CES Is the Event to Watch as Omicron Variant Threatens Return of 2022 Events

The show must go on—whether it’s live, hybrid or virtual

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I know I’ve not been alone in my excitement about the return of in-person events. But despite the appeal of live interaction and experiential value, earlier this year the question of “Is this worth leaving my house?” was persistently top of mind. And today, many people once again find themselves asking, “Is it safe to leave my house?”

For the experience creators responsible for organizing these public gatherings—an already fast-paced industry—things now seem to be moving at lightning speed. To date, this professional community has embraced remote broadcast, emerging technologies, hyperlocal physical activations and had even recently been orchestrating larger, safe public gatherings.

Many organizers are facing complex and immediate decisions on the sliding scale of production options. As a result, CES—which begins tomorrow in person and virtually—is the event to watch.

While the landscape for upcoming 2022 industry events once again swings in the balance, this landmark event has some quick work ahead of it. With the rapid acceleration of the Covid-19 omicron variant and record infections, CES did not have the time for a watch and learn approach. However, the likes of SXSW and Cannes Lions will certainly be taking note and adjusting accordingly.

At this moment, pontificating and speculating feels inauthentic and ill-advised. What is clear is that the show must go on—whether it’s live, hybrid or virtual.

While we know fears may have elevated, so have attendee expectations for all events.

The continuing need for CES and activating brands to change their plans is disappointing, frustrating and unquestionably exhausting. In a typical year, 4,440 exhibitors would have attended CES. This year, it’s about 2,220. And it’s certainly not surprising. Covid-19 and the array of variants have remained front and center in all event-planning conversations since it first took center stage almost two years ago.

In the world of events, it’s our job to plan for the unexpected, pandemic or not. For CES and others in the industry, the following areas can help prepare for the unexpected. And agility and grace will remain consistent keys to success.

Agile community and connections

“If you build it, they will come” is often misguided thinking for brands and organizers.

The health and safety of our audiences are—and should rightfully remain—the utmost priorities. However, even with stricter protocols announced by CES organizers, hundreds of brands and thousands of guests no longer felt comfortable with the potential risks.

The preparation for dramatic swings in guest turnout should be factored in at every level. This preparation will help set expectations with host city stakeholders and local businesses, large and small. As for the onsite experience, design plans should flex to accommodate the shifting atmosphere of larger and more intimate crowds that could vary up until the last minute.

Hyperlocal, hybrid and virtual programming remain the most reliable options to reach our communities. In the case of CES, these have been baked into plans from the beginning. For brand activations and experiences that are canceling their live experiences, they now have the choice to lean into these steady options in much more intentional ways. Satellite experiences, in-home touch points with guests, elevated remote broadcast experiences and use of social media are all available tools in the proverbial toolbox.

A positive outcome from these past months is all the data reporting from new members that have joined various communities. There’s been a greater showing of diversity in attendees, including a wider range of age, profession, geographic skew and more. Building a home for these expanded audiences will benefit everyone in both the short and long term.

Agile programming

The practical side of remote broadcast and hybrid programming is already a well-covered topic. Something else that is ever-present is the need for a discerning eye to curate timely and relevant content. Arguably, this role has never been more important.

As consumers in our personal lives, we know firsthand that audiences can be hypercritical of programming. There is a palpable demand for fresh themes and ideas. For an experience to be truly compelling, there must be an original perspective.

CES is no stranger to introducing bold new ideas, innovations and breakthrough products to the market. These buzzworthy announcements are the very thing that draw guests to the keynote rooms, private salon experiences and late-night afterparties with top execs and industry trendsetters.

While the brand announcements may remain intact, the means by which these unveilings take place will likely require some reworking. We’ve certainly learned the hard way that attempting to duplicate in-person elements in virtual events will never have the same effect. If anyone has the potential to dazzle audiences with elevated virtual experiences, it’s certainly CES and the leading innovation brands that are involved.

Agile improvisation

Even with the best planning, experiences can still feel stale or miss the mark at times. That’s when we need to look to our friends in other industries for stories of successful improvisation and risk-taking.

The Dec. 19 episode of Saturday Night Live is a perfect example of this in practice. The decision was made to air with no studio audience and a skeleton cast and crew. Not only did production have to shift but so did the programming and scripts for the cast. These choices were made on a dime, and the viewer walked alongside the show while embracing its humility and the occasional hiccups.

For our industry events, we need to remember that behind all these business decisions is human impact. If we invite our audience into this experience and meet them where they are, we have far more likelihood of receptiveness and success. This takes quick work, unmistakable decision-making and a comfortable appetite for risk-taking.

Many of us are disappointed and exasperated that we’re not through the woods yet. However, we must remember agility and contingency planning are old, familiar friends. And creative solutions are certain to unfold in the moments ahead.

In the meantime, let’s remember to offer ourselves and one another a bit of grace. Everyone is doing their best.