World's Largest Consumer Electronics Show Kicks Off In Las Vegas

January 8, 2009 8:26 p.m. EST

Las Vegas, NV (AHN) - The world's largest consumer electronics tradeshow, International CES, kicked off in Las Vegas, Nevada on Thursday and will play host to thousands of reporters, buyers and industry insiders as over 2,700 exhibitors present their newest products.

Over 300 exhibitors are new to the show this year, which runs from January 8-11, including big names like Microsoft, Sony, Kodak, HP, Toshiba - as well as lesser known firms, Asian exporters and even start-ups looking to secure distributors at the industry-only event.

Wednesday evening, Microsoft kicked off the show with a keynote address from CEO Steve Ballmer, filling in for Bill Gates who has spoken at CES for years but skipped it since stepping down. Ballmer introduced Windows 7, Microsoft's newest operating system which the firm hopes will bring back customers and return some goodwill after launching the widely panned Windows Vista. Ballmer also announced strategic partnerships with Facebook, Verizon and Dell, as well as two new upcoming titles in the company's popular 'Halo' video game franchise.

However, the credit crunch and economic downturn have hit the consumer electronics industry in recent months. Marquee names like Cisco opted out of even purchasing a booth at CES this year, instead choosing to meet with decision makers and buyers at hotel suites. Cisco's consumer arm, Netgear, did rent a booth and Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which hosts CES, maintains that the show's "momentum is strong."

"The [consumer electronics] industry is resilient but not immune from the business cycle," Shapiro explained. "In this challenging economy, our industry knows that CES is more important than ever to grow business. With each CES attendee holding an average of 12 meetings at our trade show, there is no better strategy for generating leads and jump-starting new business than attending the 2009 International CES. In tough economic times, trade shows make the most business sense and CES is the must-attend event of the year for our industry."

This year, over 130,000 people are expected to attend the show. There will be 200 conferences with over 500 expert speakers. For 2009, the focus will be on social media as the industry continues to chart a course amid a bleak economic outlook.

AHN will be covering International CES 2009 live from Las Vegas.