Associations with January trade shows and conferences are adding more safety precautions because of a surge in new COVID cases, but most are moving forward with plans to hold the events in person.

The Consumer Technology Association will kick off its annual CES trade show in Las Vegas on Wednesday without a number of major brands. Google, Microsoft and Amazon and other tech companies announced in late December they would skip the in-person portion of the event out of concerns for employee safety. However, more than 22,000 exhibitors are confirmed to exhibit in person at CES 2022, the association said in a Dec. 31 statement. That includes 143 companies that signed up in the previous two weeks, CTA said.

"If we cancel the show, we will hurt thousands of smaller companies, entrepreneurs and innovators who have made investments in building their exhibits and are counting on CES for their business, inspiration and future," CTA CEO Gary Shapiro said in a commentary published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal Dec. 25.

CTA previously announced that all attendees must show proof of vaccination against COVID. The association recently announced it will shorten this year's show from four days to three as a safety precaution. It is also requesting that everyone be tested for COVID-19 less than 24 hours before entering a CES venue. All attendees will receive a complimentary self-testing kit with their badges.

The latest COVID surge comes after association events began to mount a comeback in the second half of 2021, with several trade shows and conferences attracting thousands of attendees. The Specialty Equipment Market Association successfully pulled off an in-person SEMA Show in November in Vegas that attracted more than 100,000 attendees.

CES is one of the largest association events in the U.S., with the 2019 show drawing more than 182,000 attendees. The association moved the 2020 show online because of COVID.

The National Retail Federation, which is holding its Big Show Jan. 16-18 in New York City, is also providing self tests along with access to PCR tests on site. NYC already requires proof of vaccination for access to indoor venues.

"Like all of our attendees, we are closely monitoring the external health environment," NRF CEO Matt Shay said in a Dec. 21 statement. "That's why we are making additional investments to enhance our existing health protocols, which require vaccination and mask-wearing for all attendees."

Other groups moving forward with in-person events include the Modern Language Association, Jan. 6-9 in Washington, D.C.; the American Historical Association, Jan. 6-9 in New Orleans; and the Association of American Colleges & Universities, Jan. 19-21 in Washington, D.C.