Procter & Gamble Drops Out of CES 2022 Due to Covid-19 Concerns

A recent surge in the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus is putting CES 2022 in jeopardy. For the second year in a row, the pandemic has impacted the world's biggest consumer technology show. In 2021, CES was forced to create a virtual show. This year, exhibitors are cancelling plans to showcase their latest technology. CES 2022 will take place January 5-8, 2022 in Las Vegas. Earlier this week, Procter & Gamble announced it would not exhibit at CES 2022, but the company will have a virtual presence. P&G is a perennial exhibitor at CES. In past years, companies such as Perfect Corp., Neutrogena, L'Oréal and dozens of other major players in the beauty space. 

Just before Christmas, Amazon, Facebook and Twitter announced that they would not have a physcial presence at CES 2022. More recently, Google, Microsoft and Intel, cancelled plans to exhibit and attend.

Still, the show will go on, according to Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the show organizer.

“CES will and must go on,” said Gary Shapiro, president and chief executive of the CTA. “Certainly, it will be different from previous years. It may be messy. But innovation is messy. It is risky and uncomfortable.” 

Organizers note that while 42 exhibitors cancelled their in-person appearances at CES 2022, 60 new exhibitors had been added in recent days.