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Lights out at CES 2018

Does anyone have a battery pack?

Mat Smith
Bureau Chief, UK
Updated ·2 min read
0

Possibly the worst thing that could happen at a tech show, power went down across several halls at the Las Vegas Convention Center during CES at 11:15 PT. Several booths suffered power outages, including swathes of TVs at LG. The South Hall is also affected, as people are being stopped getting to and from the exhibition areas. Security staff told Engadget that a "power outage" has affecting all halls except East. Attendees were blocked from entering Central Hall, where the main lighting was briefly down. -- this included Engadget's own stage presence at CES. (Update: our livestream is back and running.) Our staff also saw one man being escorted away from the convention center by police. Attendees at the Cosmopolitan Hotel reported "flickering lights" around the same time.

Update: With power restored at the convention center, the CTA has issued the following statement:

"Today at approximately 11:15 AM, the Central Hall and South Hall bridge meeting rooms at the Las Vegas Convention Center lost power. Power in the South Hall was restored within minutes, and power has now been fully restored to all areas. A preliminary assessment indicates that condensation from heavy rainfall caused a flashover on one of the facility's transformers. We are grateful to NV Energy for their swift assistance, to our customers and their clients for their patience and to the staff for ensuring the safety and security of all attendees and exhibitors."

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