The 2000 International CES, to be held in Las Vegas January 6-9, will be the first major technology show of the new year (and the new millennium) with the latest in digital technology and over 130 conference sessions enabling attendees to keep up with the latest industry trends.
During a press conference at New York’s Tavern On The Green, CEMA president Gary Shapiro and CES VP Robbi Lycett provided details on the 2000 show. The event expects to draw 1,500 exhibitors, covering at least 25 product areas, with more than a dozen pavilions spread throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Sands Expo and Convention Center, the Las Vegas Hilton, and the Alexis Park Resort.
One surprise is that the first keynote speech of the show will be held the night before it opens: Microsoft chairman/CEO Bill Gates will present what is called a “New Millennium Keynote” on Wednesday, January 5 from 7 p.m.-8 p.m.
Other keynote speakers in-clude: Eric Benhamou, chairman/CEO of 3Com; Scott McNealy, chairman/CEO of Sun Microsystems; Rob Glaser, chairman/CEO of RealNetworks; and former Thomson and RCA exec, now vice-chairman of Global Crossing, Joe Clayton, who will speak at the CES Executive Briefing Luncheon.
Three high-profile panels will also be held at CES: The E-Commerce Supersession will be moderated by L.A. Times columnist Jaclyn Easton; Retailing In The Digital Age will feature executives from Best Buy, Circuit City and Tandy; and Internet 2000 will be a half-day summit hosted by Virginia Governor James Gilmore.
In addition, the CES conference program will be divided into eleven session tracks, which are: Workstyle Technology, Lifestyle Technology; The Habitech Institute; Specialty Audio; Mobile Electronics/Wireless Communications; Emerging Technologies; E-Commerce; Retail Management; Executive Forum; Dataquest Predicts Consumer Technologies; and the Digital Hollywood conference on content.
For more on CES events, exhibitors and how to register, visit www.CESweb.org.
