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.”
