CES, Other In-Person Events in Doubt Amid Omicron

CES, all-virtual a year ago, is suffering a wave of defections from companies including T-Mobile, iHeartRadio, Amazon, Meta, Pinterest, Twitter and CommScope. CNET withdrew from CES 2022 as an in-person participant (see a bulletin here). CTA has taken numerous steps, including making testing kits available and requiring masks and vaccinations, to address concerns (see 2112200019).

A check with FCC commissioner offices found only Nathan Simington planning to attend. CTA stressed Tuesday all the officials who would be there, including Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. Also expected were Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, various governors and House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C.

“While we are confident that CES organizers are taking exhaustive measures to protect in-person attendees and we had many preventative practices in place as well, we are prioritizing the safety of our team and other attendees,” T-Mobile said, announcing only limited participation: “T-Mobile will continue to serve as a CES sponsor and title sponsor of the DRL Championship Race, but the vast majority of our team will not be traveling to Las Vegas.” “The health and safety of our employees and customers is a top priority, so we have decided to forego in-person participation,” an AT&T spokesperson emailed: “We look forward to a live 2023 event.” Other companies released similar statements.

“CES should immediately cancel its plans for an in-person conference,” behavioral scientist John Allegrante, a professor at Columbia University, told us. “Omicron is surging, and we cannot predict what the rates of infection and spread will be in one month from now,” he said: “No responsible group should be convening large numbers of people, fully vaccinated and masked or not, for events that can readily be organized as a Zoom meeting. Since it is not likely to be feasible to screen and test all attendees who have traveled from throughout the world before they walk in the doors, CES needs to put lives over costs and pivot toward an online platform for its meeting, or cancel the trade show altogether.” To do otherwise is “simply irresponsible and will place thousands at risk for infection or reinfection with the virus,” he said.

“I would avoid it like the plague,” David Celentano, who chairs the epidemiology department at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, said of CES.

Still Going

There are other reasons why going to conferences is worthwhile, some noted. “To cancel these large events that were finally getting back on track, would be devastating not only to event management venues but to all the industries involved,” said Jan Jones, professor of hospitality and tourism at the University of New Haven. Some potential attendees “want to travel, have taken all the necessary precautions and know that there is a chance they could get sick, or have been sick and want to move forward with travel plans now,” she said.

Some posted on Twitter they still plan to attend. “Why are the tech giants pulling out of @CES?” asked Matthew Frankel, a certified financial planner who's going to the show. “They are requiring vaccines, masks, AND on-site rapid tests,” he said: “I feel my chances of getting COVID are much higher if I stay home and just go about life in South Carolina where literally none of that is required.”

“I read the health-and-safety protocol and went, Nope,” tweeted Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton: “The whole reason you go to CES is to meet with people. If you can’t do that safely, there’s no reason to go.”

Broadcasters

Some state broadcast associations that postponed or canceled their annual in-person conventions in 2021 due to the rise of the delta variant moved them to early 2022. Several told us they’re sticking with that plan. “We are registering lots of attendees,” said Sharon Tinsley, Alabama Broadcasters Association president.

The ABA convention is set for Jan. 21-22 in Birmingham. “Only exhibitors have asked if there is a likelihood that we might cancel,” Tinsley said. “Our members are not asking those questions yet.” The Mississippi Association of Broadcasters plans its convention Jan. 10-11 in Biloxi. “The hotel will be following guidelines and procedures to ensure the continued safety of all attendees,” said MAB Executive Director Amanda Fontaine. “We will continue to monitor state and local public health communications regarding COVID-19.”

Blaine Wilson, owner of WAAO-FM Andalusia, Alabama, told us he’s not sure if he’s going to his state convention, but his ambivalence comes from being busy with running the station, not the latest COVID-19 variant. “We’ve taken the shots,” he said: “If it’s your time, it’s your time.” Tinsley said the ABA convention won’t require mask use, but is encouraging it. “I’m vaccinated and have had the booster, but I still plan to wear a mask," she said. "I want everyone to feel comfortable doing so.”

America’s Public Television Stations scheduled its 2022 Public Media Summit Feb. 28 to March 1 but decided months ago that it would be virtual. “With all of this uncertainty, we thought it prudent not to risk a live Summit, and regrettably we were right,” said APTS CEO Patrick Butler. “We couldn’t predict the course and severity of COVID, various variants, the public health precautions that might be in force in February, the uncertainty of travel restrictions and even of economic circumstance.” APTS’ 2021 summit was virtual as well, and had a tripling of “attendance” as a result, Butler said.

The NAB Show doesn’t start until April 23, and the trade group said it's still planning in-person. The 2020 and 2021 in-person shows were canceled. “We have implemented several health and safety policies for the 2022 NAB Show including a vaccine mandate and will continue to work closely with public health experts on possible additional measures should they become necessary,” said an NAB spokesperson. The 2022 NAB Show New York will also be held in-person in New York City Oct. 19 and 20, in the city’s Javits Center convention hall, NAB announced late Wednesday.

Other Events

GSMA’s Mobile World Congress, like CES a huge show, is still planned for Barcelona starting Feb. 28.

Incompas’ Feb. 8 policy summit is to take place in person in Washington, D.C. All attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination, a spokesperson told us. “We are closely monitoring recent developments,” she said: “We will make a decision in January as to whether we need to pivot, and do have the ability to go virtual if necessary.”

John Strand of Strand Consult told clients Wednesday Omicron will likely hurt attendance at CES, MWC and other major shows. “Usually MWC attracts about 100,000 guests; in 2021, there were about 20,000 participants, of which only 5,000 came from outside Spain,” he said: “Though there are fewer hospitalizations with this wave of COVID, more people become sick and need to stay in bed for at least a week. … Participants are likely to stay home.”

The conference and convention universe is generally quiet now through late January, “so the sector can wait it out a bit,” said Lynn Minnaert, clinical associate professor at New York University’s Tisch Center of Hospitality. She said local regulations often dictate precautions at events and facilities. She said some small venues are requiring a negative test result in the 24 hours before attending, but that’s probably unrealistic on a large scale for big events or facilities. She said there's increased talk of events and facilities requiring boosters. But largely the conference and convention sector is taking a wait-and-see approach, she said, noting it's possible some events scheduled for Q1 might move to virtual.

Citing uncertainty about the new variant, Rachel Fu, University of Florida tourism, hospitality and event management department chair, emailed that some events scheduled now through February likely will be postponed to early summer.

Access Partnership, organizer of March’s Satellite 2022 show to be at the Washington Convention Center, didn’t comment.