CEA Industry Forum & Fall Conference Provides Industry Leaders With Keys To Success In The Digital Age

6-Nov-00

Four days of intense exploration into the ways in which the consumer electronics industry can best seize the opportunities presented by the digital age was the focus of this year's Industry Forum & Fall Conference, sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The conference, produced by CEA, and co-located with the Parks Associates Forum2000, was held last week at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California.More than 260 attendees, representing all aspects of the consumer electronics marketplace attended the event, whose highlights included a showcase of the latest e-commerce business tools, a concentrated three-hour session on convergence and the digital home and a keynote address by technology marketing ""guru"" Regis McKenna.""Through our Industry Forum and Fall Conference, CEA provides the consumer technology industry with an opportunity to capitalize on the wealth of information and knowledge resources available to our industry at a critical time,"" said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of CEA. ""The burgeoning digital age has created new avenues for product development and customer service along with new challenges. To continue to grow, our industry must seize upon this moment and create new products, services and partnerships. We are pleased to be able to provide a platform for those discussions.""CE Industry Marketplace Previews Latest In E-Business SolutionsBetween conference sessions, attendees were able to explore the ""CE Industry Marketplace"" area, which provided an opportunity to meet with conference sponsor representatives and view demonstrations of the latest in e-commerce products. Sponsor/exhibitors included: - Cycore Cult3D, www.cycore.com, bringing interactive 3D product visualization to Web sites, Microsoft Office presentations and Adobe Acrobat documents, giving e-marketers an exciting way to showcase their products in all dimensions.- How2TV, www.how2tv.com, using the audio, video and interactive capabilities of the Web to provide a fun and informative way for consumers to learn how to assemble, install and use everyday products. - LiveProducts Division of e-SIM, www.livemanuals.com, offering consumers one address for support of their electronics products. The destination site is ""the ultimate source for consumers to learn all about their favorite products and brands in a fun and simple way.""- RedTagBiz.com, www.redtagbiz.com, is a secure business-to-business Internet marketplace for suppliers and retailers providing products and services that increase profitability and reduce the operating costs of member participants. - ReturnCentral.com, www.returncentral.com, providing Internet-based solutions for retail returns management such as its Virtual Returns Desk that combines return authorization, carrier-specific shipping labels and pick-up scheduling into retailers' shopping sites. Convergence Forum Investigates Future Of The Digital HomeDuring an intense, three-hour session, conference attendees were treated to a lively discussion and debate regarding the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital home. Tim Herbert, Staff Director of CEA market research, kicked off the discussion with an analysis of recent research into consumer attitudes and purchase trends of emerging technologies. Herbert suggested that the findings indicated a clear correlation between consumers' product desires and a combination of content, service and hardware.Following Herbert's presentation, Mike Moone of Cisco Systems presented his company's view of creating the digital home via the Internet and alliances with manufacturers. Moone theorized that the advent of the digital age and the explosion of the Internet and data traffic will continue to create numerous product opportunities for manufacturers across a variety of platforms.To conclude the session, Tricia Parks of Parks Associates moderated a panel discussion including Mark Bridgwater of Digital Harmony Technologies, Christian Jorgensen of Sony Electronics, Mike Moone of Cisco Systems, Elliot Newcombe of Intellon Corp. and Todd Thibodeaux of CEA market research. During the discussion, panelists discussed compelling industry subjects such as the factors necessary to ensure continued industry growth, the potential for a universal user interface for products and digital rights management.Regis Mckenna Enlightens Attendees On ""Real-Time"" Technologies And Changing Business ModelsRegis McKenna, the high-tech marketing guru who has helped to launch some of the most important technological advances of the last 25 years, provided the keynote address to conference attendees on Wednesday morning.During his presentation, McKenna described how services have become increasingly important to consumers, and how this trend will affect the consumer electronics industry. He related how future business models may change to a point where products become second to services in the purchase decision as the Internet speeds direct connections between producers and consumers. McKenna pointed to four drivers of this trend - increasing processor speed, increased connectivity among products, higher levels of bandwidth and the decreasing cost of memory. He also said that distribution and flexibility are the keys to success in the digital age, arguing that enterprises that can distribute information and products while remaining adaptable will emerge as winners.Source: CEA