One thing still looks sure about CES 2022: The people who do show up to the electronics industry’s annual gathering in Las Vegas in early January should have an easier time practicing social distancing.
Over the course of Monday and Tuesday, a variety of technology firms said that the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus forced them to scrap plans for an in-person presence at CES. The Consumer Technology Association’s show, a mainstay of the electronics industry for more than 50 years, is returning to a physical format after the pandemic forced it to go digital-only for CES 2021.
The most significant company to pull out this year looks to be T-Mobile, which announced Tuesday that it would “significantly limit our in-person participation” and cancel the keynote by CEO Mike Sievert that CTA had announced in July.
After that would come Amazon, which told Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman that “the quickly shifting situation and uncertainty around the Omicron variant” would compel it to stay home. His story also noted cancellations by Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook parent Meta–but those social platforms historically haven’t maintained much of a presence at this hardware-centric show.
Many technology news outlets have also elected to cover CES remotely–at the cost of losing hands-on time with new gadgets. Tuesday, staffers at CNET, Engadget, TechCrunch, the Verge and, yes, PCMag all tweeted that their organizations would not make the usual pilgrimage to Vegas.
The pattern evokes what happened to tech events at the start of the pandemic, when MWC Barcelona and SXSW each got scrubbed only weeks in advance. But unlike at MWC, the core exhibitors at CES–electronics conglomerates like LG, Samsung, and TCL that usually add up to acres of exhibit space around the Las Vegas Convention Center–seem to be holding to their plans. And unlike at SXSW, the local government shows no sign of saying that the show must not go on.
The other difference, of course, is that vaccines for the pandemic are widely available, with booster doses apparently retaining protection even against Omicron. CTA’s health rules include a strict vaccination requirement–show proof to get a badge–with no exemptions for medical causes or for prior infection. Last week, CTA announced that it would distribute one free rapid self-test kit from Abbott Laboratories to each attendee at badge pickup and encourage them to use it after checking in to their hotels.
The Arlington, Va., trade group continues to tout the show, announcing such new speakers as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Monday’s announcement: “More Than 100 Health Companies to Take Center Stage at CES.”
