About 15,000 people have registered in the past 10 days to attend the global tech show CES in person, the organizer said Friday, as a sign of momentum for in-person events despite global fears over the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
In all, “tens of thousands” of people have signed up for the show so far, the organizer said, without naming a specific number.
The Omicron variant was first discovered in southern Africa and Hong Kong last month, raising global concerns about a rapidly spreading new version of the virus and diminishing prospects that the recent increase in travel would continue.
More than 1,900 companies have committed to attend the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, about half the pre-pandemic level.
Major companies like Sony and industry executives including General Motors CEO Mary Barra are planning to travel to Las Vegas, although some, including Nvidia, have been planning a largely virtual presence for some time.
“We’re not being unrealistic: The show is getting smaller this year,” said Jean Foster, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the Consumer Technology Association, which hosts the CES show. “It allows us to widen the aisles and accommodate social distancing.”
She said the interest in in-person attendance is still “full steam ahead.”
All attendees must show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination before the show, which will be open January 5-8.
© Thomson Reuters 2021