I've been to more tech events and launches than I can count in my decade-plus as a tech journalist, but Delta CES 2025 the opening speech is the only one that blew me away, both literally and figuratively. That's because the airline combined technology and storytelling to evoke an emotional response that felt surprisingly personal and deeply impactful—and in doing so, forged a connection to one of the biggest opportunities of the coming year.
Delta used the technology at the world's largest spherical site, the Las Vegas Spherewhich is a giant ball covered on the inside in screens, for its centennial event. In honor of 100 years of history, the airline also pulled Viola Davis, Tom Brady and Lenny Kravitz on stage to turn it into a proper party. But what was particularly impressive was how Delta used every bit of immersive power the Sphere possesses to bring the wow factor to a CES that lacked exceptional moments to inspire real excitement about how technology can transform our lives.
Viola Davis helped Delta tell her story to the audience.
In fact, by fully harnessing the power of Sphere's technology, Delta seemed to show the world how serious it is about technology in a way that many companies, including established tech brands, could learn from. Sphere's wraparound LED screen served as the canvas for an epic storytelling about the airline's past, present and future.
So often we are promised by technology companies that their innovations will make us feel more connected and bring us more meaningful experiences. Rarely can they deliver on these promises in a way that is satisfactory to us, the people who end up using that technology. From social media, to VR, to conversational AI, there's a gap between what we're told we'll feel and what we feel about it.
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The sphere, on the other hand, is full of technology that lives up to its promise. It creates a sense of shared wonder that in this case helped me feel emotionally invested in the brand. Even as someone who has never flown Delta before (it's not that big of an airline where I live in the UK), I came away with a thorough understanding of the airline's priorities, its people and its announcements, which incorporated an AI concierge and partnerships with Uber and YouTube.
Before Delta CEO Ed Bastian even took the stage, the audience was treated to a slow sunrise that stretched across the Sphere's truly massive 160,000 square foot screen before a massive Delta jet drove straight toward us. My seat rumbled and I was blown around by a gust of wind that made me feel like I was literally being lifted off an airport runway.
A spectacular fireworks display closed the show.
It was one of several moments during the keynote when Delta used the haptic technology embedded in each of Sphere's 10,000 seats, combined with the venue's visual and audio capabilities, to create a full-body multisensory experience. At one point, when the screen turned into a giant cockpit and we seemed to be drifting away from the ground, I felt my eyes cross and my stomach churn — a feeling similar to the kind of motion sickness I've experienced before in VR and beyond. roller coasters.
The 3D effect of the spinning globe gave the impression that it filled the sphere, while the closing fireworks filled the sky with whistles, pops and thuds echoing through the seats. In more intimate moments, cameras zoomed in on longtime Delta employees scattered throughout the audience as Bastian paid tribute to their contributions over many years of flying.
Lenny Kravitz's set also took advantage of the Sphere's big screens.
Even before the keynote, which took Delta nearly a year to design and prepare, this event was the hot ticket at CES—and as it turns out, rightfully so. Perhaps regular Delta fliers might have preferred it if the airline had invested that money in expanding legroom, but this often cynical reporter was impressed by the spectacle, which left me feeling more hopeful about the technology than I otherwise would have on this rather low tech show.
There was a stark contrast between stuffy, repetitive announcements and candid presentations by actual Delta flight attendants, which combined with the multi-sensory nature of the event left me feeling enveloped in the world of a bold, iconic brand that's not afraid to steal. the show.