CES 2022: Waymo, Google, GM Cancel In-Person Attendance Over Rising COVID-19 Cases
Google said it would continue to “identify and support virtual opportunities.”
US automaker General Motors, Alphabet’s Google and its self-driving auto-technology company Waymo on Thursday joined the companies no longer attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in person early next month due to rising COVID-19 infections.
GM Chief Executive Mary Barra had been scheduled to give a keynote speech at the annual conference on January 5, during which the company would have shown its electric Silverado pickup truck for the first time. Barra will still make the speech and presentation remotely, a spokesman said.
“We have decided to move to an all-digital approach with our activation at CES 2022 in January,” the US automaker said in a statement. “We are continuing with our plans on Jan. 5 to share our significant company news, including the reveal of the Chevrolet Silverado EV.”
The health and safety of our employees, partners and customers is always a top priority,” the chipmaker said. “Our plans for CES will move to a digital-first, live experience, with minimal on-site staff.”
Several other companies, including Facebook parent Meta Platforms, Twitter, Lenovo Group, AT&T, and Amazon dropped in-person attendance plans earlier this week, saying they would not send employees out of caution over the spread of Omicron.
CES officials said the event will still be held in person from January 5-8 with “strong safety measures in place,” including vaccination requirements, masking, and availability of COVID-19 tests.
“Our mission remains to convene the industry and give those who cannot attend in person the ability to experience the magic of CES digitally,” CES said in a statement. “CES 2022 will go forward as important innovation for world health and safety, mobility and solving problems will be exhibited.”
It added that while it had received 42 exhibitor cancellations since last Thursday, that was less than 7 percent of the exhibitor floor and 60 others had been added.
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 was first detected last month in Hong Kong and southern Africa, sparking global concerns about a fast-spreading new version of the virus. Coronavirus infections have soared wherever highly infectious Omicron has spread, triggering new restrictions in many countries.
