CES will end sooner as GM, BMW, Daimler, others cancel on-site presence amid Omicron surge

Organizers of the CES global technology and gadget show will close the expo one day early after companies including General Motors, BMW, Daimler and Waymo dropped out of attending the Las Vegas event in person due to Omicron concerns.

CES will now end a day earlier than planned as "an additional safety measure," said the event organizer, the Consumer Technology Association.

The show begins on Jan. 5 with over 2,200 exhibitors. Many of presentations will take place online and the event will now end on Jan. 7.

BMW said it is moving all planned media activities to a fully digital program livestreamed from Germany, while Daimler said it has decided to cancel on-site participation of Mercedes-Benz after intensive consultations.

GM CEO Mary Barra had been scheduled to give a keynote speech during which the company would have shown an electric Silverado pickup for the first time. Barra will still make the speech and presentation online, a spokesman said.

Waymo, the Google-affiliated autonomous driving company, said it would no longer participate, citing rising concerns over Omicron. Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana had been scheduled to deliver a keynote address Jan. 5 and participate in other activities in Las Vegas.

Waymo planned to display its new Class 8 Freightliner Cascadia truck for the first time. Built with redundant autonomous systems in collaboration with Daimler Trucks, the platform is a linchpin of Waymo's emphasis on self-driving trucking.

Other companies that have canceled in-person plans include Volvo, Robert Bosch, ZF, Magna International, Mobileye, Velodyne Lidar and Veoneer.

CES is enforcing health precautions, such as a vaccination requirement, masking and the use of COVID-19 tests.

"As the world’s most influential technology event, CES is steadfast in its pledge to be the gathering place to showcase products and discuss ideas that will ultimately make our lives better," said Consumer Technology Association's CEO, Gary Shapiro.

"We are shortening the show to three days and have put in place comprehensive health measures for the safety of all attendees and participants," Shapiro said on Friday.

CES was held virtually last January, and the latest show was meant to mark a comeback for live tech events.

This year, the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has led to a sharp jump in COVID-19 infections across the world, making many people reconsider their travel plans and leading to thousands of flight cancellations.

The number of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. has doubled in eight days to a record high of 329,000 a day on average, according to a Reuters tally.

Bloomberg and Reuters contributed to this report