Panasonic Drops Its Own CES Booth, Sony Skips CES 2027: What Visitors Should Know
October 22, 2026
Key points
- Panasonic Holdings will not have its own exhibit at CES 2027, after 60 consecutive years of participation since the first show in 1967.
- Sony Group and its affiliates do not plan to exhibit at CES 2027, after Sony’s CES 2026 presence came through Sony Honda Mobility.
- Samsung showed at its own hotel venue in 2026, so visitors should check the Exhibitor Directory and floor plans on ces.tech.
Panasonic Holdings will not have its own exhibit at CES 2027, the technology trade show held in Las Vegas on January 6–9, 2027, while Sony Group and its affiliates do not plan to exhibit at the show. For Panasonic, it is the first CES without an exhibit of its own after 60 consecutive years of participation dating back to the first show in 1967. For Sony, it is the first CES without an exhibit from the group or any of its affiliates.
This article is the English edition of a piece we published in Japanese on October 1, 2026. It covers what the two companies announced, how other large exhibitors have moved off the main show floor, and how to check who is exhibiting where. The information reflects press reports as of September 29, 2026, and the organizer’s website, ces.tech.
Panasonic: no exhibit of its own for the first time in 60 years
Panasonic Holdings will not have its own exhibit at CES in January 2027, according to reports by Nikkei, Kyodo News and the Yomiuri Shimbun.
The company has taken part in every CES since the first show in 1967, when it was still Matsushita Electric Industrial. Over the years it introduced products such as large-screen televisions there, and its executives have delivered keynotes. This will be the first CES at which Panasonic does not have an exhibit of its own after 60 consecutive years of participation.
In comments reported by the Japanese press, the company said CES remains an important venue for communication, but that it is reviewing its communication activities as a whole with an emphasis on contributing to corporate value and business growth, and that cost cutting is not the purpose. Kyodo News also reported the company saying it had weighed the decision against its business strategy and the goals of its outreach.
Panasonic may still show technologies and products at an industry association booth, even without a stand of its own, according to the reports. Whether it returns in 2028 or later has not been decided.
Sony Group: neither the parent nor its affiliates will exhibit
Sony Group said on September 28, 2026, that it will not exhibit at CES in January 2027. Reports say the decision covers the whole group, affiliates included.
According to the reports, it will be the first CES since the event began in 1967 without an exhibit from Sony or any of its affiliates.
Sony Group had already skipped exhibiting under its own name at CES in January 2026. Its presence that year came through Sony Honda Mobility, the joint venture with Honda, which showed the AFEELA electric vehicle.
Sony Honda Mobility then announced on March 25, 2026, that it was discontinuing development and sales of the AFEELA 1 and a planned second model. On April 21, 2026, Sony Group, Honda and Sony Honda Mobility announced that they would review the venture’s structure and scale down its operations for the time being.
A Sony spokesperson told Bloomberg that the company continuously and strategically reviews how it approaches events and communications, based on the needs and priorities of its varied businesses. Reports say Sony is putting more weight on its entertainment businesses, such as games, anime, film and music, and on technology that supports creators.
Other large exhibitors have changed how they show up
Some large companies have not left CES but have moved their exhibits away from the main halls.
At CES 2026, Samsung Electronics did not operate a public booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). Instead, it established a standalone exhibition hall at the Wynn Las Vegas.
Large exhibitors now appear in three kinds of places:
– The main exhibit halls: the LVCC and the Venetian Expo – Company-run venues at hotels: Samsung Electronics at the Wynn Las Vegas in 2026 – Industry-association or country pavilions: Panasonic Holdings may exhibit at an association booth, according to the reports
How to check exhibitors and locations on ces.tech
CES 2027 uses 12 venues. Which companies exhibit where can be checked in the organizer’s Exhibitor Directory, and the layout inside each hall in the organizer’s floor plans.
One way to decide what to see is the CES Innovation Awards. The CES 2027 honorees will be published on November 9, 2026. Products whose companies chose to delay disclosure will be published on January 4, 2027.
What to Watch Next
Exhibitor lineups change from year to year. Panasonic Holdings will not have its own CES exhibit after 60 consecutive years of participation, Sony Group and its affiliates do not plan to exhibit at CES 2027, and some large exhibitors now show at their own venues rather than on the main floor. Before planning a route through the halls, check the organizer’s Exhibitor Directory and floor plans for CES 2027. The Innovation Awards honorees on November 9, 2026, and the companies’ own announcements ahead of January 2027, will show whether anyone else changes course.
Sources
Nikkei – Panasonic HD to skip CES 2027 after 60 consecutive years (Japanese)
Kyodo News via Yahoo! Japan News – Panasonic HD will not exhibit at CES in January (Japanese)
Nikkei – Sony Group to skip CES 2027, affiliates included (Japanese)
Bloomberg – Sony to Skip CES Show After Honda EV Venture Dropped
Honda – Review of Sony Honda Mobility’s business direction, March 25, 2026 (Japanese)
Honda – Future direction of Sony Honda Mobility’s business, April 21, 2026 (Japanese)
