Fitness area to grow by 30 percent at 2014 Consumer Electronics Show
A surge in fitness electronic products and consumer demand is propelling the category to one of the fastest-growing sectors in tech.
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Fitness is a hot-and-fast-growing trend among the techie crowd.
The Consumer Electronics Association announced Thursday that its digital fitness zone at the high-profile Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is expected to grow by 30 percent for the 2014 edition, Jan. 7-10, in Las Vegas.
The FitnessTech zone at CES, which focuses on latest technologies for the sports and fitness enthusiast, will expand to 11,500 square feet and showcase more than 75 companies, such as FitBit, GeoPalz, Polar and Wahoo Fitness, officials said.
“With improvements in sensor technology, devices can monitor everything from steps taken to stairs climbed, which allows consumers to better monitor their daily activity and create smarter goals,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, International CES and corporate business strategy, CEA. “There’s no denying that fitness has gone high tech and that CES is the place to experience the latest consumer health tech advances.”
The Consumer Electronics Association predicts that digital fitness sales will grow by 25 percent in 2014. “The fact that FitnessTech has outperformed the industry’s projected growth, shows that we’ve tapped into an increasingly important part of the consumer electronics industry,” officials said.
As SNEWS reported from the 2013 Health and Fitness Expo, technology is coming on strong in fitness industry, particularly with cardio equipment, and there is likely to be more partnerships between tech, app and equipment brands. The outdoor industry also continues to see a surge of electronics enter the field, such as GPS watches, video capture and portable power.
In addition to the TechZone at CES, a full-day FitnessTech conference produced by Living in Digital Times will take place during the 2014 CES on Tuesday, Jan.7. It will highlight key trends impacting the collective multi-billion dollar sports, fitness and outdoor markets. Topics of discussion will include: a battle of the bands (fitness bands), the quantified generation, wearable tech and how fitness devices will get even smarter.
