Following Lenovo and Intel, Google has become the latest company to announce it won’t have an on-site presence at CES 2022. “After careful consideration we have decided to withhold from having a presence on the show floor of CES 2022. We’ve been closely monitoring the development of the omicron variant, and have decided that this is the best choice for the health and safety of our teams,” the company told TechCrunch.
Partway Thursday, it seemed only a matter of time before Google would decide to minimize its physical presence at the event. Earlier in the day, fellow Alphabet subsidiary Waymo announced it had made the decision not to attend the trade show in person. Google’s withdrawal is particularly noteworthy given not only its stature in the industry but also the amount of money it has invested into the event in recent years.
As things stand, the Consumer Technology Association, the organization that puts together CES every year, still plans to move forward with the show. “CES 2022 will be in person on January 5-8 in Las Vegas with strong safety measures in place, and our digital access is also available for people that don’t wish to, or can’t travel to Las Vegas,” a spokesperson for the CTA told Engadget. “Our mission remains to convene the industry and give those who cannot attend in person the ability to experience the magic of CES digitally.”
