CES 2022 Forced to Remove Programs from Schedule in Wake of Cancellations

Heading to CES 2022? Be sure to check the online version of the show schedule regularly, as Advertising Age (Ad Age) is reporting that CES has apparently removed “a slate of programs,” including several previously scheduled sessions and panels planned for Tuesday. The move is said to be a result of so many companies and executives canceling or otherwise pulling out of the show.

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“Is anyone going to CES this year?” asked the New York Times in a short three-paragraph piece in Tuesday’s newspaper previewing the event opening today in Las Vegas, NV, and running from January 5-7, 2022. Perhaps most disappointing for CES and its owner the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), is that the piece offered not one word about technology – only that the event will be smaller and shorter this year because “the spread of the Omicron variant has heightened concerns about the safety of indoor events and travel.”

In another take, a popular marketing newsletter, Marketing Brew, under the title “C-E-Less” noted, with a touch of surprise, that the event is taking place this year and opening today. “That’s despite the recent uptick in Covid cases related to the omicron variant. The pandemic forced show organizers to host the conference virtually last year. And some suspect 2020’s conference was an early super-spreader event.” Like the New York Times, there was no mention of tech other than attendees will find “all the stale air and robots your heart desires.”

Program Items are Disappearing from the CES 2022 Event Schedule

Now we learn from Ad Age that so many exhibitors and their associated executives have pulled out – some of the largest brands planning to be at the show – that it has served to impact various previously planned CES sessions, seminars, and panels. Ad Age noted several panels with prominent executives have disappeared from the schedule.

The report specifically mentioned a panel on marketing that was supposed to feature advertising super-hero (or super-villain, depending on your perspective) Martin Sorrell, as well as others featuring more “advertising world leaders…” It also mentioned that there were several sessions planned with representatives from Meta (formerly Facebook), Amazon, Twitter, and IBM – noting that now, “…the sessions were missing from the CES website.”

Of Course, Many of the Media Pulled Out as Well

The missing panels were supposed to target topics such as connected TVs, e-commerce, social media, and the metaverse. All were scheduled programming for the Media Day events, which takes place on Tuesday, the day before the show officially opens up for all attendees. Of course, the report also noted that many media outlets originally planning to take part in CES had also joined the many exhibitors who had pulled out.

In fact, CTA’s Gary Shapiro – in his own inimitable, trying-to-minimize way – seemed to so much as concur with the idea that this year, CES is going to have a different look. Speaking this morning at an event to kick of the show titled, State of the Industry, Shapiro seemed to acknowledge and foreshadow what attendees will likely see at the 2022 CES.

Was Going Ahead with CES During Omicron an ‘Innovation’?

Shapiro went on to say that “innovation is messy,” as if to suggest that by continuing to move forward with a mass, in-person event in the face of an exploding number of infections from the Omicron variant of COVID-19 pandemic, the CTA was being innovative. This is an unconvincing notion that was ridiculed by some in the media.

How will the show turn out? We’ll know soon because as of today, it is already up and running. Fortunately, for those who chose not to attend the in-person event, there is an online or virtual version available. Note, however, that aside of the keynote presentations, very few of their panels and presentations are actually being streamed online.

Learn more about CES by visiting: ces.tech.