The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC)’s central hall went dark at around 11:20 local time (19:20 GMT). It took two hours before the organizers were able to say that the electricity supply for CES 2018 had been restored.
In the meantime, attendees had been evacuated from the affected space, which hosts booths for LG, Samsung and Sony among others. Witnesses at the scene said that security guards had also prevented people from entering the LVCC’s North Hall, where car-makers including Toyota, Nissan and Ford have exhibits.
The Consumer Technology Association, which runs the event, has thanked visitors for their patience. But some have expressed frustration at having missed meetings. The following statement is attributed to the Las Vegas Visitor and Convention Authority, NV Energy and Consumer Technology Association (CTA), regarding the limited power outage in the Las Vegas Convention Center:
“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.”
The power failure followed heavy rain on Tuesday, which had forced Google to shut one of its booths located in the LVCC’s car park. It had been the city’s first rainfall in 116 days, and had marked the wettest January day on record for the area, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal newspaper.
