By Todd Ramsey

So CES 2010 is over. It was my 23rd consecutive CES in Las Vegas and it’s certainly gone through some changes as a show, as has the profile of attendees and exhibitors, and navigating through all there is to see. There’s never really enough time to get it all in. Technology overload! I love it!

From a big-picture perspective on CES in the 12-volt aftermarket electronics segment, this show was less about groundbreaking products and more about whether the companies that were once exhibitors but did not attend, and the domestic retailers who chose not to get out and experience the show firsthand, can keep avoiding the show. Can a business in the 12-volt market really afford not to be a part of CES, even if in some small way? It leaves a lot of questions about how successful that strategy really is and what added value both parties may be missing. In particular, the networking and opportunity to recharge your industry vision is in full force at CES if you choose to engage, this year in particular due to the absence of MERA’s KnowledgeFest in 2009.

Products wise, there were still some trends and innovations happening in 12-volt aftermarket electronics. In particular, the integration companies like Scosche, Metra, NAV-TV, Dice and others had a range of exciting new opportunities that make life installing easier.

Metra showed several new dash kits with factory-matched finishes on the Ford F-150 and other Ford models with integrated electronic climate controls. They also had one for the 2010 Camaro. Perhaps the biggest relief, if installing aftermarket head units is your headache, is that Metra’s Axxess line has a self-programming steering wheel control (SWC) adapter that “learns” the type of controls (data, resistance, etc.) in the vehicle. If you have ever programmed the current SWC adapters, you know this will be a real time saver.

Scosche has their Ford Flex dash kit, which is awfully hard to distinguish from the OEM panel. There’s also a 2010 Mustang panel that has an integrated touch-screen climate control panel that Roger Alves, the company’s president, told me will begin to appear in other kits they offer, too. Watch for details on this one by the time our next issue hits the street. Scosche had two booths in the North Hall, which was the polar opposite of some companies that weren’t even there! Portable device accessories are huge for the company.

Companies like Audio Control and InstallerNet were focusing a lot of effort on simply sharing how retailers with whom they already do business are creatively positioning themselves to capture opportunities others are leaving behind and how they are partnering to help do more of that. Building business relationships was really a primary theme at this show, even more than in years past.

We did make it to some of the off-site venues, the most comprehensive of which was at Rockford Fosgate in the Palms. Lots of new stuff for the company, including audiophile-grade composite cone component speakers, ear buds for portable devices, new amplifiers and custom airbrushed amplifier shrouds to compliment one-off installations.

Frankly, getting to every off-site venue for non-exhibiting companies that were still at CES would be impossible so that’s one of the questionable strategies I mentioned that could affect a company’s efforts to gain new customers and not just serve existing ones. Even a small booth at the show to let people know there’s another thing off site would be nice. One example of a company that did this was Boss Audio, with a booth at the show and a suite at the Hilton.

At this show, I heard a lot of “oh, are they here? I didn’t know or hear about that,” which tells me the opportunity to capture attention on the show floor in the North Hall at LVCC is still very much there, even if only with a small booth.

Lots of other products and companies to report on, in addition to what we reported on from the show in Hotwire, will be appearing in the coming weeks on ME-Mag.com. We’ll have comprehensive show coverage in the next print issue of ME-Magazine! There was also a critical board meeting of the 12-volt Initiative that was held to assess where the organization is with regard to the progress of the 12-volt Awareness Campaign, so we will bring you up to date on that outcome as well.

Beyond products though, the CES show again proves that there are many opportunities to connect with colleagues and industry friends. It’s a great venue to rediscover the passion and innovative ideas that have always driven the 12-volt aftermarket electronics industry forward.