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Google’s decision to lean into a virtual presence isn’t entirely surprising, given the earlier news from fellow Alphabet subsidiary, Waymo. Still, the software giant has become a tentpole presence in recent years, as it has increasingly expanded its hardware footprint through its Nest line of home products and Pixel handsets. For the last several years, Google’s complex outdoor exhibits have been a mainstay in the Las Vegas Convention Center Parking lot.
As of yesterday, the show’s governing body, the CTA, remains steadfast in its decision to keep the event going in early January, though big name losses continue piling up. The list of companies staying away from Vegas amid omicron concerns now also includes T-Mobile, AT&T, Meta, Twitter, Amazon, TikTok and Pinterest, along with a number of media outlets, including TechCrunch.
We’ve reached out to the CTA in light of this latest news — a rough portent heading into a long holiday weekend. At the time of the organization’s last comment, cancelations amounted to 42 cancelations, comprising roughly 7% of the exhibit floor. That number has no doubt shifted since the last report, as both major players and startups have begun rethinking their presence at the show.
No one wants to be the first big company to remove itself from an event, but the parallels to MWC’s cancelation in the early days of the pandemic are becoming more difficult to shake off. Such rapid succession of big name losses tends to make way for even more.
