On Tuesday, Amazon Inc, Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc, Twitter Inc, and Pinterest Inc all stated that they will not send teams.
Amazon Inc, Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc, Twitter Inc, and Pinterest Inc all announced on Tuesday that they will not be sending personnel to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next month due to growing worries about the Omicron coronavirus type. Bloomberg News reported late Tuesday that Amazon and its smart-home unit Ring would not have an on-site presence at CES due to the rapidly shifting situation and uncertainties surrounding the Omicron model. Outside of business hours, Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
T-Mobile, a U.S. wireless provider and conference sponsor, also announced that the great bulk of its delegation would not be attending and that its CEO would not be delivering a keynote speech in person or electronically.
The other corporations had no significant in-person gatherings scheduled for the show. “While we are confident that CES organizers are taking extensive efforts to protect in-person guests,” T-Mobile stated, “we are prioritizing the safety of our staff and other attendees with this decision.”
CES has previously drawn over 180,000 visitors from all around the world to a large collection of casinos and convention venues in Las Vegas, acting as an annual showcase of new trends and gadgets in the technology industry.
Twitter had intended to send some staff to participate in panel discussions. Twitter and Facebook have both stated that they are currently looking into virtual potential.
Before canceling, Pinterest had planned a scaled-down meeting place for its sales and partner staff in previous years.
Many firms, including Qualcomm Inc, Sony Electronics, Alphabet Inc’s Google, and self-driving vehicle subsidiary Waymo, have stated that they will attend and demonstrate new hardware or hold meetings.
General Motors Co said on Tuesday that Chief Executive Mary Barra will still present the electrified Silverado pickup truck and discuss corporate strategy in person at the Jan. 5 conference.
Other firms, such as chipmaker Nvidia Corp, which is having two executives deliver a keynote address via video, had long planned for virtual presences.
