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RETAILOBSERVER.COM MAY 2017 36 Connectivity was everywhere at CES 2017 – enabling nearly every product category, from self-driving cars and smart cities to digital health and 5G – and a major focus throughout CES conference tracks. 5G will revolutionize our connected world, and the entire connected ecosystem came together at CES 2017. "CES 2017 was a coming-out party for the future of 5G which we estimate will generate a net 20 million new jobs," said Dr. Jim Mault, vice president and chief medical officer, Qualcomm Life. CES 2017 welcomed government officials from around the world. U.S. government leaders in attendance included three members of the Federal Trade Commission, three members of the Federal Communications Commission, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, along with U.S. Senator Dean Heller and seven members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Other top level U.S. government attendees included representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, International Trade Commission and Patent and Trademark Office. Notable global political leaders in attendance included His Royal Highness Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands; Franҫois Fillon, French presidential candidate; Axelle Lemaire, France's Deputy Minister for Innovation and Digital Affairs; Henk Kamp, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs; Jaime Reyes Robles, Secretary of Innovation, Science and Technology, Government of the State of Jalisco, Mexico; Adebayo Shittu, Nigeria's Honourable Minister of Communications; Navdeep Bains, Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development; Brad Duguid, Canada's Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Growth; and Matt Hancock MP, Minister of State for Digital and Culture, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, UK Government. "CES educates public officials about our industry," said John Godfrey, senior vice president of public policy, Samsung Electronics. "It was great to see so many key officials at this year's show." CES is the global stage for innovation, with attendees from more than 150 countries and more than 100 official national delegations. "This is the one show where I can see all of my international partners in one place. It is the one event where I invite them and they all come," said John Ivey, president and CEO, MiTek Corp. and AtlasIED8. CES 2017 drew world-famous celebrities from Hollywood, sports, eSports and music to Las Vegas to experience the latest in tech. CES Ambassador Aisha Tyler; Major League Baseball All-Star Bryce Harper; NBA Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O'Neal; U.S. Olympian Michael Phelps and actress Octavia Spencer were among the many stars participating in the show. See a full list of celebrities attending CES 2017. With more than 6,500 members of the media in attendance, CES 2017 garnered worldwide media coverage. The show also received impressive social media momentum, including nearly 1.4 million mentions using #CES2017 hashtags. CES 2017 also hosted competitive contests, including the Best of CES awards, presented by Engadget, and the Mobile App Showdown, presented by Living in Digital Times. The semi- finals for Richard Branson's Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) also returned to CES for a chance to compete in the final round of competition at Branson's Nekar Island. Be sure to check out all the winners. Now in its third year, the annual CES Asia™ will run June 7-9, 2017 in Shanghai, China, showcasing the latest ideas and innovations from global brands and promising startups. Companies interested in applying to exhibit can find more details at www.CESAsia.com. CES will return to Las Vegas Tuesday, Jan. 9 through Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. RO CES 2017 PROPELLS THE CONN ECTED WORLD C E S I S T H E G L O B A L S TA G E F O R I N N O V AT I O N , W I T H AT T E N D E E S F R O M M O R E T H A N 1 5 0 C O U N T R I E S A N D M O R E T H A N 1 0 0 O F F I C I A L N AT I O N A L D E L E G AT I O N S .