“After careful consideration, we have decided to withhold from having a presence on the show floor of CES 2022. We’ve been closely monitoring the development of the Omicron variant, and have decided that this is the best choice for the health and safety of our teams,” Google said in a statement to TechCrunch. The company does plans to attend the show virtually though. It is working with CES organizers CTA (Consumer Technology Association) as well as its partners for virtual participation. “We look forward to sharing the latest Google innovations with you all,” it added. Google‘s announcement doesn’t come as a surprise, given fellow Alphabet subsidiary Waymo has already canceled its in-person attendance at CES 2022. However, this does put the event at risk of being forced to go online-only once again. The internet giant has been one of the strongest pillars of the annual trade show in recent years.
CES 2022 is in jeopardy
CES 2022 will take place between January 5 and 8 in Las Vegas. The mega event is returning in its in-person form next year after an online-only affair this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, it now appears to be in jeopardy as more and more companies are canceling their on-site presences at the event. The likes of Google and Hisense usually have a significant presence at the show. Them withdrawing from physical presence is a big loss for the organizers and puts the show in jeopardy. That said, as of this week, CTA is confident that it can put together an in-person event for those who are willing to come. The latest statement from the organization states that a total of 42 companies have pulled out from in-person attendance at CES 2022. That comprises seven percent of all the companies that planned to have a presence on the floor at the event. So there are still many companies willing to participate in the show physically. The likes of Samsung, Qualcomm, LG, HTS, and OnePlus have yet to decide against it. Samsung, in particular, has already announced its CES 2022 keynote event for January 4. With still more than a week to go, anything can happen. Given the conditions, many others would be rethinking their presence at the event. We will keep you posted.
