Google's Annual Spectacle at CES is No More, With Tech Show Going Virtual

One of the biggest disappointments from CES 2021 going virtual will be the lack of a splashy booth by Google. Whether you cared about the company's bevy of Google Assistant-related announcements, it was hard to deny the stagecraft employed by the tech giant. From a report: For the last few years, Google boasted some of the most eye-catching CES booths, from a theme park ride in 2019 to an escape room back in January's show. Unlike other CES heavy hitters, like Samsung or LG, Google opted to place its typically massive "activations" in the parking lot in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center, suddenly making that a trendy spot to place a booth. Google's booths largely pushed the benefits of Google Assistant, underscoring the importance of the digital assistant as it scrambled to claw back market share from Amazon's Alexa, which had a head start in the area thanks to Amazon's array of Echo speakers. Indeed, Google and its Assistant were part of a battle waged over digital assistants at past CES shows, with extravagant booths and with partners announcing that their respective assistants would come embedded in a new television, car or some other gadget. But with CES going virtual, a move dictated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many of the show's biggest names are opting to skip the show. Google will hold partner meetings, but it won't have a large presence at the show, according to a spokesman. It's not alone -- the Consumer Technology Association said it expects about 1,000 exhibitors at the virtual show, less than a quarter of the total from the January confab.

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