Business
CES 2021 Latest Tech Show to Go Digital (MESA)
Story Highlights
Nearly six months out from the 2021 CES event scheduled to be held in Las Vegas Jan. 6-9, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) July 28 made the call to go all-digital for the show, due to health and logistical concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s the first time since the inaugural CES in 1967 that the show will not be held in person.
“Amid the pandemic and growing global health concerns about the spread of COVID-19, it’s just not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas in early January 2021 to meet and do business in person,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CTA. “Technology helps us all work, learn and connect during the pandemic — and that innovation will also help us reimagine CES 2021 and bring together the tech community in a meaningful way. By shifting to an all-digital platform for 2021, we can deliver a unique experience that helps our exhibitors connect with existing and new audiences.”
The 2021 CES joins a long list of major tech conferences to be moved to digital or cancelled altogether due to the pandemic, including the NAB Show, IBC, Mobile World Congress, SXSW, E3, Google I/O, Adobe Summit, Facebook F8, IBM Think, and Dell World. CES 2020 drew more than 182,000 attendees and more than 4,500 exhibitors.
CTA announced that the 2021 CES will be held as an all-digital event. “CTA’s goal for CES 2021 is to provide an engaging platform for companies large and small to launch products, build brands and form partnerships, while prioritising health and safety,” CTA said in a statement. “Members of the tech community thrive by coming together, sharing ideas and introducing products that will shape our future.”
Media events, product showcases, keynotes, conferences and networking will all be included in the digital version.
