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Delta to deliver keynote speech at CES 2020 tech show in Las Vegas

Ben Mutzabaugh
Articles
Ben Mutzabaugh is the senior aviation editor and heads TPG’s airline coverage. Ben joined TPG in March 2019 after nearly 19 years at USA Today, where he launched the long-running, industry-leading Today in the Sky blog in 2002.
Sept. 18, 2019
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3 min read
Los Angeles Times
Delta to deliver keynote speech at CES 2020 tech show in Las Vegas
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The airline industry is getting a prime spot at one of the world’s top technology shows.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian will deliver the keynote speech at CES 2020 in Las Vegas in January.

The annual event is one of the top consumer electronics trade shows in the world. Delta says Bastian’s appearance will mark the first time that an airline representative will deliver the event's main-stage keynote speech.

“Travel has become an essential part of our lives, and CES is the perfect stage to show the world how technology and innovation — coupled with the best employees on the planet — will transform the future travel experience for customers across all points of the journey,” Bastian said in a statement.

It won't be Bastian's first time on the CES main stage, however. In 2019, he appeared as a guest of IBM CEO Ginni Rometty for a discussion about new technology.

For 2020, Bastian’s keynote address will be delivered from the Venetian Palazzo Ballroom at 2 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

Related: Snapshot: A Look at Delta Air Lines by the Numbers

Delta CEO Ed Bastian (right) greets IBM CEO Ginni Rometty at CES 2019 at The Venetian Las Vegas on Jan. 8, 2019 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Beyond Bastian’s keynote appearance, Delta has pledged a “major presence in the exhibitor showroom."

Delta did not offer specifics about its planned CES exhibit, saying it would reveal details about its “experiential showroom exhibit later this year.”

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Delta promised to show off “trail-blazing consumer innovations impacting the future of air travel, now and for years to come," according to its statement.

CES, which originally stood for “Consumer Electronics Show,” has grown to become one of the top events of its kind since it was first held in 1967. Held annually, it currently calls Las Vegas home.

For the 2020 show, CES organizers say they expect more than 175,000 visitors — including 61,000 international guests.

The event has become so large that airlines add special one-off flights from around the Asia and Europe. Stay tuned in the coming works for a round-up of special CES flights.

Related: Sayonara, Narita: The Rise and Fall of Delta’s Tokyo Hub

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Photo by Al Seib/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images,

Featured image by Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag