The annual tech trade convention CES (also known as the Consumer Electronics Show) is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas next month, but there are signs that it could be in trouble. The event is the first major conference of the calendar year, typically happening around the first week of January. It serves as an opportunity for device-makers, big and small, to showcase exciting new products and interesting concepts to industry buyers and tech journalists from around the world.
The debut CES event happened in New York City in June 1967, attracting more than 100 vendors and roughly 17,500 attendees. Since then, CES has not only relocated to Las Vegas, but it has also grown in size. The 2020 conference - which occurred just a couple of months before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted such gatherings - hosted more than 4,000 exhibitors and brought in some 170,000 visitors. The following year, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) had to turn CES 2021 into an all-digital affair.
2022 was supposed to be the big comeback year for in-person CES activities, with the CTA lining up keynote addresses from a slew of big brands such as Samsung and Peloton. However, those plans seem to be running aground because of the fast-spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19, which is causing infection rates to spike in the US and around the world. Now, multiple companies, including T-Mobile, have pulled out of attending the show in person citing concerns over Omicron.
Meta, Amazon, And Others Opt Out
Meta, Amazon, and Twitter are some of the headline names who have canceled their attendance plans, according to Bloomberg. Others including Pinterest and AT&T are also bowing out. T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert had been slated for an on-stage appearance, but will no longer be at the event. It’s not just vendors who have changed their minds - outlets such as Engadget, The Verge, and Tom’s Guide have also scrapped their expected attendance at the convention.
Still, despite the slew of dropouts, at the time of writing, CES 2022 is still set to be a real-world event in the halls of Las Vegas hotels, running from Jan. 5 through Jan. 8. Of course, as already noted, the CTA turned CES 2021 into a virtual show earlier this year, so it’s possible the same could happen again. However, the group made last year's call roughly six months ahead of time, whereas this year the change will need to be made with just weeks to spare. With this in mind, it seems likely CES 2022 will go ahead as planned, even if many will be missing.
Sources: Mike Sievert/Twitter, Bloomberg