Arlington, Va. – The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA),
owner and producer of International CES, welcomed a record 156,153 industry
professionals at the 2012 International CES, according to an independent audit.
There were also 3,319 exhibitors from around the globe that
unveiled new technology products at CES, a 22 percent increase over last year’s
show.
In addition, a record-number of international professionals
— 35,734 — attended the show from more than 150 countries, representing an
increase of 13 percent over last year.
The audit, performed by Veris Consulting, confirms CES’s
status as the world’s most important technology event and North America’s largest
annual tradeshow of any kind, CEA said.
The 2012 CES, held Jan. 10-13 in Las Vegas, spanned 1.86
million net square feet of exhibit space. After the United States, the top 10
countries represented in terms of attendance were Canada, South Korea, Japan,
China, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Taiwan, Germany and Brazil.
“The 2012 International CES was the largest in show history
and was bursting with innovation as the world’s most important technology
event,” said Karen Chupka, events and conferences senior VP, CEA. “These
record-breaking audit results confirm that CES continues to be the must-attend
event that unites the global technology industry, including Fortune 500 executives,
retail buyers, content producers, entertainment executives, venture
capitalists, engineers, government officials and media from every corner of the
world.”
According to the Veris audit, 43 percent of 2012 CES
attendees were senior-level executives. Presidents, CEOs and/or business owners
made up 15 percent of attendees. Nearly one-third of all attendees are the
final decision makers when it comes to new product purchases or partnerships
with other companies, with 97 percent identified as having buying decision
influence. More than 12,000 attendees represented companies with more than $500
million in total annual sales, up 4 percent over last year.
The Veris audit also confirms that CES attracts leaders from
diverse business areas, including entertainment, retail, education, engineering
and venture capital industries. This year, more than 12,000 retail buying
organizations, 5,000 manufacturers and 6,000 engineering companies came to CES.
Additionally, after a successful inaugural Entertainment Matters program at the
2011 CES, more than 32,000 attendees from the content development and
entertainment industry returned to the show in 2012, CEA said.
The 2012 CES also brought together top government officials
from the Obama administration, Congress and other parts of the federal
government. Five thousand media and industry analysts attended, and media
coverage was up 35 percent over 2011.
The International CES has been named North America’s
Greenest Show by Trade Show Executive Magazine, and this year CEA said it
significantly expanded its recycling and repurposing efforts by recycling 75
percent of show materials from the 2012 CES.
Veris is certified by the Exhibition and Event Industry
Audit Commission (EEIAC) to perform audits. As part of the Veris audit, each
CES attendee is counted only once, and show size is calculated using only
exhibit space sold, not hallways or bartered space.
Final audit numbers may differ from preliminary estimates
given onsite due to additional badge pick-ups and badge reader reports. This
audit complies with the industry standards for audits adopted by both the EEIAC
and the International Association of Exhibition and Events (IAEE).
For full audit results, click
. The 2013 International
CES is scheduled for Jan. 8-11, 2013, in Las Vegas.