CES to remain in-person as tech companies withdraw

The annual Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, is moving forward with an in-person event next month despite tech companies opting out of in-person participation as COVID-19 cases rise nationwide. 

“Thousands of businesses are relying on us. CES is an essential business event and can make or break a year for small and midsize companies. I’ve heard from many of these companies, urging us to move forward with an in-person show,” Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Trade Association (CTA) which puts on the show, said in a post Wednesday. 

“We understand that some people may not be comfortable going to CES. With that in mind, we have invited those who cannot join us in Las Vegas to join the event digitally, giving companies and presenters a broader audience,” he added. 

Meta, Twitter and TikTok have all announced this week they would not exhibit in person at the Las Vegas show. 

Companies have pointed to rising COVID-19 cases, as the omicron variant spreads globally, as the reason to cancel their in-person presence at the conference taking place Jan. 5-8. 

T-Mobile was among the first companies to back out of the event, announcing Tuesday that it will continue to serve as a CES sponsor but the “vast majority” of its team will not be traveling to Las Vegas. The company also said that its CEO Mike Sievert would no longer be giving a keynote in person or virtually. 

Other companies that have backed out include Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car company, and Lenovo. 

Shapiro downplayed some of the high-profile withdrawals in his post. 

“While media has focused on a few dozen cancellations, CES has seen overall growth in exhibitor numbers in the past month. In fact, over 60 companies have signed on to exhibit since Friday,” he wrote.