Arlington, Va., November 18, 2013 – Bre Pettis, CEO and co-founder of MakerBot, a leader in desktop 3D printing, will deliver a keynote address at the 2014 International CES® Leaders in Technology (LIT) Dinner. Owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the 2014 International CES, the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies, will run January 7-10, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The LIT Dinner will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 8, in the Lafite Ballroom at Wynn Las Vegas. The invitation-only event gathers and honors the top technologists, entrepreneurs and policymakers instrumental in furthering technology innovation.
“Bre Pettis’ leadership and passion for innovation have played a critical role in the success of 3D printing for both professionals and consumers – the consumer category didn’t even exist a few years ago and is now one of the biggest stories to come out of the International CES,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “We are thrilled to have Bre keynote the 2014 CES LIT dinner and look forward to hearing his vision for how 3D printing will transform entrepreneurship, business and consumer opportunities in the year ahead.”
Pettis has led MakerBot as CEO since its beginning in 2009. Prior to co-founding MakerBot, he co-founded the Brooklyn hacker collective NYC Resistor, where Makerbot technology was first created, tested and proven. Pettis was instrumental in building the first prototypes of MaterBot’s 3D printers, and has become known worldwide as a leading evangelist for personal manufacturing. In 2012, Pettis was honored with the Disruptive Innovation Award from the Tribeca Film Festival, for “creating an entire ecosystem for desktop 3D printing.” He is passionate about providing tools for individuals and organizations to create the world around them.
New to the 2014 CES show floor, the 3D printing TechZone will showcase the latest advancements in 3D printing technology from top companies in the category. Following its initial launch, the 3D Printing TechZone sold out more than 3,000 net square feet of exhibit space and has since expanded to 6,900 square feet to meet exhibitor demand.
Former LIT Dinner speakers include Skype CEO Josh Silverman; Huffington Post Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief Arianna Huffington; Netflix Co-Founder and CEO Reed Hastings; eBay Inc. President and CEO John Donahue; and Pandora Chief Strategy Officer and Founder Tim Westergren.
The Leaders in Technology Program at CES allows high-level public policymakers and technologists to learn from more than 3,200 exhibitors and thousands of new products that contribute to a dynamic industry that supports an expected $1 trillion in retail sales worldwide. The program also provides information and insight to assist officials in evaluating federal policies that affect the consumer technology industry. For more information on the Leaders in Technology Program, please contact Laura Hudson at [email protected] or 703-907-7604. For more information on the 2014 CES, visit CESweb.org.
Note to Editors: The official name of the global technology event is “International CES.” Subsequent references to the show can be shortened to “CES.” Please do not use “Consumer Electronics Show” to refer to the International CES.
About CES:
The International CES is the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for more than 40 years—the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace. As the largest hands-on event of its kind, CES features all aspects of the industry. And because it is owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the technology trade association representing the $203 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry, it attracts the world’s business leaders and pioneering thinkers to a forum where the industry’s most relevant issues are addressed.
Source: CE.org