Consumer Technology Association

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)^® is North America's largest standards and technology trade organization representing more than 1,200 technology companies.^[1] CTA is led by CEO and Vice Chair Gary J. Shapiro.

Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®

Formerly	Consumer Electronics Association (1999–2015)
Company type	Trade organization
Predecessor	Consumer Electronics Association
Founded	April 16, 1924; 101 years ago (1924-04-16) (as Radio Manufacturers Association) 1999 (as Consumer Electronics Association) 2015 (as Consumer Technology Association) U.S.
Headquarters	1919 S. Eads St., Crystal City, Virginia, U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Gary J. Shapiro (CEO and vice chair) Kinsey Fabrizio (president)
Number of employees	150
Website	www.cta.tech

Trade shows

CES

Main article: CES (annual technology trade show)

CES is a major technology trade show held each January in Las Vegas.

The first CES was held in 1967 in New York City.^[2] It was a spin-off from the Chicago Music Show,^[3] which until then had served as the main event for exhibiting consumer electronics. The event had 17,500 attendees and over 100 exhibitors.^[4] From 1978 to 1994, CES was held twice each year: once in January in Las Vegas, known as Winter Consumer Electronics Show (WCES), and once in June in Chicago, known as Summer Consumer Electronics Show. In 1998, the show changed to an annual format with Las Vegas as the location. CES is one of the largest and longest-running trade shows held in Las Vegas, taking up to 17 days to set up, run, and break down.^[5]

Awards programs

CTA has several awards programs for industry leaders, inventors, products, and technologies.

Since 1976, the Innovations Design and Engineering Awards has given consumer technology manufacturers and developers an opportunity to have their newest products judged by a panel of designers, engineers and members of the trade press.

CTAPAC

CTAPAC is CTA's political action committee.

CTA Foundation

In 2009, CTA established a charitable foundation dedicated to providing seniors and the disabled with technology in order to enhance their quality of life.^[6] Selfhelp Community Services, an eldercare service organization, in New York City received the first grant issued by what was originally called the CEA Foundation. The grant was dedicated to reducing social isolation and providing better access to community services among homebound seniors using computer and internet technology.

Hall of Fame

Main article: Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame

The CTA maintains a Hall of Fame, to which notable contributors to the field of consumer electronics are named.

Name changes

Former CTA logo, used from 1999 until 2015

CTA originally started as the Radio Manufacturers Association (RMA) in 1924. In 1950, it changed its name to Radio-Television Manufacturers Association (RTMA). In 1953, it changed its name to Radio-Electronics-Television Manufacturers Association (RETMA). It was then the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) from 1957 to 1998, when it became the Electronic Industries Alliance. In 1995, EIA's Consumer Electronics Group (CEG) became the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association (CEMA). In 1999, President Gary Shapiro announced the trade group's name change from CEMA to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and became an independent sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA).^[7] The name of CEA was changed to Consumer Technology Association (CTA) in November 2015.^[8]

See also

• CEA 2030, multi-room audio cabling standard