The Consumer Technology Association's CES Expo is the first major technology event of the year and is often the debut of major new electronics trends set for the limelight in the not too distant future. Organisations from around world attend the Las Vegas showcase, many renting private venues near to the expo proper, underscoring how important it is to the industry as a whole. But with COVID-19 still dominating the news cycle and no end to the restrictions it imposes in sight, the CTA have announced the cancellation of the 2021 event.

Citing a need to ensure the health and safety of employees and attendees, CES 2021 will transition to an all-digital online only experience this January with keynotes and conferences from major tech. leaders. Product showcases will return in digital form, giving an excuse for in-house video teams to flex their creative muscles as well as avoiding some of the pesky awkward questions that can come up on the show floor. Some of the business of CES will therefore continue regardless despite the unfamiliar framework.

One aspect that's sure to suffer the most is networking and the other behind the scenes horse-trading that is the life-blood for any industry expo. The CTA and brands will be organising virtual meetings and round-table discussions coinciding with the event, but realistically next year's CES will be a distinct down-shift from the usual hustle of any conference that attracts tens of thousands of industry professionals.

CES 2021's online activities will begin in the first week of January, and the plan is to return to Las Vegas in 2022 bigger and better than ever. The smaller European CES Unveiled events, scheduled for the lead-up to the January centrepiece, are currently going ahead as planned but remain subject change based on the situation on the ground. To find out more tune your browser to CES.tech.

SOURCE: CTA PR on CES 2021