A record number of attendees flocked to the CEA Fall Forum (see stories on pgs. 1 and 12), held here last week, which reflects the dramatic increase in the organization’s membership over the past three years.
During the event, which had over 600 attendees, CEA reported it now has 1,770 members with a 44 percent increase in membership growth for 2004. Membership has nearly tripled since 2001 when CEA had 598 members. Membership has come from manufacturers, distributors, content creators and broadcasters.
CEA’s ranks have also swelled with 180 retail members, due to its merger earlier this year with the Professional Audio-Video Retailers Association (PARA), which is now a division of CEA.
Separately CEA announced its new executive board members. Loyd Ivey of Mitek takes over as chairman through 2005, replacing Kathy Gornik of Thiel Audio Products, who remains on the board.
Other additions on the executive board are: Jim Geschke of Johnson Controls, who is the mobile electronics chair; John Flanner of Flanners Audio & Video, chairman of PARA; Mike Mohr of Celluphone becomes the wireless communications chairman; and three “at-large” board members, John Clough of Casio, John Shalam of Audiovox and Al Silverberg of Uniden America, have been named. —
