Organizers of CES, the typically massive tech trade show held each January in Las Vegas, expect 2022’s show to be smaller than it was pre-pandemic, but say they’re enthusiastic about how the event is shaping up.

“The good news is that live events are back. … We’ll be a little bit smaller, that’s just expected,” said Gary Shapiro during a virtual press conference Thursday, Nov. 18, by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) – the group that organizes CES. Shapiro is CEO of the CTA. “It’s going to feel different. It’s going to look different.”

Shapiro noted that the show, which will include both in-person and digital elements, has “a very healthy registration,” with more than 1,700 exhibitors signed up so far, and Shapiro and other show organizers noted that more companies are being added every day. By comparison, the virtual CES in January 2021 had 1,800 exhibitors. In 2020, the last time CES was live, there were 4,400 exhibitors.

During the press conference, show organizers laid out some of the changes attendees could expect to see at the show, which runs from Jan. 5 to 8 next year. The CTA had announced earlier this year that all in-person attendees must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and that it would follow local protocols, which as of now includes masking in indoor spaces. In addition, safety measures for the 2022 show will feature wider aisles, with some designated one-way aisles, as well as extra space between seats in the keynote rooms, a better cleaning protocol and upgraded ventilation in the venues themselves.

The CTA is also adding several new product categories to CES 2022, according to Karen Chupka, executive vice president of the CTA. Food tech will encompass everything from food production to automated restaurants and food prep; space tech will include companies like Sierra Space, a company that delivers items to the International Space Station via its spaceplanes; and the buzzy world of NFTs and digital currency.

Among the existing show categories seeing major growth for 2022 is digital health, a broad category that includes mental health solutions, telemedicine, digital therapeutics and wearable technology. Automotive technology is also trending, particularly driverless cars, electric vehicles and last-mile transportation solutions for home delivery services.

As one of the largest trade shows in the U.S., CES can be considered a bellwether of trends in live events – and next year’s smaller but still robust offering is perhaps a good sign of the returning health of trade shows in 2022.