Back in April, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the association that puts on the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), optimistically announced that CES would go forward in 2022. Hooray?!
But COVID, of course, said: Not so fast.
With the Omicron COVID variant spreading throughout the world, thousands of people gathering in windowless Las Vegas convention centers during the first week of January to salivate over canapés and the latest gadgets sounds like not the greatest idea. That’s especially true considering that some think CES 2020 was an early coronavirus super-spreader event.
Some major exhibitors apparently agree. Over the last week, multiple big name tech companies have decided to forsake their Vegas trips and “attend” CES virtually. Meanwhile others like Panasonic will be shifting to virtual events but plan to still have limited on-site staffing.
“Due to the large group of participants and the different country-specific regulations, a solid, safe and harmless implementation for all participants is unfortunately not feasible in the current situation,” a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson said in a statement.
The CTA has mandated mask wearing and that attendees show proof of COVID vaccines to enter. It will also be providing free COVID tests. Regarding the cancellations, the CTA’s response has been that they are not that significant considering that there are over 2000 exhibitors, and there had “only” been 42 cancellations, as of Tuesday.
But when those cancellations include the likes of heavy hitters like Microsoft, the “everything is fine” stance rings a little hollow.
Mashable decided against attending CES in-person from the get-go, and multiple media organizations have also dropped out in recent days — despite receiving emails from the CTA over the last eight months with subject lines like “Excitement Builds for CES 2022 as Confirmed Exhibitors Surpass 2100.” Excitement builds, indeed.
CES going ahead under the shadow of Omicron is a real bummer for smaller companies that might be hoping to get their start at CES. Not everyone can afford to just cut their losses and cancel a planned in-person presence. But hopefully, COVID precautions and fewer attendees will lead to a safer conference for everyone.
Here are the major companies that have dropped out of CES in-person events. We’ll be updating this list, so check back for the latest.
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Google
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Amazon
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Lenovo
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Microsoft
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Intel
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AMD
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MSI
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AT&T
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OnePlus
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Meta/Facebook
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Twitter
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T-Mobile (limited attendance)
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Pinterest
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General Motors
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Procter & Gamble
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Velodyne Lidar
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Panasonic
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Mercedes Benz
UPDATE: Dec. 29, 2021, 12:45 p.m. PST This post has been updated with information about Panasonic and Mercedes-Benz, which confirmed to Mashable they would not be participating in-person at CES.
