i3 - September/October 2020 - 2

From the CEO

Why an All-Digital CES 2021
is the Right Thing to Do

CTA, owner and producer of CES®, has
announced CES 2021 will be a global digital
event without a physical Las Vegas presence.
Why would the world's most important business and innovation event make its January
2021 event all-digital?
It certainly wasn't due to a lack of interest or
success in our annual physical event in Las
Vegas. CES 2020 attracted over 170,000
attendees, 6000 media and 4000 exhibitors.
Thousands of exhibitors have already signed
up for and committed to CES 2021.
It wasn't to make money. Canceling the
physical presence, investing in an all-digital
presence for 2021 and creating a fair refund
policy was the costliest option on the table.
It wasn't because we don't love the incredible
hospitality and trade show friendliness of Las
Vegas. We are so sad to disappoint our partners and the Las Vegas community, hotel and
restaurant workers, skilled union workers, professional drivers and others who not only rely
on our physical event for their livelihood but
extend their hospitality to our exhibitors and
attendees. We value them and know our alldigital approach in 2021 affects them. But we
will be back in town for CES 2022!
It wasn't because we no longer believe in the
power of live, face-to-face events. People still need people -
in-person, human interaction. Trade shows provide a five-sense
experience that allows relationships to be formed, new products
to be launched, and discovery and serendipity to occur.
It's wasn't because we don't want and love to promote innovation and the power of technology to solve problems. Our
2

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

i3_0920_02_FOB_CeoLetter.indd 2

Gary Shapiro,
President and CEO

Ipopba/Getty Images

mission is to enable innovation to solve human problems -
and an all-digital event will not only help mitigate transmission of the virus, it will highlight technology that improves
virtual engagement when in-person meetings aren't an
option. More, it will allow hundreds of thousands of people
involved in innovation anywhere in the world to access CES,
see new products, hear hundreds of CEOs, experts and visionaries and interact with thousands of industry
executives and leaders.
Along with our executive board, we concluded
it is simply not possible to safely gather over
100,000 people indoors with a raging COVID19 virus and no real hope for a tested and widely
available vaccine by January.
Instead, we commit to producing the best possible global digital innovation event. We will
spread the gospel of 5G, artificial intelligence, selfdriving vehicles and new forms of mobility, digital
and telehealth, resilience, robotics, drones, new
forms of entertainment, 8K Ultra HD screens and
smart TVs to the curious, entrepreneurs, investors, business and media who can access the best
of CES from their homes and offices.
CES 2021 will
Our CES 2021 attendees will hear and see
be different. It the future. They will also learn first-hand from
global policy leaders about big policy issues
will be alldigital. It is the involving privacy, competition and the regulation of new technologies and media platforms.
right way to
CES 2021 will digitally gather those who have
focus on the
come to rely on CES for inspiration, business
cause of
and knowledge about innovation and possibiliinnovation in
ties. We will provide a first-class experience for
the thousands of journalists, investors, retailers,
this unique
moment in our entrepreneurs and innovators who rely on, bent from, love and feel ownership of CES.
shared global efiCES
2021 will be different. It will be all-digital.
history.
It is the right way to focus on the cause of innovation in this unique moment in our shared
global history.
Mark your calendars for Jan. 6-9, 2021 and
stay tuned for some amazing announcements!

I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

9/2/20 3:35 PM

http://CES.tech

i3 - September/October 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - September/October 2020