In January, the biggest names in technology will converge on Las Vegas for Consumer Electronics Show , one of the largest technology exhibitions in the world. The event includes press conferences and new product announcements, as well as early demos and debuts of new and upcoming games.

Consumer Electronics Show is the launching point for the biggest tech products of the year, including smartphones, tablets, computers, big-screen TVs, gaming hardware and more. The show draws over 140,000 attendees, including press, retail representatives, investors and analysts.

The event is closed to the public, but for those lucky enough to attend, CES is a rare chance to get hands-on time with products weeks or even months before anyone else, and for everyone at home, it's an opportunity to learn more about the gadgets and high-end electronics you'll be springing for later in the year.CES occurs the second week in January, starting from Monday the 9th until Friday the 13th. Monday is devoted exclusively to press events, while the exhibition halls are open from Tuesday to Friday.There are sure to be plenty of surprises at CES, but there are a number of product trends we expect to see, namely slimmer, sleeker HDTVs with extensive web integration and quad-core smartphones and tablets.

More importantly, CES will offer a glimpse into new industry-wide trends that will define the rest of the year, such as ubiquitous platforms that will share information and applications seamlessly between mobile, desktop computing and home entertainment products.While much of what will be shown at CES is being kept under wraps, you can expect to see several previously unannounced PS Vita titles, new implementations for Kinect for the Xbox 360 and more. Recently, rumors began to circulate about Microsoft potentially announcing the Xbox 720 during its E3 press conference, but we wouldn't bank on it . We'll just have to wait and see. Nintendo will be showing off the Wii U in a limited, behind closed doors capacity, but it will only be available to the press and the demos will be identical to those shown at E3.Exhibitors will include, but will not be limited to: Microsoft, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Sharp, HTC, Pioneer, PlayStation, Turtle Beach, Razer, Nyko, NVIDIA, AMD, Mad Catz and more. IGN's on-site crew will consist of Scott Lowe, Justin Davis, Justin Rubio, Ty Root and Anthony Cava.Monday, January 9, will be jam-packed with press conferences, but the two biggest events will be Sony and Microsoft. Sony is up first at 5pm PST, while Microsoft starts at 6:30pm PST. IGN will be attending both conferences and bringing you live blog coverage.IGN will not be hosting a live show at CES, however, some companies will be streaming their conferences and events independently.

For all the latest from CES, head on over to IGN.com/CES