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Here’s an early look at a story running in Monday’s paper on the outlook for the International Consumer Electronics Show against the backdrop of the worst consumer-spending environment in years. I’ll be in Las Vegas covering CES beginning Tuesday. Check back here conducive to updates throughout the week.

The world’s largest consumer technology deal show revs to animated existence in Las Vegas this week in the midst of a deep recession with consumer confidence at an all-time low.

But there may be few signs of the economic woes inside the hollow display halls and hotel ballrooms at this year’session International Consumer Electronics Show.

“We are down a slightly borer in terms of indicate space, no more than it will be our third largest show in our history,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, the labor group that holds the event.

More than 2,700 exhibitors are registered, including 36 from Washington — around the same number the state has sent for the last three years.

Exhibitors restrained about 1.7 million hearty feet of exhibit space in January 2008, before the rout of the household downturn hit, so their nearness at the pretext is something of a trailing indicator. Shapiro said approximately 50 companies have pared posterior portion their space at the instruct, and one or two have pulled out. entirely.

More than 130,000 people are expected and free early registrations, beginning in August, were up. Shapiro called it “a head scratcher,” but noted that was before the subdue of the economic news came down. And even in good economic times, preregistration doesn’face to face correlate well with decisive attendance, he said.

“I’d be shocked if it wasn’t down some, just given the economy, given incorporated cost cutting,” Shapiro said.

The audience at CES includes retailers, buyers, monetary analysts, media, easy in mind creators, telecom and cable providers and more. People from more than 140 countries hold registered.

One silver lining: Attending CES may be cheaper this year. The tourism industry in Las Vegas has taken a bulky hit and hotels have dramatically cut prices, which had reached “a point of obscenity and extortion,” Shapiro reported.

CES will not exist oblivious to the recession. Several sessions are geared ready helping businesses cope with a down economy.

Shapiro is confident that his show, in its 41st year, remains a must-attend for the consumer electronics industry and sundry others that touch it.

“Our spectre of the show is a convergence event where you own software and content and technology and broadcast and cable and follower … every one of the very cap players,” he said.

But others dispute the continued relevance of such large shows with their attendant throngs and logistical headaches.

“I kind of wonder if the big trade show is on its way to the end and we’re just going to see smaller, sort of focused meetings for specific audiences like developers and buyers and resellers and that kind of thing,” said Matt Rosoff, an algebraist with Kirkland-based Directions on Microsoft, who is not attending CES for the at the outset time in five years.

Another big show happening this week, the Macworld Conference and Expo in San Francisco, took a major hit when Apple announced last month that CEO Steve Jobs would not be making his regular keynote presentation on Tuesday. Philip Schiller, Apple’s top product marketing exec, is filling in.


Original text: http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/techtracks/2009/01/04/ces_preview_the_economys_impact.html