Consumer Technology Association (CTA)

Formerly	Consumer Electronics Association (1999–2015)
Company type	Trade organization
Predecessor	Consumer Electronics Association
Founded	April 16, 1924; 100 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.
Number of locations	San Francisco, California, U.S. (1980–present)
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Gary J. Shapiro, President and CEO
Website	www.cta.tech

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is a standard and trade organization representing 1,376 consumer technology companies^[1] in the United States. CTA is led by president and CEO Gary J. Shapiro.

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]

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 is CTA's political action committee.

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.

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

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]

• CEA 2030, multi-room audio cabling standard

• CTA Corporate Report