How Michael Kassan’s 3C Ventures Is Showing Up at CES

Michael Kassan helped put the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on the map, and now he’s back with a new company to help usher in the next wave of the conference.

While Kassan has been going to the show for close to 40 years, he started speaking and bringing in high-powered thought leaders roughly 18 years ago under his own name. As the head of MediaLink, Kassan brought together those at the cutting edge of technology with top marketers and brands.

Early last year, Kassan split with his old company and UTA amid a series of lawsuits, but ultimately, he started his own new company, 3C Ventures. The three Cs are “consulting, convening, and co-investing,” according to Kassan, and the “convening” part is what relates to CES—bringing people together to share ideas, not just partying over new technology.

“It’s never been about a party for me. It’s always been about the substantive side of that, which is when you get the leadership of the industry together in a kind of check your weapons at the door approach,” Kassan told ADWEEK.

With 3C Ventures, Kassan hopes to continue to capture the magic of the CES moment, with thought leadership leading the way, even though MediaLink still has a large presence at the convention.

Being at CES is important to 3C Ventures, as the company stated that it drives meaningful introductions that lead to transformative partnerships. For Kassan and company, it’s not just about networking but also about guiding the best path to meaningful collaboration.

MediaLink has no opening night event, as it used to, and 3C Ventures is stepping in. Rather than a big party, the company, in partnership with iHeartMedia, Pinterest, and Publicis Sapient, is hosting a formal, seated dinner featuring a conversation with author Malcolm Gladwell.

“I’ve decided, since I wrote this plan nearly 20 years ago, I get to rewrite it,” Kassan said. “The idea of a mosh pit wasn’t as appealing as it used to be to me, so I decided to go the way it started with a more intimate seated dinner.”

Thought leadership and celebrating innovation

3C Ventures looks to be at the center of transformative discussions at CES, bringing together leaders and innovators to shape the future of advertising, entertainment, and technology. It’s a concept that Kassan said led to CES being an industry tentpole event, along with Cannes Lions.