Two-Day CES Attendance Up Over Last Yr.

By Steve Smith -- TWICE, 1/9/2010

LAS VEGAS - If you thought there were more people at this year's International CES, you were right.

At the end of the Consumer Electronics Association's (CEA) Leaders In Technology dinner Friday night, keynoted by Josh Silverman, CEO of Skype, Gary Shapiro, president/CEO of CEA, said total attendance by the end of Day 2 was 112,515, higher than the 98,495 at the end of 2009's Day 2.

The two-day total already surpasses the 110,000 attendance figure CEA, producer and owner of International CES, was using prior to the show to estimate the expected attendance. Audited attendance for the 2009 show was 113,085

Usually CEA releases its final audited numbers on CES attendance in the spring.

In his opening remarks during the dinner, Shapiro said that the "innovation and optimism" of this year's show is a "great way to start 2010." He noted that there is "more innovation at this show" than any he has attended in his career.

The Leaders In Technology dinner, which brings together key manufacturers, retailers, content creators, media and government policy makers worldwide, featured guest speakers Maria Bartiromo, CNBC anchor, and Josh Silverman, CEO of Skype.

In his remarks, Silverman said Skype is pushing for universal, affordable broadband access, more spectrum and an "open and free Internet," which generated hearty applause. He noted, "Access providers should not restrict access to content."