How soon before CES haters try to derail the show with unfounded Covid fears?

Registration for CES 2023 began on Sept. 13, starting the countdown to one of the world’s largest technology conferences. The show is scheduled to run Jan. 5-8 in Las Vegas, with preshow media events starting on Jan. 3.
The 2022 show went ahead despite calls from a small but vocal group of perpetual CES haters on Twitter who demanded that it be canceled because of the omicron wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Organizers ended up shortening CES 2022 by a day but kept the in-person event. The previous year’s show was an all-digital affair because of the pandemic.
While CES malcontents and fearmongers couldn’t get the 2022 show canceled, they did convince numerous major companies not to exhibit, leading to a much smaller conference.
With Covid infections likely to pick up in the winter, the CES haters probably will resume their calls to cancel or boycott the show.
But Covid is less of a concern now, given the widespread acceptance of Covid vaccinations, which boost the immune system and lessen the severity of the illness.
Also, many other large conferences have gone on without problems this year. So, the world is back to business as usual.
On Sept. 14, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said that the end of the pandemic was finally near. “We are not there yet, but the end is in sight,” he said.
U.S. President Joe Biden went a step further. “The pandemic is over,” he told CBS’ “60 Minutes.” (See article by CNN.)
At CES 2022, attendees were required to be vaccinated and wear a mask, among other precautions. Despite some anecdotal reports of people coming down with Covid during the show, the disease was not a problem at CES 2022.
“We had very few cases reported directly to us,” Jamie Kaplan, vice president of communications at the Consumer Technology Association, owner of CES, told me Sept. 16.
“We had very good survey results coming out of the show,” she said. “Attendees said they were satisfied with the health and safety measures.”
The current plans for CES 2023 include no health mandates for attendees, she said. Instead, attendees will be strongly encouraged to get vaxxed and boosted for Covid and get a flu shot. Masks also will be optional, she said.
The Consumer Technology Association currently is forecasting over 100,000 attendees for CES 2023. That compares with 44,400 at the 2022 show. It also expects over 2,000 exhibitors, which would be close to the prior year’s 2,279 exhibitors.
“The industry wants to move forward,” Kaplan said. “Brands are looking to make big announcements at the show.”

Photos: Scenes from CES 2022. (Consumer Technology Association)