Faced with the resurgence of the pandemic, many tech companies are canceling their presence at the American show. AMD, MSI, OnePlus and Proctor & Gamble have just been added to the list of absentees.
After a forced break in 2021, due to the pandemic, the CES hoped to reopen its doors at the start of 2022. An edition which was to bring together the great giants of tech, for the first time in person since the beginning of the health crisis. But for CTA, the organization in charge of CES, the situation turned sour just weeks before the big launch.
In fact, on December 22, several big players in the show announced that they would take their turn for this 2022 edition. Amazon and T-Mobiles have let it be known on social networks that they will ultimately not make the trip to Las Vegas. Two headliners who are ultimately not the only ones to cancel. While the show is to be officially launched on January 4, it is the turn of AMD, MSI, OnePlus and Proctor & Gamble to be portrayed pale.
In a statement, MSI explains: “Since December, the rapidly spreading Omicron variant has caused a spate of COVID-19 cases in the United States. The health and well-being of our employees, customers and fans is our top priority. Therefore, we have decided not to attend CES in person and will be joining the show virtually with our online product launch ”.
These are the same reasons advanced by Proctor & Gamble, which also announces going completely virtual until further notice. For OnePlus, things are a little different, the Chinese manufacturer was not on the official list of exhibitors, but had planned to organize another event in Las Vegas to coincide with the big show. This was also canceled.
Towards a last minute cancellation?
For now, CES is holding on. Despite these successive cancellations, the organizers reaffirm their desire to maintain the event face-to-face, thanks to a strict health protocol and preventive measures to ensure the safety of visitors. However, one week before the big launch, nothing has been decided yet. The event could fall under a local directive, while the health situation is worsening around the world.
