CTA Won’t Say How Cutting CES to 3 Days Comports With Health and Safety

CTA was vague when we questioned it about how health and safety criteria factored into its New Year’s Eve decision to shut down CES 2022 a day earlier than previously planned (see 2112310001). “We have consulted with outside medical professionals and health experts in the State of Nevada to develop our health and safety protocols,” emailed a spokesperson Monday. It’s unknown for how long the decision was in the making to shut down CES 2022 at the close of business Friday. CTA released the announcement about 2:15 p.m. EST. Roughly four hours earlier, when CTA announced that “130+” exhibitors were signed on for the CES Unveiled Las Vegas media-only event Monday at the Mandalay Bay, CES 2022 was still on as a four-day event. CES crowds customarily are already home or headed out of town when day four rolls around. CTA’s explanation was similarly murky about its decision, disclosed Thursday without much fanfare, waiving its Deluxe Conference Pass fees for in-person CES 2022 audiences. We wanted to know if CTA’s rationale for a fee waiver was as an incentive against in-person CES audiences dropping out or because participating speakers or workshop panelists had decided in the end not to travel to Las Vegas. Instead, the CTA spokesperson said: “We are excited to offer all registered attendees that are attending the live show in Las Vegas with access to the great line up of speakers and sessions (100+) we have planned. Therefore we have made the decision to no longer require a paid conference pass to attend our conference sessions.” Those who paid for the $700 pass through Dec. 8 (and $850 after Dec. 9) will get refunds after the show, said CTA. We found noticeable gaps in the CES 2022 conference schedule Monday, compared with the content that was displayed there when we checked over the weekend. Gone from the schedule is a Friday session at 9 a.m. with House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., on making high-speed internet more affordable and accessible. There also no longer appears a previously listed session on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. with Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) on how innovation is shaping their communities. On Dec. 21, CTA publicized a Jan. 7, 12:30 p.m. session in which Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., would lead a panel that included Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., with Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. The schedule Monday afternoon still listed a session on that date and time slot called Women Leaders of the Senate, but the page listing of possible participants was blank.