The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organizers behind the annual CES convention and other tech-centric events, have made a couple announcements of note for attendees (or potential attendees), whether they might attend CES 2022 online or in person in Las Vegas from Jan. 5-8. Let’s take a quick look at what’s new:
In Person:
The CTA sent out an update that, as of the last week of October, attendees from 134 countries have signed up and 1,300 exhibitors are slated to show off their latest latest goods and services. By comparison, for the last in-person CES in 2020, CTA stated that 4,500 exhibitors participated and attendees from 164 countries showed up. Still, the early numbers appear to be a good start after a one-year break with a digital-only CES.
For attendees from abroad planning to fly in to Las Vegas, the CTA email notes, you may want to bookmark a couple webpages, as there will be plenty of health and safety considerations to factor in besides the usual travel visa protocols. The U.S. government has issued guidance that kicks in on Nov. 8 around opening doors to more international travel, provided the fliers provide proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flight. The only vaccinations that will be recognized are those that are approved by the FDA or from the WHO Emergency Use Listing.
Keep tabs on the details and any further updates on the international travel guidance at this CDC webpage or the CES health protocols webpage. It also bears noting that previously CTA had announced that all attendees to CES 2022 will require COVID-19 vaccination to participate in person.
Online:
For folks who prefer to participate digitally, the CES organizers recently announced their selection of the online event platform for CES 2022. The Web Summit‘s proprietary Summit Engine, is a cloud-based platform in which live attendees can use as a scheduler for their attendance and connect with other attendees, while online event attendees can expect to view live keynotes, select conference sessions, and interact with exhibitors and attendees. Last year, the CTA presented the all-digital CES 2021 via a customized Microsoft cloud-based solution.
The all-digital CES 2021 was met with a mix of appreciation for the on-demand accessibility in a time of pandemic and disappointment because of what was lost in translation from the look and feel of a live event to the digital experience. It’ll be interesting to see if CES 2022’s digital offering, as part of a hybrid event, will be perceived more widely by exhibitors and attendees as a value-added addition to the traditional in-person format.
For all attendees, the online platform will be accessible for networking and on-demand content through the end of January. Registration to attend CES 2022 digitally will open in December.
