[CES 2024] Las Vegas Hippled SK Exhibition Hall... 60,000 Visitors 'Double Last Year'

On the 12th (local time), a large crowd of visitors gathered at the entrance of the SK Group integrated booth 'SK WONDERLAND' at CES 2024, which concluded in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Photo by SK

SK Group's CES pavilion, which showcased carbon reduction and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies with an amusement park concept, attracted 60,000 visitors over four days.

Participating in the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition, 'CES 2024,' under the theme 'Inspire Happiness,' SK Group's pavilion received high praise from visitors worldwide and remained a popular 'CES hip place' throughout the exhibition period.

SK announced that the cumulative number of visitors to the SK Group integrated pavilion at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) Central Hall, held from the 9th to the 12th, was tentatively estimated to reach around 60,000 as of the third day of the event on the 11th. This is more than double the approximately 30,000 visitors to the SK pavilion at last year’s CES.

In fact, long lines of visitors formed in front of the SK booth every day, starting at 9 a.m. when the pavilion opened. SK Group designed attractions around challenging themes such as carbon reduction and AI, allowing visitors to enjoy them like a theme park and conveying the happiness that a net-zero (carbon-neutral) world can bring in an easy and fun way.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won visited the SK Theme Park on the opening day of CES, the 9th. Chairman Chey said, "It has been about a year since ChatGPT came out, and before that, I didn’t really think about how AI would change the world, but now that a breakthrough has occurred, it seems everyone is trying to ride the wave." A breakthrough refers to solving and succeeding in technically difficult problems in projects such as computer system development.

On the 12th (local time), visitors are experiencing the 'Train Adventure,' powered by hydrogen fuel cells, at the SK Group integrated booth 'SK WONDERLAND' at CES 2024, which concluded in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Photo by SK

At ‘CES 2022,’ SK Group announced its goal to reduce 1% (200 million tons) of the global carbon reduction target by 2030. At ‘CES 2023,’ the theme was ‘action’ to implement the carbon reduction roadmap, showcasing SK’s technologies and ongoing projects. This year, the pavilion was designed around the theme of ‘happiness felt in a net-zero world where the climate crisis has disappeared,’ allowing visitors to experience it through all five senses.

The 6-meter-diameter large spherical LED 'Wonder Globe,' reminiscent of Las Vegas landmark the Sphere, attracted popularity as a social media (SNS) 'photo spot' with its diverse thematic videos. The 'Train Adventure,' where visitors could ride a hydrogen fuel cell-powered train, and the 'Magic Carpet' exhibition area, where visitors could experience urban air mobility (UAM) firsthand and watch videos on carbon reduction and AI solutions, drew crowds who lined up for over an hour to participate.

A visitor from New York, Austin Anderson, said, "The SK pavilion was the most differentiated concept booth at this year’s CES. I enjoyed returning to my childhood spirit by having my fortune told by AI and watching the dynamic car show with robotic arms."

Foreign media also showed great interest in SK’s exhibition. On the 10th, CNBC’s economic news program Power Lunch broadcast live nationwide in the U.S., introducing the SK pavilion. The main video played on the 'Wonder Globe' was used as the first backdrop for CES 2024’s feature coverage, highlighting SK’s carbon reduction and AI exhibits prominently.

An SK Group official said, "At this CES, we presented carbon reduction and AI technologies, which can be somewhat difficult, in a new way that anyone can easily understand. We will continue to strive to have more stakeholders empathize with and participate in SK’s journey toward net zero."