screen sharing technology eliminates cables, adapters, and technical setup time in meeting rooms, enabling instant, seamless peer-to-peer screen sharing across any device type. Enterprise-grade solutions provide security, cross-platform compatibility, and zero-touch deployment that makes hybrid work meetings more equitable and productive.
Key exhibitor: EZCast (Booth 53352) is a leading brand in wireless display technology with strong connectivity, smart design, and stable performance for meetings, education, and production environments.
Business impact
Organizations deploying wireless display solutions report 5-10 minutes saved per meeting eliminating technical setup, improved hybrid meeting participation, reduced IT support calls for meeting room issues, and higher employee satisfaction with meeting room technology.
Evaluation criteria
Test cross-platform compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, ChromeOS), verify enterprise security features and network isolation, assess setup time and user experience, and confirm IT management and deployment capabilities.
“The future of work isn’t about choosing between humans and machines—it’s about orchestrating them together. At CES 2026, you’ll see collaborative robots working alongside frontline employees, AI agents coordinating complex workflows, and spatial computing enabling collaboration that flat screens simply can’t deliver. Enterprise leaders who understand these shifts now will be the ones defining workplace strategy for the next decade, not reacting to it.”
Key keynote speakers for collaboration and workplace leaders
Dr. Roland Busch (Siemens) speaks Tuesday, January 7 at 8:30 AM on how AI, digital twins, and automation are transforming manufacturing and infrastructure, offering insights applicable to any industry undergoing digital transformation.
Bob Sternfels (McKinsey) and Hemant Taneja (General Catalyst) appear Tuesday, January 7 at 2:00 PM exploring how AI is reshaping strategy, investment, and innovation in a live All-In podcast taping, providing executive-level perspective on AI transformation ROI.
Yuanqing Yang (Lenovo) presents Tuesday, January 7 at 5:00 PM at Sphere discussing how AI is reshaping how people live, play, and work, offering major OEM perspective on workplace technology evolution.
Great Minds speakers include Tom Hale (OURA CEO) on employee wellness through wearables, Doug Field (Ford) on enterprise transformation, Jake Leach (Dexcom incoming CEO) on digital health platforms, and Deepa Subramian (Adobe) on AI augmenting creative collaboration.
What conference sessions should collaboration leaders attend?
The Exhibits Plus Pass ($149 through December 1, $350 after) includes keynotes, Great Minds sessions, and select conference programming including CMO Insights, Content Creators, Manufacturing, Mobility Stage presented by Bosch, Innovation Policy Summit, Research Summit, and Future of Health tracks.
The Deluxe Conference Pass ($1,400 through December 1, $1,700 after) adds full access to Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Cybersecurity, Digital Health, and Modev: AI House tracks that provide deep dives on AI orchestration, collaborative robotics deployment, securing collaboration platforms, employee experience technology, and AI agents.
Recommended approach: Purchase Exhibits Plus Pass early bird ($149) and add Artificial Intelligence ($250) and Robotics ($250) tracks à la carte for total investment of $649 versus $1,400 for full Deluxe Pass.
What are the biggest collaboration trends at CES 2026?
AI orchestration is replacing passive collaboration tools with intelligent systems that actively facilitate productivity by understanding context across platforms, automating routine coordination, and converting conversations into structured actions.
Physical AI is entering service workplaces as collaborative robots move beyond manufacturing floors into hospitality, healthcare, and retail environments, augmenting frontline workers and addressing labor shortages.
Spatial collaboration is solving problems flat video cannot through digital twins, industrial XR, and telepresence robotics that enable remote experts to collaborate on physical assets and guide field workers in real-time.
Multilingual-first design is becoming table stakes as real-time translation capabilities in collaboration platforms remove language as a hiring barrier and enable truly global team composition.
Open-source collaboration models are proving viable in safety-critical enterprise environments, with automotive industry success in platforms like Autoware demonstrating that competitors can collaborate on foundational technology while competing on implementation.
How much does CES 2026 cost and what’s included?
Exhibits Plus Pass costs $149 through December 1 or $350 after December 1 and includes exhibit floor access, all keynote sessions, Great Minds sessions, Research Summit sessions, and select conference programming on first-come, first-served basis.
Deluxe Conference Pass costs $1,400 through December 1 or $1,700 after December 1 and includes everything in Exhibits Plus plus guaranteed access to all 350+ conference sessions across four days, all conference tracks including Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Cybersecurity, and Digital Health, and partner programming.
Individual tracks can be purchased à la carte: half-day tracks (Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Retail, Sustainability, XR and Spatial Computing) cost $250 early or $400 regular; full-day tracks (Cybersecurity, Digital Health, Vehicle Tech, Modev: AI House) cost $400 early or $550 regular.
Additional costs include hotel ($200-400/night), flights ($300-800), food ($75-150/day), and ground transportation ($50-100/day) for total estimated investment of $2,000-4,000 for four days.
What should you ask collaboration technology vendors at CES?
For AI collaboration platforms
- How does the solution integrate with existing UC infrastructure (Teams, Zoom, Slack)?
- What data privacy and security certifications exist?
- Can you provide before-and-after productivity metrics from customers?
- What is the employee learning curve and adoption rate?
- How do you handle AI errors in business-critical communications?
For collaborative robotics
- What is the total cost of ownership over five years including hardware, software, and maintenance?
- What employee training is required to work alongside robots?
- Can you share employee satisfaction data from deployments?
- What tasks should remain human versus robot?
- How do you handle safety certification and liability?
For digital twin and XR solutions
- What bandwidth and infrastructure requirements exist?
- How do you ensure remote participants have equal presence?
- What is the ROI timeline for typical deployments?
- Can you demonstrate specific use cases with measurable outcomes?
- What is the hardware refresh cycle and upgrade path?
For any enterprise collaboration solution
- Who are your top three customers and can I speak with them?
- What is your implementation and support model?
- How do you measure collaboration effectiveness versus just usage metrics?
- What features are on your 12-month roadmap?
- How does your pricing model scale?
Where are the must-visit collaboration exhibitor booths?
AI-powered collaboration platforms
- AI Collaborator – Booth 9624
- emotii.ai – Booth 6419c
- Fun Technology Innovation – Booth 21833
- ELBA – Booth 50523
Collaborative robotics
- Neura Robotics – Booths 8331, N105
- Neuromeka – Booth 8871
- Richtech Robotics – Booth 8447
- MAUM.AI – Booth 9063
Digital twins and spatial collaboration
- JNE WORKS – Booth 63416
- GAUSSLAB – Booth 63416
- EBARA Corporation – Booth 8219
- MetaVu – Booth 15241
Telepresence and immersive solutions
- iPresence – Booth 8677
- EZCast – Booth 53352
- ModigenceVision – Booth 62901
Manufacturing intelligence
- MY LINK – Booth 62845
- CADDi – Booth 62801
- bananaz – Booth 61701
Open-source and ecosystems
- TIER IV – Booth 6050
- Wi-Fi Alliance – Bassano 2703
- VAMOS Ecosystem – Booth 4665
CES 2026 attendance tips for enterprise professionals
Register early: Exhibits Plus Pass costs $149 through December 1 but jumps to $350 after. Early registration saves $201 and guarantees access.
Schedule vendor meetings in advance: Email priority exhibitors now to schedule 30-minute private meetings in hospitality suites at Venetian, Wynn, or Aria for deeper conversations than booth visits allow.
Arrive at popular keynotes 30+ minutes early: Siemens keynote (Tuesday 8:30 AM), All-In podcast interview (Tuesday 2:00 PM), and Lenovo at Sphere (Tuesday 5:00 PM) fill quickly with first-come, first-served seating.
Download the CES mobile app: Build your schedule, bookmark exhibitors, create custom maps, enable session notifications, and access in-app live translations for select sessions in multiple languages.
Plan for walking: CES attendees walk 20,000+ steps daily across multiple venues. Wear comfortable, broken-in shoes, bring a high-capacity power bank for devices, stay hydrated, and schedule 1-2 hours of downtime mid-afternoon to process information.
Network strategically: Morning coffee networking (7:30-8:30 AM) at hotel lobbies, lunch with new contacts, and evening hospitality suite events provide relationship-building opportunities where business partnerships form.
Follow up within 48 hours: Send personalized follow-up emails to key vendor contacts immediately after CES while conversations remain fresh, including specific discussion points to stand out from generic follow-ups.
What makes CES 2026 different from previous years?
CES 2026 marks a fundamental shift from consumer electronics showcase to enterprise technology marketplace, with collaboration technologies fragmenting into specialized, intelligent solutions addressing specific workforce challenges rather than one-size-fits-all platforms.
The show demonstrates three major transitions: AI becoming the active orchestrator of workplace collaboration rather than passive assistant, physical AI through robots entering service workplaces creating new frontline worker augmentation models, and spatial 3D collaboration emerging as the solution for complex problem-solving that flat video conferencing cannot address.
Enterprise technology buyers attending CES 2026 will encounter collaboration technologies 12-18 months ahead of mainstream adoption, enabling strategic planning and competitive advantage through early evaluation and deployment.
Register for CES 2026: Visit registration.experientevent.com/showCES261 to secure your Exhibits Plus Pass for $149 through December 1, 2025.
Follow/Subscribe to UC Today in 2026
Stay close to the signals shaping collaboration, AI, and the future of work.
