CES Goes Virtual, No In-Person Event Scheduled for 2021

CES Goes Virtual, No In-Person Event Scheduled for 2021

Organizers of the Consumer Electronics Show announced the 2021 event will be online-only.

  • Jul 29, 2020

Several months into the COVID-19 pandemic, feelings of uncertainty still influence large decisions impacting people all over the world. Perhaps the largest changes impacting security professionals is that of large scale events being cancelled or turned virtual. The latest in a string of conferences to be turned digital is the Consumer Electronics Show, an annual trade show touted for being the global stage of innovation for all consumer products. 

CES CEO Gary Shapiro announced on July 28, that CES 2021 would no longer be an in-person event and instead, asked attendees to, "get ready for a new immersive experience where you'll have a front row seat to the action." Though the event had an optimistic schedule of January 2021, organizers felt uneasy gathering thousands of people in Las Vegas.

"We concluded it is simply not possible to safety gather over 100,000 people indoors with a raging COVID-19 virus and no real hope for a tested and widely available vaccine by January," Shapiro said. "The world does not need more COVID-19 cases, and we decided we would do our part by ensuring we are not helping the spread of the disease."

For now, the virtual event is set for the first week of January, with more news about the "immersive experience" coming soon. Looking to the future, however, Shapiro is confident that CES 2022 will return to Las Vegas, with even some included elements of the virtual show. 

Featured

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

  • Report: Cyber Attackers Continue to Turn to AI-Based Tools to Avoid Detection

    Comcast Business recently released its 2025 Cybersecurity Threat Report, a comprehensive analysis of 34.6 billion cybersecurity events detected between June 1,2024 and May 31, 2025. Now in its third year, the report offers business leaders a unique perspective into the evolving threat landscape and provides actionable insights to help organizations strengthen their defenses and align cybersecurity with business risk. Read Now

  • Axis Communications Creates AI-powered Video Surveillance Orchestra

    What if cameras could not only see the world, but interpret it—and respond like orchestra musicians reading sheet music: instantly, precisely, and in perfect harmony? That’s what global network technology leader Axis Communications set to find out. Read Now

  • Just as Expected

    GSX produced a wonderful tradeshow earlier this week. Monday was surprisingly strong in the morning, and the afternoon wasn’t bad at all. That’s Monday’s results and asking attendees to travel on Sunday. Just a quick hint, no one wants to give up their weekend to travel and set up an exhibit booth. I’m just saying. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX

  • NOLA: The Crescent City

    Twenty years later we finds ourselves in New Orleans. Twenty years ago the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina forced exhibitors and attendees to look elsewhere for tradeshow floor space. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • GSX
Most   Popular

New Products

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.