CTA: Application window for CES 2017 Innovation Award entries now open

SPOKANE (Scrap Monster): The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has officially announced the opening of application period for CES 2017 Innovation Awards. The annual competition recognizes outstanding innovative designs and products across 28 varied consumer technology categories.

The CTA press release states that the application window will remain open from Monday, August 8 through Friday, September 16. The first 200 applicants will be eligible for $200 early bird discount. The entries will be judged Friday, September 23 through Friday, October 7. Entrants will be notified of their status on Wednesday, October 12. The winners of the competition will be announced at CES Unveiled New York on November 10. Also, the winning products shall be displayed at CES 2017 in the Innovation Awards Showcase during Jan 5-8.

The CES Innovation Awards program is open to anyone who manufactures, designs, engineers or promotes consumer technology products marketed in the United States, or is an authorized agent of the organization or individual. The applicants are eligible to submit entries in various categories including Accessible Technologies, Computer Hardware and Components, Computer Peripherals, Embedded Technologies, Gaming and Virtual Reality, Smart Home, Vehicle Intelligence and Wearable Technologies.

Each product category has an expert, three-member judging team composed of an independent industrial designer, an independent engineer and a member of the trade press. Entries are judged on engineering qualities, aesthetic and design qualities, use/function and user value, unique/novel features and how the design and innovation directly compare to other products in the market.

The Award winners will receive additional benefits including an opportunity to be featured on the live radio broadcast of "Into Tomorrow" with Dave Graveline. The trophy will be displayed in the company exhibit at CES and also in the company’s trophy case. Moreover, the featuring of the honorees’ names in the CTA press release will help them to gain industry-wide recognition and media attention. In addition, the names of the winners will be published in CTA’s flagship publication. The winners will also benefit from substantial discounts on advertising opportunities in CTA publications. Best of Innovation Honorees have the opportunity to display their product at additional CTA events throughout the year, including CES Unveiled New York and CES Unveiled Las Vegas.

The technology event held in Las Vegas, NV from January 6-9 this year and organized by the CTA had set new record. The CTA audit summary report indicated that CES 2016 attracted 177,393 industry professionals from across the globe. This includes 104,753 attendees, 65,095 exhibitor personnel and 7,545 media personnel. The summit witnessed attendance of 53,808 international participants, which included 33,633 attendees, 17,653 exhibitor personnel and 2,522 media personnel. The number of attendees from outside the US rose by nearly 10% over the last year. The event recorded participation of professionals from 158 countries, considerably higher when compared with 153 countries during CES 2015.

The CES 2016 Innovation Award winners include LG G6 Signature OLED TV, Under Armour Health Box, Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator, LG Rollable Display, Ignition Labs Portal Router, Aterica Veta Smart Case, Withings Thermo and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

Consumer Technology Association (CTA), formerly Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), is the trade association representing the $287 billion U.S. consumer technology industry. More than 2,200 companies enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships.