European Night at CES 2023: How the EIC and national pavilions pitched European innovation in Las Vegas
- ›The European Innovation Council and national pavilions jointly hosted an invitation-only European Night reception during CES 2023 in Las Vegas.
- ›The event gathered more than 300 delegates from 17 European countries exhibiting at CES, and featured a pitching session and a high-level panel.
- ›CES 2023 hosted around 2,400 exhibitors from 166 countries under the theme 'Human Security for All'.
- ›The European Innovation Council promotes its Overseas Trade Fairs Programme 2.0 to help EIC-supported companies commercialise abroad, while questions remain about measurable outcomes for such missions.
European Night at CES 2023: EU innovation on the global stage
On 20 December 2022 the European Innovation Council announced it would host a European Night reception during CES 2023, the Consumer Technology Association’s flagship trade show in Las Vegas. The reception was organised jointly with representatives from the European national pavilions that would be present on the show floor. The gathering was invitation only and aimed to promote "European innovation excellence" to international partners, investors and potential customers.
What happened at the reception
The business reception brought together more than 300 attendees, including senior officials and companies from 17 European countries that had exhibition presence at CES. The programme combined company pitches with a panel discussion featuring representatives from public agencies and industry. The event’s stated purpose was networking to help European innovators expand their global partnerships.
| Item | Detail | Notes |
| Host | European Innovation Council and representatives from European National Pavilions | |
| Event | European Night Reception during CES 2023 | Invitation only |
| Location | Las Vegas, USA | |
| CES dates | 5 to 8 January 2023 | |
| Reception attendees | More than 300 people | High level representatives and companies from 17 European countries |
| CES 2023 exhibitors | Around 2,400 from 166 countries | CES organisers headline the show theme as 'Human Security for All' |
| Agenda highlights | Pitching session and a panel discussion |
Speakers and moderation
The panel assembled a mix of public sector and industry figures. Participants named in the programme included Antonino Laspina, Director of ITA New York and coordinator of the ITA network in the United States. From the European Commission side Jean-David Malo, Director of the Executive Agency for the European Innovation Council and SMEs, was listed. Private sector and ecosystem voices included Constantijn van Oranje-Nassau, special envoy at Techleap, and Gary J. Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association which runs CES. The session was moderated by Stephanie Selesnick, President of International Trade Information, Inc.
| Panelist | Role | Organisation |
| Antonino Laspina | Director, coordinator of ITA network in the US | ITA New York |
| Jean-David Malo | Director | Executive Agency for the European Innovation Council and SMEs |
| Constantijn van Oranje-Nassau | Special envoy | Techleap |
| Gary J. Shapiro | CEO | Consumer Technology Association |
| Stephanie Selesnick | Moderator | International Trade Information, Inc. |
Why CES matters to European innovation policy
CES is one of the world’s largest technology trade shows with thousands of exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees. For European policymakers and the EIC, presence at CES is pitched as an opportunity to raise the profile of EU-backed innovators, attract partners and investors and help EIC beneficiaries accelerate internationalisation. The EIC’s Overseas Trade Fairs Programme aims to lower the logistical and financial barriers that small and medium sized deep tech companies face when exhibiting abroad.
Context and caveats
Trade fair attendance and networking are common tools in innovation diplomacy. They can deliver leads and exposure but turning introductions into sustained funding or sales is not automatic. For deep tech companies that require long sales cycles and rigorous regulatory approvals, the immediate commercial payoff from a short trade show is often modest. Measuring impact therefore requires tracking follow up deals and longer term international partnerships rather than counting stand visits or meeting notes.
About CES 2023 and the stated theme
CES 2023 was promoted by organisers as an event that would spotlight technology addressing global challenges under the theme 'Human Security for All'. That framing is broad and encompasses areas such as digital safety, healthcare, critical infrastructure and resilience. The theme can align with public sector priorities although trade shows do not by themselves guarantee responsible deployment or regulatory compliance of the technologies presented.
What to watch next
For observers tracking EU innovation policy, the key indicators to follow are whether EIC-backed companies secure concrete partnerships after the show, whether pilot projects or procurement deals follow, and whether the programme publishes clear post-event impact reporting. The EIC and implementing agencies are experimenting with a variety of market access instruments. To justify continued public support for costly international missions, demonstrable returns in investment, export growth or scaled deployments will be necessary.
For companies, CES and the European Night reception offer a high visibility platform and access to a broad set of potential collaborators. For policymakers, it is an opportunity to present the EU innovation offer abroad. The real test will be whether that visibility translates into measurable outcomes that accelerate commercialization and industrial scaling of European research.