Korean Companies Focus on 'Business Meetings' Over Exhibitions for Better Value [CES 2026]

About 500 Fewer Companies Participated in CES Compared to Last Year
Companies Favor In-House Events and Specialized Tech Exhibitions Over CES
Corporate Performance Slump and U.S. Immigration Policy Among Key Factors

"There was a noticeably smaller crowd compared to the previous CES."

The atmosphere at CES 2026, the world’s largest electronics and IT exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA, is said to be quite different from previous years. An industry insider who attended CES both last year and this year commented, "On the first day, the venue was packed, but from the second day onward, there were fewer people than before. In the past, it was difficult to even walk through the corridors, but this time it was relatively easy."

On the 8th (local time), attendees on the third day of CES 2026, the world's largest consumer electronics and IT exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA, are touring the exhibition hall inside the Venetian Expo. Photo by Park Junyi.

As of December 31, the number of companies registered on the CES 2026 organizer’s website was about 4,300 from around 160 countries. This is a decrease of about 500 companies compared to last year’s CES, which had around 4,800 participants. The number of Chinese companies attending dropped from 1,339 last year to 942 this year, a decrease of 397. Similarly, the number of Korean companies fell from 1,031 last year to 853 this year, a reduction of 178.

Why Are Fewer Companies Participating in CES?

In front of the main entrance of the West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) in the United States, preparing for the opening of CES 2026 on the 4th (local time). Photo by Park Jun.

Analysts point to a combination of changes in the global political and economic environment as the reason for the decline in participating companies. First, it is noted that the stricter anti-immigration stance since the Trump administration has made it more difficult for companies and personnel to obtain visas, which has had an impact.

In addition, as the global economy slows, companies have generally sought to cut costs, reducing their investment in large-scale overseas exhibitions. This trend has been particularly pronounced among startups and small and medium-sized enterprises, which, facing performance pressures, have decided to either hold off on participating or scale down their presence, judging that the actual results did not justify the cost of operating a booth. The number of Korean startups participating in CES this year also dropped by about 28% compared to last year.

Some also believe that the status and role of CES are changing in the long term. While CES was once the stage for unveiling new technologies in the global electronics and IT industry, it is now increasingly common for companies to hold their own events, release information online, or participate in specialized regional exhibitions.

SK Group significantly reduced its participation compared to last year. It is analyzed that the decision to scale down was influenced by poor performance across several of its affiliates. HD Hyundai also did not participate in CES this year, following last year’s absence.

As Korean Companies Withdraw, Chinese Firms Take Center Stage

On the 8th (local time), Chinese home appliance companies Hisense and TCL set up booths at the convention hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) during CES 2026, the world's largest consumer electronics and IT exhibition held in Las Vegas, USA. Photo by Park Junyi.

With major Korean companies either absent from CES this year or reducing their exhibition space, Chinese companies are filling the gap. Chinese electronics giant TCL operated the largest exhibition space in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) this year. There are growing concerns that if CES continues to become increasingly dominated by Chinese companies, the participation rate of Korean firms may decline even further.