The Consumer Technology Association has announced that CES will no longer go ahead in January 2021 as previously planned. CES is the world’s biggest consumer technology show, dominating much of the news agenda at the start of the year.
As recently as last month, the CTA said it was planning to host CES 2021 as an in-person event, albeit with enhanced sanitation policies in place. But a lot has happened since early June and with new Covid-19 cases continuing to pour in at a record rate, it seems increasingly likely that we’re nowhere near the end of this thing.
It didn’t help CES’ cause that, back in April, there was a news story suggesting that the 2020 event had helped supercharge the spread of the virus. Given that the event had 182,000 attendees from all over the world, all of whom were packed like sardines into trade show halls, it’s certainly plausible. It didn’t help that video footage emerging from Las Vegas casino floors showed a number of patrons not wearing masks, and all in close proximity to one another.
The CTA had said, for CES 2021, that it was expecting to take a number of extra precautions to enable the show to go ahead. That included wider aisles, more space in meeting and breakout areas as well as regular sanitation of booths and tables. Despite this, it’s likely that a number of companies would prefer to stay at home rather than spend a lot of money sending their employees to the event.
The CTA said it plans to return to Las Vegas for CES 2022 with an experience that combines the best elements of a physical and digital show.
