iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
The 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), one of the most anticipated annual events, which is about to take place on January 3rd, is facing several pullouts from some of the top tech companies due to the rising Omicron concerns.
Google and Microsoft are the latest companies to announce their exit from the event. However, the association remains unfazed by the dropping out of major attendees, the team intact has no plans to cancel the event or host it virtually.
Earlier, companies including Twitter, Amazon and Pinterest had pulled out of the event for the same reasons.
“After reviewing the latest data on the rapidly evolving COVID environment, Microsoft has decided not to participate in-person at CES 2022,” a company spokesperson told the Verge. The company will attend the event virtually. The Consumer Technology Association had said that it will not postpone the event or move to virtual programming.
“CES will still take place Jan. 5-8 in Las Vegas with strong safety measures in place,” the Consumer Technology Association said in a statement to Axios. Thousands of entrepreneurs, businesses, media and buyers are planning to come to Las Vegas. Top leaders from federal and state and foreign governments are attending,” the group said, adding that it has “received several thousand new registrants since late last week.”
As per Adweek, the attendees will be required to take two rapid tests, they are also required to be fully vaccinated and masked at all times. The organizers have reportedly enhanced the venue’s ventilation system. It has been reported that the attendees will also wear a sticker that will depict whether they are uncomfortable in shaking hands or not.
“At this point, we’re very much focused on having this show and doing it safely and putting the right protocols in place to ensure that people feel comfortable with it,” CTA’s Senior Vice president of Marketing and Communications Jean Foster told the publication. He also revealed that the total number of exhibitors crossed 2100 on Monday.
Amazon and its smart-home unit Ring said they would not be physically present in next month’s event due to the “quickly shifting situation and uncertainty around the Omicron variant” of coronavirus, the firm’s spokesperson told Reuters in an email.US wireless carrier conference sponsor T-Mobile announced that its contingent would not be going, and its chief executive would not deliver a keynote speech at the event.
