CES 2021 moves to all virtual January 11-14
Hundreds of thousands of media, vendors, support and the like usually descend upon Las Vegas every year to showcase all that’s new and shiny and claiming to be the “World’s First…” but not this year. For the first time in … I cannot find if it’s ever been delayed before… ok, first time in at least 10 years CES will not go on in Las Vegas but will be online only.
Whether this will fix any of the absurd internet problems or exacerbate them remains to be seen. CES has always been a hotspot of hotspots competing for bandwidth and a place where a perfect Bluetooth demo unit goes to die with 400 people within 20 feet of it trying to maintain communications with their Plantronics headsets.
CES has always been about the experience for me. The ridiculous. The Bluetooth-enabled teeth whitener booth unseeable because of the line to the booth next door with their LTE-connected vibrating underwear.
This will be my first virtual CES. It will also probably be the first time I CES without getting sick. Place is a germ fest in the best of times. This will also possibly be the first CES where most of the minor outlets who participate will be doing so without corporate fueled alcohol binges and swag bags dragging their souls toward unexpectedly favorable reviews.
Or maybe the vendors without the expanse of a CES spot in Vegas will wise up and ship booze directly.
