Massive US tech show CES 2021 becomes a digital event

The 2021 Consumer Electronics Show kicked off Monday as a virtual event, aiming to showcase technology innovations from around the world in an event forced by the pandemic to go online.

Some 1,800 exhibitors are participating in the show — normally staged in the US gaming resort of Las Vegas but facing a challenge to replicate the glitz of previous years in the new format.

The extravaganza has traditionally pulled in more than 4,000 exhibitors from startups to big multinationals, with upwards of 175,000 attendees wandering through a cavernous convention center and other venues.

The event kicked off with streamed video presentations from companies — including bigger and improved TV displays from South Korea’s LG and Samsung — as the “digital venue” was being set up to allow industry participants to virtually connect with exhibitors.