The CES gadget show will likely be a smaller event when it returns to its in-person format at the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2022, said Karen Chupka, the show’s executive vice president.
Officials on Tuesday announced the show would be held digitally in January out of coronavirus concerns. When it eventually returns, some of the regular attendees likely won’t be immediately back because “there’s a lot of companies that are still struggling and trying to get through this pandemic and the shifting economy,” Chupka said.
The CES partnership with Las Vegas spans more than four decades, bringing 4.7 million visitors to Southern Nevada since 1978, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The 2019 event featured 170,000 attendees and 4,500 companies to provide a $283 million economic impact to Las Vegas.
In May, organizers said they planned to go ahead and hold some events in Las Vegas next year, but the thinking changed as COVID-19 cases spiked around the world, Consumer Technology Association CEO Gary Shapiro said.
In Nevada over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new coronavirus cases has increased 27%. The state now ranks sixth in the country for new cases per capita.
There was also uncertainty over whether employees of big tech companies would be allowed to travel by January. Google, for example, said this week that its employees should work from home until at least July 2021.
“We know this is an important event for the Las Vegas community and the Las Vegas economy,” Chupka said. “We know how tough this news was. We needed to make sure we’re putting health and safety first. We love the community and we can’t wait to be back for an in-person event in 2022.”
When they return, the event will be held at the remodeled convention center. The $980 million Las Vegas Convention Center expansion is expected to be complete in January.
While it might be a small consolation to Las Vegas tourism officials, Chupka said CES organizers are looking forward to having more time to dream up floor plans for the new West Hall, which is just east of Las Vegas Boulevard near the north end of the Strip.
“We’re really excited about the convention center expansion,” Chupka said. “With us switching to a digital event (in 2021), we also have the ability to start thinking about what it is we want to build for 2022. We were working around the construction dates for the new hall a little, and we were ensuring that it would be finished on time. Now, we have the luxury of time, so we can reimagine how CES could be laid out. We’ll have more breathing room now and we’ll be able to create some interactive experiences.”
In time, Chupka said, the threat of the virus will be neutralized, and people will want to attend events once again.
“What we’re hearing from our customers is that they’re excited to participate with us digitally, and that they can’t wait to be back in Vegas in 2022,” Chupka said. “If anything, I think what we’ve seen is that the value of being face-to-face is more important than ever before. We surveyed our attendee database this month — we went out to over 200,000 people — and I can tell that people were wanting to come to Las Vegas. They were wanting to meet their customers face-to-face.”
In its digital format, CES will continue to be a platform to launch products, engage with global brands and define the future of the tech industry, organizers said. It will offer keynotes, conferences, product showcases, meetings and networking opportunities.
Then, in 2022, it will be back — albeit at a slightly smaller scale.
“While it’s disappointing we won’t be welcoming CES as the first show inside our West Hall expansion, we certainly respect their decision in light of the impact the virus has caused throughout the world,” Steve Hill, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said in a statement.
“We value our 40-year partnership with CES and look forward to welcoming the show and their loyal attendees back to Las Vegas in 2022,” Hill said.