CES is undoubtedly one of the biggest events in the tech world, with hundreds of different tech-related brands and companies coming together to show off their latest and greatest tech to the world – it can be a lot of fun, and our team had a great time there last year checking out new products from MSI, Alienware, and many others.
It looks like the Las Vegas staple event isn’t going anywhere either, with the events planners releasing a statement that confirms their plans to develop a new, live and in-person event in Las Vegas next year.
The planners said ‘While we plan to produce another in-person event in Las Vegas, we all face new considerations around attending conferences, conducting business, and traveling to meetings. Just as your companies are innovating to overcome the challenges this pandemic presents, we are adapting to the evolving situation. And we want to ensure CES continues to help you make the connections you need to grow your business and your brand.’
It looks like CES 2021’s plans include the famous networking and socializing events that help it maintain its level of success, and that they are also prioritizing their visitor’s health if they do choose to attend the event in person.
That’s not to say the event isn’t going to limit its reach virtually. The planners also promised to expand the show’s digital reach next year, with more live-streamed content and many more ‘engaging digital and virtual opportunities’ that will apparently let users connect with exhibitors in the digital realm. Apparently, there are also plans to showcase products and technology digitally alongside their physical presence in Vegas as well, so for those unable to attend CES 2021, there could be a much greater level of virtual interactivity than in recent years.
Of course, all of this is under the assumption that in January next year the threat level of the virus will have dropped to a safer level, and that the CES 2021 event will be able to open responsibly. Right now, we don’t know whether this will be the case, and the list of measures that CES listed in their statement might not be enough to quell the spread of a virus in a crowd size that CES draws (last year it totaled around 175,000 people), especially in the indoor venues that CES usually takes place in.
As well as the uncertainty regarding the state of the pandemic in seven months time, this statement has been released during a season usually reserved for big gaming and PC news conferences –most notably in the shape of E3 – who this year have all taken to the online medium to ensure that their news can be disseminated in the safest and most responsible way. It is encouraging to know that staples of the yearly technology calendar are trying to keep to a sense of normality though.
Whilst its entirely possible that a version of CES could take place next year, we will have to wait and see if the state of not only the world but the measures put in place by the CES organizers are enough to allow the show to go on next year. Here’s hoping though.