CES 2021 gets new dates, Verizon CEO to give keynote

By Paul Squire September 10, 2020

CES 2021 has been bumped back a week into early January, organizers announced Thursday.

The annual tech and gadget festival — which was forced to go to an all-digital format this coming year due to the coronavirus pandemic — will be held from Monday, January 11, to Thursday, January 14, 2021.

The first day will be open to the media only, with CES 2021’s exhibitor showcase and conference programming available to all registered attendees on January 12 and 13. The showcase will close on January 14 with additional programming.

The event also revealed its first keynote speaker: Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg.

Vestberg’s address will focus on the rollout of 5G technology and how it can be the “framework of the 21st century,” according to an announcement by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the trade group that organizes the annual event.

“The accelerated shift to 5G is transforming every industry,” Vestberg said in a statement. “This time in history is redefining the meaning of connectivity for consumers, industries, and society as a whole — imagination is our only threshold.”

Other keynote speakers will be announced at a later date, the CTA said. CES 2021 will stream the speeches and presentations globally.

“CES 2021 will digitally convene innovators and business leaders from around the world, showcasing tech changing lives for the better on a global scale,” said CTA President and CEO Gary Shapiro.

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