USA TODAY International Edition
Staying in Vegas: CES set in January
World’s largest tech show changes amid pandemic
Despite many conferences and trade shows being canceled in the wake of the COVID- 19 crisis, one show plans to forge ahead in January: CES.
The world’s largest tech trade show attracted more than 175,000 attendees five months ago, just before the coronavirus went global. Many tech shows are waiting for a redo next year, such as Mobile World Congress, the National Association of Broadcasters and developer conferences for Facebook, Google and Microsoft.
“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,” the show organizer, the Consumer Technology Association, says on its website. “Just as your companies are innovating to overcome the challenges this pandemic presents, we are adapting to the evolving situation.”
The CTA says more events from CES will be live- streamed, a nod to the trend in which many conferences are presented digitally only. The Apple Worldwide
Developer’s conference, for instance, meets on June 22, online only.
There are millions dollars at stake, not just for the CTA but the host city of Las Vegas – with thousands of hotel rooms that regularly are sold out, restaurants and other components of the service economy that depend on large events. CES 2021 is set for Jan. 6 to 9.
The CES gadget show is dominated by flashy TVs, cars and gadgets, from Samsung, LG, TCL and Sony. Beyond the trade show floor, many companies rent rooms at the hotels for meetings.
The CES attracts mob scenes at the most crowded booths and walkways.
The coronavirus has led most states to emphasize social distancing, and people wear face coverings when out.
The CTA said CES 2021 would be different from past exhibitions in that it would be cleaner and regularly sanitized. It promised better social distancing, “including widening aisles in many exhibit areas” and providing more space between seats in conference programs.
Shaking hands will be frowned upon, the CTA said, and attendees will be encouraged to wear masks.