Amazon, Facebook and Twitter companies to cancel CES plans as concerns grow about Omicron

As concerns about Omicron increase, Amazon, Facebook parent Meta, Twitter, and Pinterest said on Tuesday that they will not be sending teams to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

In the past, CES, which serves as an annual exhibition of new technological trends and gadgets, drew over 180,000 visitors from all around the world to a huge assortment of casinos and convention centres.

Due to the “quickly shifting situation and uncertainty around the Omicron variant” of coronavirus, Amazon and its smart-home unit Ring said they would not be onsite at next month’s event, a spokesperson for the company told Reuters in an email.

T-Mobile, a U.S. wireless provider and conference sponsor, also announced that the great majority of its contingent would no longer be attending, and that its CEO would not be giving a keynote address.

“We are prioritising the safety of our team and other attendees with this decision,” T-Mobile stated, adding that it was certain that CES organisers were taking all necessary precautions.

The other firms have no plans for large-scale in-person events.

The Consumer Technology Association, which organises CES, announced on Tuesday that the event will take place from January 5 to January 8. Vaccination requirements, masking, and the availability of COVID-19 tests would be among the health precautions, according to the report.

Some Twitter workers were scheduled to attend and speak on panels. Twitter and Facebook, on the other hand, have stated that they are now looking into online potential.

Before cancelling, Pinterest had planned a smaller meeting space for its sales and partner teams than in previous years.

Many firms, including Qualcomm, Sony Electronics, Alphabet’s Google, and Waymo, the self-driving vehicle unit of Alphabet, have announced they will attend and show off new gear or organise meetings.

GM’s Chief Executive Mary Barra said on Tuesday that she will present the company’s electrified Silverado pickup truck and discuss company strategy in person at the conference on Jan. 5.

Other businesses, such as chipmaker Nvidia, had long prepared for virtual presences and are having two CEOs offer a keynote presentation via video.