To update: CTA chief Gary Shapiro offered TechCrunch the following updated statement:
Over 2,200 companies are confirmed to attend CES 2022 in Las Vegas in person. Our focus remains on bringing the tech industry together and giving those who cannot attend in person the opportunity to digitally experience the magic of CES. CES 2022 offers companies large and small from around the world the opportunity to bring products to market, build brands, and form partnerships. With CES’s comprehensive health measures – mandatory vaccination, masking, and availability of COVID-19 tests – coupled with lower attendance and social distancing measures, we’re confident that attendees and exhibitors will be hosting a socially distant but rewarding and productive event in Las Vegas or while you experience it online.
In the last few years the automobile presence at the CES has increased massively. It’s not exactly a car show, but as more automakers take a technology-first approach, it feels like it’s getting there. Tonight, however, General Motors became the latest in a long line of top names to break free from a personal presence at the huge consumer electronics show.
“We decided to move to a fully digital approach with our activation at CES 2022 in January,” said the company said in a statement. “We continue our plans on January 5th to release our important company news, including the unveiling of the Chevrolet Silverado EV.”
It’s a big change for a company with a large planned presence including a keynote speech by CEO Mary Barra as well as the personal debut of the electric Chevy Silverado. According to the company, Barra plans to hold her talk remotely now. GM isn’t the first automaker to reverse its plans, but it’s the biggest. This is followed by similar announcements from Waymo and Intel, who have a significant presence with Mobileye. In particular, US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is currently due to be interviewed by Qualcomm President and CEO Cristiano Amon.
Other large dominoes recently dropped include Google, Lenovo, T-Mobile, AT&T, Meta, Twitter, Amazon, TikTok, Pinterest, and Casio, as well as a number of prominent media companies. Other companies, including Nvidia, had planned a virtual-first presence from the start. After narrowly dodging the first wave of COVID-19 in early 2020, CES was expected to be a big return for in-person tech events – albeit one that would be more subdued than in recent years.
However, the persistence of the Omicron variant of the virus has changed the plans of many companies, large and small. However, when we last spoke to the CTA today, the show’s governing body was still planning to continue the event and put in place increased safety measures, including vaccine regulations.
