wned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association ( CTA ), CES ® is the largest annual exhibition in the United States . Held every January in Las Vegas , NV , the 2020 edition brought an estimated US $ 291m in economic impact to the city . With over 2,000 exhibiting companies and 175,000 visitors it ’ s the juggernaut of all expos in the US . However , since this is 2021 and with Covid-19 shutdowns still the norm in the US , the exhibition went digital . It ’ s platform provider : Microsoft .

This year ’ s CES had 1,960 exhibiting companies from 37 countries . There were almost 700 new companies and start-ups proving exhibitions , whether digital or physical , are still the prime place to launch new products . Country pavilions , while down from 2020 , were still plentiful . Thousands of media from around the world attended the digital event . The Microsoft platform was easy to navigate and looked slick , but in the end , like all tradeshows , whatever effort exhibitors put into their ‘ booths ’, is what they probably garnered . Like all other ‘ virtual expos ’ we ’ ve seen to date , the show floor was essentially a catalogue , with each exhibitor providing a page of content . Companies could be found / sorted in a variety of ways : alphabetical , by category , subcategory , country , pavilion , etc .

Some of the exhibiting companies ’ stands / pages were slick , featuring videos , press releases , and chatbots . Others had proprietary microsites linked to their stands with even more content . Others ( disappointingly ) had nothing but an uncaptioned photo and contact information .

My favourite stand was Canon , the photography / video equipment

company , which had an outstanding presence in both their booth as well as microsite – including some great gamification involving searching for wolves in a landscape . ( I didn ’ t find the wolves but did find an eagle .) The usual networking opt-in options were available , including those between visitors with exhibitors and visitors with visitors , searches by name , categories of interest , messaging , appointment setting , etc . Meetings were held using Microsoft Teams .

CES offered over 100 educational offerings and included professionally produced keynotes . Something new was an Anchor Desk featuring live interviews and industry sector focuses . Many sessions were cut down from an hour ( on average ) to a half-hour – a smart accommodation to the digital experience ( i . e . watching from a screen instead of being in a room ). Last year ’ s show had 300 sessions across five different physical venues .

Allied partnerships Staying focused on core sectors , CTA works with allied industry groups and associations to bring in related ( but not core ) industry segments and educational offerings . In a sense , it ’ s a show-within-a-show and includes a revenue share between the parties .

This is a great way to expand an exhibition ’ s footprint with specific , growing sectors of an allied industry , and still stay true to the show ’ s core mission . For example , the Variety Entertainment Summit , as described on the CES platform , “ explored how new technologies and innovation are steering the future of film , digital media , gaming and more . Topics include the reinvention of entertainment through streaming , the rise of fan-first media , monetisation

Below : Stephanie Selesnick

of connected TV , brands pivoting with current consumer culture , the power of tech innovation during the pandemic and more .” This niche fits alongside consumer technology and is not technically consumer technology .

Are you aware of shows and / or groups who have a small , but significant segment of exhibitors and visitors who would benefit by being a part of a more horizontal show ? As the world opens up and exhibitions all over the world assist in economic recovery , look for increased partnerships between associations , trade groups and expos .

The future CES 2022 takes place next January in Las Vegas and also online . CES spokesperson Jaime Kaplan explained that the pandemic accelerated the show ’ s digital component by as much as ten years . Like other show organisers , they recognise that a digital component to the show only enhances the reach and interaction with those unable to travel to the show site .

Overall , the digital CES delivered on giving its industry a place to gather , showcase new products and promoted this multi-billion dollar industry . The platform is up through mid-February .