By Patrick Avenell

Panasonic’s new president, Kazuhiro Tsuga, has been booked to deliver the opening keynote at the 2013 International CES in Las Vegas, indicating that the Japanese electronics giant will have something special to announce at the show.

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Tsuga’s appointment to the Panasonic presidency was only confirmed yesterday, so CEA CEO and president Gary Shapiro took this announcement as an opportunity to congratulate him.

“Panasonic is one of the largest and most dynamic consumer electronics companies in the world, and I congratulate Mr Tsuga on his official appointment to president of Panasonic Corporation,” said Shapiro. “We are thrilled to have Mr Tsuga take the stage for his opening keynote at the 2013 International CES, and we look forward to hearing his vision for the future of Panasonic and its leadership in green innovation.”

Although Panasonic has globally moved from a primarily AV electronics company to one that now sells more appliances than entertainment products, its forward participation at CES hints at a big announcement, most likely OLED panels.

Samsung and LG have already indicated that they will be releasing OLED panels into Australia by the end of 2012, with $10,000 price tags – an amount harking back to the first days of flat panels – being rumoured.