Omi thinning tech confab
ORGANIZERS of the annual CES tech conference in Las Vegas are putting on a brave face as Omicron spreads, insisting the show will go on — but some big names already are pulling out, On The Money has learned.
Graphics chip giant Nvidia, JPMorgan and PepsiCo all confirmed to On
The Money on Tuesday that they’re bowing out of in-person CES events.
“Nvidia canceling on CES is like Moderna canceling at a health-care conference,” one person close to the event told On The Money, underlining the darkening outlook after the exhibitor pulled out.
Meta, Twitter, Pinterest and iHeartMedia also have said they won’t attend. Still, organizers of the annual Las Vegas electronics showcase say the event is going to happen — in person — Jan. 5-8. Last year’s show was canceled over COVID worries.
The event typically draws more than 100,000 people to conference centers and hotels across Sin City, as gadget-makers aim to make deals with each other and use elaborate booths to grab media attention.
They’ll have a harder time doing that this year, with journalists from CNN, The Verge, Forbes, MarketWatch, Engadget, TechCrunch and The New York Times’ Wirecutter all saying this week that they’re skipping the event due to coronavirus concerns.
“If you have a big booth, you have that so journalists write about it,” tech publicist Ed Zitron told On The Money. “At this point, what are they selling their booth owners?”
CES said in a statement to The Post that thousands of participants still were attending. “We are confident that attendees and exhibitors will have a socially distanced, but worthwhile and productive, event,” CES said.
Organizers are requiring proof of vaccination for attendees, and plan to pass out free rapid coronavirus tests that they “recommend” attendees use before entering events.
Some would-be attendees say the optional testing plan doesn’t go far enough given the onslaught of cases among vaccinated people.
“I read the health-and-safety protocol and went, Nope,” Boost Mobile founder and director Peter Adderton told On The Money.