Andrew Cunningham
After an all-virtual Consumer Electronics Show in 2021, it was looking like January 2022’s CES would go back to being an in-person event. Though the Consumer Technology Association is forging ahead with the show, the list is growing of companies that are either going remote or canceling their plans entirely because of the COVID-19 surge being driven by the delta and omicron variants, according to Bloomberg.
Amazon, Twitter, Meta, and Pinterest have all dropped out, and T-Mobile has announced that it has chosen to “significantly limit our in-person participation” at CES and has canceled a planned keynote speech from CEO Mike Sievert. Nvidia was already planning a virtual conference for this year’s show, while AMD will also have “a limited presence,” according to the report. Press outlets like The Verge, TechCrunch, Engadget and, yes, Ars Technica, are also planning to cover the event remotely.
Other companies are planning to show, though many say that they are “monitoring the situation” and that their plans may include a mix of virtual and in-person presentations. Samsung, Qualcomm, Sony, Google, and HTC are all still planning to show up.
For those who do show up in person, the CTA had already announced that proof of COVID-19 vaccination would be required for all CES attendees. The CTA is also encouraging attendees to get a booster shot, a flu shot, and to take a COVID-19 test before arriving, and all attendees will be required to wear masks indoors in accordance with Nevada state requirements.
