LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — One of the world’s biggest technology events of the year, the CES gadget show kicks off on Wednesday in Las Vegas. This year's show is set to be a big welcome back after going completely digital in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over 2,100 companies are expected to be at the event exhibiting their products through Friday.
The show was scheduled to run through Saturday. It will now close on Friday as an additional safety measure.
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The show saw many big-name tech companies including Microsoft and Google back out of in-person activities, opting instead for virtual connections at the show.
The president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, Gary Shapiro, says the global chip shortage also kept exhibitors away this year.
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“We’ve heard from exhibitors that are not participating because they just can’t get their product, they can’t get their prototypes together,” Shapiro said.
CES organizers also provided COVID-19 rapid test kits for attendees as an extra precaution due to the rise in coronavirus cases the U.S. is currently experiencing.
