Andrew Cunningham
After a fully virtual Consumer Electronics Show in 2021, it looked like the January 2022 CES was going to be a personal event again. While the Consumer Technology Association continues the show, the list of companies that are either going distance or canceling their plans completely because of the COVID-19 wave driven by the delta and omicron variants is growing, Bloomberg said.
Amazon, Twitter, Meta and Pinterest have all shut down, and T-Mobile has announced that it has chosen to “significantly limit our in-person attendance” at CES and canceled a scheduled keynote address 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. News agencies such as The Verge, TechCrunch† Engadget and, yes, Ars Technica, are also planning to cover the event remotely.
Other companies are planning to show, although many say they are “watching the situation” and their plans could include a mix of virtual and in-person presentations. Samsung, Qualcomm, Sony, Google, and HTC are all still slated to appear.
For those who do show up in person, the CTA had already announced proof of COVID-19 vaccination would be required for all CES attendees. The CTA also encourages participants to have a booster vaccination, flu shot and COVID-19 test before arriving, and all attendees must wear masks indoors in accordance with Nevada state requirements.