Three things revenue professionals are looking for at CES

What happens in Vegas between January 6–9 ain’t staying there.

It’s CES (the Consumer Technology Association’s annual tech trade show) all over again, and AI hyperscalers enter the forum with the sector firmly rooted in the boom-and-bust stage of discourse (it’s been there a while now).

Revenue Brew knows the areas that matter to you, our readers, as you grade your own tech deployment efforts: AI use cases, personalization, centralized insights, and connected experiences are top of mind.

The forum isn’t just about gadgets and glitzy keynotes; this is the Super Bowl of tech thought leadership, and we’re on the 50-yard line with an open laptop and a raised hand.

We asked three revenue professionals what they’re looking forward to at the event to help guide you along.

Integration innovation

If 2025 was about bolstering your tech stacks (it was, and to varying degrees of success), then 2026 is poised to be the year of alignment and those much sought after efficiency gains. Craig Elimeliah, chief creative officer at creative digital agency Code and Theory, thinks this will be a trend to watch.

“CROs and revenue pros should stop asking, ‘what can this AI tool do?’ and start asking, ‘how does this integrate with what I already own?’” Elimeliah wrote in an email to Revenue Brew.

Elimeliah highlighted that digital marketing group Stagwell (which owns Code and Theory) will be previewing “The Machine,” an AI-powered operating system built by Code and Theory, at CES.

Proof is in the presentation

Crystal Foote, founder and head of partnerships at ad tech company Digital Culture Group, is looking at CES as an opportunity to demonstrate where AI is turning from promise to proof.

“CES used to be powered by conversations. Now it’s powered by proof. We’re approaching it as a proof floor, focused on live demos that put real capability in front of decision-makers and show impact in minutes,” Foote said in an email to Revenue Brew.

Foote also expressed that CES could be an early year inflection point for revenue leaders who want to go find tech that actually works for their team, and want proof of that all-important ROI upfront.

“Revenue leaders want transparent workflows, auditable outputs, and performance beyond the hype. CES now rewards teams who can back up their claims in real time,” Foote said.

New year, new innovations

For Lauren Benedict, Roku’s vice president of global ad sales and partnerships, CES 2026 is an opportunity for the content platform and device maker to showcase how it’s adapting to a fast-changing television entertainment space.

“It allows us to effectively tell a connected story about how we are building a platform that equally serves viewers, content partners, and advertisers,” she said via email. Benedict says that from a rev org perspective, CES allows Roku to re-energize partners and highlight innovation. She adds that it helps set the tone for its engagement with brands and agencies.

And yes, AI is still the hottest topic in town. Benedict says she’ll be looking for developments there.

“Continued advancements in [connected TV] technology are poised to elevate the streaming experience even further, especially through AI-powered content discovery and personalization,” Benedict told Revenue Brew.

Stay tuned!

The opportunity to reach a huge audience is part of the pull of CES for brands, technologists, and innovators of all stripes. (Aside from the giant media footprint, CES drew over 140,000 visitors last year.)

Revenue Brew will be on the ground in Las Vegas from January 6–9, so look out for dispatches from the hottest tech conference on the planet.