COVID-19 Pandemic Can’t Stop CES

The Consumer Electronics Show is an annual event held in Las Vegas where manufacturers get to introduce their newest innovations and inventions. This year’s event was a virtual event because of the spread of COVID-19. It was the first time the event has gone completely virtual.

Most of the tech that is featured at CES won’t be available for at least a couple of years. Some won’t even come to market at all. Let’s take a look at how CES 2021 was made possible, and the importance conferences are for business, virtual or not. 

CES 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has made gathering in large groups nearly impossible; or, at the least extremely risky. Many annual conferences have chosen to cancel their events, while others have looked to the Internet as a platform capable of hosting these events. CES 2021, which is typically one of the largest technology conferences each year, decided to forge ahead with a virtual expo rather than canceling the event outright. 

It was tricky to get 1,800 companies to coordinate their events with some 150,000 attendees, but it was made possible by streaming video and reliably-fast internet connections. This allowed the companies--that typically come from all over the world--to exhibit their new innovative tech as they would in an events center in Las Vegas. Here are some of the highlights from this year’s virtual event:

COVID-19 Technology

COVID-19 has been the major news story for most of the past year, and with infection rates rising, a lot of tech was introduced aimed at stemming the tide of viral infections. Smart masks were introduced that connect to your phone. They not only report air quality, they monitor your breathing. Another COVID-19-related technology that was prevalent was the introduction of voice-activated or motion sensor appliance fixtures. There was also a robot designed to use UV-C light to destroy viruses on surfaces, and a wearable air purifier.

Smartphones

Two separate companies, Korean LG and Chinese TCL, introduced new rolling displays for smartphones. The idea is that a smartphone can become a tablet--or a small device can expand--with the use of a rollable OLED display. 

Televisions

Each year television technology gets introduced at CES that changes the expectations of the market. This year was no different as LG introduced a 55-inch transparent display that is built into a bed frame and a 48-inch display that bends on demand and is designed to work with video game consoles. 

5G

Of course there were a lot of 5G-enabled devices at 2021 CES. It is, after all, probably the most talked-about emerging technology. Companies went on to discuss 5G capabilities and smart devices, autonomous cars, and more. 

Conferences Role In Business

Conferences like CES actually play a pretty important role in each market. They give companies the opportunity to share their work and expertise with other people working in the same market, and give industry professionals an opportunity to network. For a lot of businesses, conferences are some of the only opportunities they have to not only gain exposure, but to interact with industry leaders and competitors.

Despite being a virtual experience, many people gave solid reviews for CES 2021. Did you see some technology that you liked from the event? What do you think the most important emerging technology is? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and return to our blog for more great technology content.