Las Vegas expected to welcome 100K CES attendees next week

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The 2023 Consumer Electronic Show should resemble pre-pandemic times.

CES 2022 ended up with lots of empty hallways as the omicron variant surged and the number of attendees plummeted. In total, around 40,000 people attended, which was less than a quarter of the more than 170,000 in Las Vegas for its 2020 convention.

However, next week will bring over 3,000 exhibitors and an estimated 100,000 people from 159 different countries, according to organizers. The show floor will be 70% larger than CES 2022.

There won’t be COVID vaccine or masking requirements at CES 2023.

However, the show announced Thursday that attendees from China, Hong Kong and Macau will have to provide proof of a negative test. The move is aligned with the new United States requirement for travelers arriving from China.

It’s unclear if travel troubles during the holiday will impact attendance.

On a regular year, about one-third of attendees are from out of the country, according to event organizers.

“They’re anticipating over 300 flights added into Las Vegas for the week of CES to accommodate where everyone is traveling in from, including 7 different countries and Paris for the first time will have flights coming in specifically for CES,” Senior VP communications for the LVCVA Lori Nelson-Kraft said.

The LVCVA said this will be the first of 54 shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2023.

“The economic boom when we host major meetings and conventions is really a huge multiplier for all of southern Nevada,” Nelson-Kraft said. “Every venue will be filled with CES attendees throughout the week.”

The show begins on Jan. 5 2023 and runs through the weekend.

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