What Attending Virtual CES 2021 Was Like
Updated: 1/14/2021 at 3:31pm
This post is a day-by-day update of my experience attending the very first fully online CES.
Like most folks in the tech industry, I’ve been attending CES events for many years. I was amped at the idea of an all-digital CES. It’s the first, after all. Plus, a year without CES blisters is a godsend. What I didn’t want to miss out on is the cool new tech.
If you want the Coles-Cliff Note version, you’ll find that below the day-to-day overviews.
CES — DAY ONE
It’s day one of four. I’m excited to wake up and look at the schedule as I log in the morning.
I had to do a double-take seeing only one scheduled event, which happened to be the Verizon Keynote. I figured I had to be missing something.
What’s odder is the technology blog Engadget had a slew of events listed for the day. I assume that Engadget and other tech news likely have access to closed-door press conferences and a ton of embargoed press.
Engadget.com’s Schedule
No Exhibitor Booths Day One :(
One of every CES's prominent features is the vast number of exhibitors showing off cool, crazy, and strange new technologies. There is always something for everyone!
On day one of CES, the Exhibitor Directory showed company logos and a “add to my show” button, which saved them to your profile. I was excited to click to see the booths, but there were no other links, so that’s where the journey came to a full stop.
Later in the evening, a notice was put up in the CES Portal that the Exhibition Spaces would be available on day two. I’m not sure why they did this cause I was eager to jump right in.
CES — DAY TWO
Do you remember having to plan your days at CES? It was often too crazy busy even to eat! On day two of CES online, I expected there to be plenty of things and events to catch.
I was not disappointed with a day full of exclusive discussions in the CES event portal. This includes brand-name exhibitor sessions, presentations, and conference sessions. This is the CES I remember! The biggest difference is that in the real-life version, there were multiple events taking place simultaneously. Having to pick between events was part of the fun (#firstworldproblems).
Since booths weren’t available on day one, I was super excited to check them out on day two. I had been daydreaming about what they could look like. As an event organizer in my past life and now an avid VR user, I am keen to see where the online events and conference space is going next.
In the case of Exbhitor Spaces at CES online, it turned out to be in the form of company one-pagers. They include photos, video, details on what they’re working on or announcing, and even a chat tool so you can engage in chat on the page. It was nice being able to download PDF decks and presentations.
CES — DAY THREE
Today, there are a ton of events exclusive to the CES portal. Too many to mention. Once again, however, I find most of the latest CES news from Twitter. The definite benefit of day three is, I was able to re-watch the previous events I missed.
Good — Great content. Awesome speakers.
Bad — No way to engage other than emojis and can’t ask questions.
CES — DAY FOUR (grand finale)
Today there were two scheduled talks before 6 am, which means I did not attend. Sorry!
I did notice a new section on the CES event portal landing page called “Recommended Exhibitors.” It showcases a series of company logos and names “based on the interests you selected.” This recommended section is a great idea, especially since CES knows what I like from my registration, which features an extensive questionnaire.
It would have been great also to include a company one-liner or flavor text alongside the logo to make it easier to browse. Without knowing the logo or company name, it was a game of click and see.
Today, a new banner on the CES Portal landing page showcases the CES-specific innovation awards showcase. This is the first time I’ve seen new technology showcased on the landing page, outside of sponsored content. Three are mentioned below, and you can see a video by ZDnet of the other winners here.
CES 2021 WRAP UP: Gripes & Opportunities
Overall, the CES Portal itself was simple to use and, thankfully, didn’t require any specific video walkthrough ahead of time. I was grateful for this since a few online events haven’t been as intuitive.
That said, I was expecting the CES portal to be the bee’s knees of the whole CES excitement, coverage, and tech party craziness. I was super excited about it and expected it with how BIG CES does Pomp and Circumstance.
After four days, I couldn’t figure out how to see late-breaking updates or new product announcements in the CES Portal. My tech heart fizzled.
For example, Samsung and Lenovo made big tech announcements. Both of which, I couldn’t find any info on in the CES Portal. The anticipated AMD announcement also happened outside of the CES Portal, specifically on AMD’s YouTube account.
For whatever reason, it seemed like most announcements were held outside of the CES portal and weren’t available in the portal either. At least that I could find, and that was really disappointing.
That said, CES 2021, in general, was lit!
I had to follow along using the CES hashtag on Twitter. If I weren’t following there, I would have missed out on all the latest tech updates and announcements.
Tech West, Tech South, Tech East
A staple of CES is halls. The online version didn’t have this and instead had an index and search feature for finding exhibiting companies. It was possible to filter by topic, with ‘startups’ results showing 644 companies. There was little context for their products or technology focus with only a company logo and name, no one-liner. I really missed how CES normally categorizes exhibitors by hall and topic.
Good — The portal was an aesthetically pleasing and simple interface
Bad — It’s impossible to find things you don’t know exist yet
What about Eureka Park, you ask?
It’s the ‘best part’ of the show for many attendees. The only mention of Eureka Park I could find online is the ad below.
When I clicked on it, it took me to the generic Exhibitors landing page. I wasn’t able to find a Eureka Park specific filter. I’m almost hoping that I missed it somehow and that it was there somewhere in all its crazy tech glory.
I Missed The Fast-Pace and Getting to Hang with Cool Tech People
Typically CES is known for being overwhelming in a good way. There’s too much to see and not enough time. There were no social events or networking areas other than meetings, at least that I could find.
In terms of an experience, it didn’t feel like CES and was missing the Las Vegas excitement, which I believe partly has to do with how social it is and how distant CES felt. Conferences could best be described as a one-sided Zoom meeting.
Irrational Expectations
Having taken part in a few online events this year, I was really hoping for more of an online exhibition space that is 2D ‘walkable’ online, ways to be able to see new things easily, and the opportunity to socialize with other attendees outside of booking meetings.
As the largest technology conference globally, it’s understandable that they wouldn't’ want to risk the event with technology or experiences that aren’t sound. It’s got to be a lot of pressure to put on the greatest consumer technology event in the world with over a hundred thousand attendees.
Till then, I’m still daydreaming of the many opportunities there are to leverage new tech and bridge IRL, mobile, PC, and VR experiences. And it goes without saying, that I’ll be hyped again next year for CES 2022.
