The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), producer of International CES, announced venue changes for the 2010 event, two returning keynote speakers and a new spotlighted area called Living In Digital Times.
CES will now be centralized at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) and the Las Vegas Hilton, with the Sands Convention Center not being used for 2010 show. The Venetian will still have display space for high-performance audio, according to Jason Oxman, industry affairs senior VP.
Since planned construction at the LVCC has been postponed indefinitely, more temporary structures can be built there for exhibits, Oxman said.
The show itself will be smaller, with CEA estimating there will be 100,000 attendees and 2,000 exhibitors for the 2010 event — which takes place Jan. 7-10 — with exhibit space in the “seven-figure area,” according to Oxman, “and it is still early yet.” CEA is traditionally conservative when it comes to predicting CES attendance or exhibit space prior to any show.
In comparison, 2009 attendance was estimated in late January by CEA to be 110,000, featuring 2,700 exhibitors and 1.7 million square feet of exhibit space, lower than the 141,150 that attended the 2008, due in part to the recession that began last fall.
Oxman repeated a longtime view of CEA, saying in effect that the quality of the attendees at CES is better than quantity. He added that CEA is increasing tickets on-site from $100 in 2009 to $200 for 2010, to eliminate consumer attendees, “and that works.”
CEA also announced two returning keynoters for the 2010 show. Steve Ballmer will kick off the 2010 International CES keynote lineup at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6, in the Hilton Center.
Paul Otellini, president/CEO of Intel, will speak at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7, in the Hilton Center.
Information on other 2010 International CES keynotes will be released in the next few months, CEA said.
The new CES spotlighted section is Living in Digital Times, which is focused on technology’s impact on consumer lifestyles.
Living in Digital Times will be located in the North Hall of the LVCC. Returning to the International CES as part of Living in Digital Times will be the Kids@Play conference program and TechZone, which will explore the role technology plays in children’s education, and the Silvers Summit conference program and TechZone, which will showcase consumer technology aimed at keeping seniors healthy, entertained and connected.
New this year are three additional conferences and TechZones: the Digital Health Conference Program and TechZone, the HigherEd Tech Conference Program and TechZone, and the Mommy Tech Conference Program and TechZone.
One more note: the iLounge area of Apple-related product accessories, which started a few years ago at 4,000 square feet, will now take up 25,000 square feet, Oxman said, with dozens of exhibitors.
