The return of major tech expos in person is something everyone in the tech industry has been waiting for. With 18-24 months since the last premier tech events took place, all eyes are beginning to turn towards one of the biggest events of any year: CES 2022.
CES 2022 organizers have confirmed that the in-person event, due to be held in Las Vegas between 5-8 January 2022, will require each attendee to hold a full vaccination card against COVID-19, the pandemic that has effectively crippled the world for the best part of two years.
Proof of Vaccination Required to Attend CES 2022
Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CES host, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), said:
Based on today’s science, we understand vaccines offer us the best hope for stopping the spread of COVID-19. We all play a part in ending the pandemic through encouraging vaccinations and implementing the right safety protocols. We are taking on our responsibility by requiring proof of vaccination to attend CES 2022 in Las Vegas.
CTA is also investigating whether a positive antibody test would also suffice, but there is no indicator as to whether the CTA would accept a recent negative lateral flow or PCR test.
CES 2022: To Vax or Not to Vax?
While the move will prove unpopular with a minority, for the most part, a proof of vaccination schemes is the only way that major tech events like CES 2022 can dream of taking place against a backdrop of rapidly changing COVID-19 cases and the inability to plan effectively for more than a few months at a time.
The smart money says that anyone who is anyone will want to attend one of the biggest tech events of the year, even if the threat of COVID still looms large.
By the time CES 2022 comes around in January, it will be 24 months since the last event. It's a very different world, but the insatiable demand for new and exciting technology very much remains.
How many regular vendors steer clear of the hopefully in-person event remains to be seen. With many countries opening up parts of their economies to gauge the water, CES 2022 could become an important stepping stone forwards as the world returns to some sort of normality, and there are currently thousands of confirmed vendors.
However, the recently held DEFCON security conference was significantly down on numbers, with many vendors and regulars turning down the chance to make the annual pilgrimage to the Nevada desert.
For those that cannot make CES 2022 for whatever reason, Shapiro also confirmed that a digital event will run concurrently with the in-person event, although not everyone is happy with that prospect given the all-digital 2021 version of CES.