CES 2020 was one of the last major electronics shows to have been held in-person before the onslaught of cancellations started because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organizers of the annual CES tech show in Las Vegas, has announced that next year’s event will be an online-only affair because of continuing health concerns.
CES 2021 was originally scheduled to run from January 6-9 in Las Vegas. According to the revised itinerary, it will still he held over the same four days. However, it will be an online-only event because of the pandemic. In a press release, the CTA said that CES 2021 will be an ‘all-digital experience’. It will connect exhibitors, customers, thought leaders and media from around the world, the organization said. As things stand now, CES 2022 will still be an in-person event.
In a statement released Tuesday, Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA, said: “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”. It will also “deliver a unique experience that helps our exhibitors connect with existing and new audiences”, he said.
The latest development follows Google’s recent announced that its employees will continue to work from home until July, 2021. It is yet another sign that the pandemic is not going anywhere anytime soon. Either way, let’s hope that we get a COVID-19 vaccine soon enough for us to get back to normalcy. Until then, these online-only events will remain the new normal.
