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It seems that CES 2022 is still happening in just a little more than a month, in spite of the largest increase in COVID-19 cases registered within the United States. The electronics event will be much smaller than normal, however, not necessarily because the organisers of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) wanted it to be this way. CTA chairman Gary Shapiro went as far as to write a lengthy post on LinkedIn (and in The Las Vegas Review-Journal) about the reasons why CES continues to be held. Shapiro says CES “will continue to continue to happen.” Take a minute or two to read Shapiro’s opinion piece. It’s definitely worth your effort. Here are a few of our favourite ways that Shapiro, the CTA president, explains why he believes
- If we don’t change our plans, we will be subject to the whirr of the media or other critics that present the story solely through the lenses of drama and big names. This is probably true for us (pretty meta for us). It’s also pretty clear that Shapiro’s leaning toward “bad press”—not the current public health crisis—as a reason not to stop the show.
- I’ll be more comfortable during CES because of our vaccine and masking mandate than whenever I run daily tasks, which includes grocery shopping! Sorry, what? CES is famous for putting attendants into a sardine-like mass. What type of store is this man heading to?
- It’s messy. However, innovation is messy. It’s unsafe and uncomfortable. Yes, innovation isn’t a perfect procedure. However, CES does not actually encourage the development of ideas. Innovation is already in place before these companies are even on the floor of their showroom.
- If you’re vaccine-free and are willing to accept the chance of Omicron and an Omicron precautionary measure, CES may be worth it. Did the man simply refer to COVID-19 (you know, the one that’s killed over two million individuals) as a “minor risk”?
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