CES 2022 will be held face-to-face but without the big tech companies


Google, Lenovo and other big names in tech have taken turns announcing that they will not be going to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, which is due in early January 2022.

Many companies have backed down in recent days in the face of the threat of the Omicron variant, such as La Poste, on the French side, but also Meta, Amazon, T-Mobile and Twitter. The resigning companies had to resolve to avoid exposing their employees and visitors to their stands to possible coronavirus contamination.

“After careful consideration, we have decided to refrain from any exhibitor attendance at CES 2022,” a Google spokesperson said. “We closely monitored the evolution of the Omicron variant and decided that it was the best choice for the health and safety of our teams,” he explained.

Lenovo for its part announced on Twitter that it “suspended all activity” on the site of the Las Vegas show, while Intel has indicated that it will be content to make its presentations virtually at CES. Intel told AFP that it would offer a presence “primarily digital and live, with on-site staff reduced to a minimum” in order to limit the risks. Separately, TikTok, owned by ByteDance, also said it will host a virtual event for partners and advertisers.

Enhanced security measures at the show

Despite this wave of abandonments, the management of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) confirmed in the press mid-week that the show would be maintained from January 5 to 8, 2022. “Our mission remains to bring together industry and give those who cannot attend in person the opportunity to experience the magic of CES digitally, ”organizers said.

While the 2021 CES edition was held virtually, the 2022 edition will therefore have a hybrid operation. On the CES website, the organizations recalled that participants must be fully vaccinated to be able to collect a badge and access the show in person.

The organizers of the show have also indicated that they have received 42 cancellations from exhibitors since last Friday, which represents less than 7% of the exhibition area, but welcome 60 new exhibitors. “Registrations, both for our digital access and for our event in Las Vegas, continue to show strong momentum, with millions of additional registrations in recent days,” said the association.

CES 2022 is expected to show significant innovations in health and safety, in particular. In addition, thousands of small and medium-sized businesses are waiting for this event to do business and make themselves known. The organizers have announced the presence of more than 2,100 exhibitors in total, who will be offered rapid and free screening tests.





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