LAS VEGAS CES ATTENDANCE DOWN 23%
CEA officials Mon. emphasized quality over quantity of attendees at Las Vegas CES in preliminary post-show report that event’s total turnout declined to 97,962. Official tally will be released in spring following audit by ABC Expomark that in past years has shown higher attendance count than that of preliminary estimate.
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But preliminary mark of 97,962 is first time since 1999 that show has failed to break 100,000 mark and is 22.7% and 19.9% lower than audited totals of 126,730 and 122,244 for Jan. 2001 and 2000 shows, respectively. CEA’s preshow estimates had lowered projected turnout to 100,000 from 110,000, and senior CES management had said preregistrations were tracking closer to those of 2000 than of record-breaking 2001, not 1999 CES with which CEA now was making comparisons.
Nevertheless, CEA Pres. Gary Shapiro and other executives accentuated positive, saying organizers were “thrilled with the strong turnout.” He called 2002 event “one of our most successful shows in history,” particularly given impact of recession, post-Sept. 11 travel concerns and fact that this was first time CES fell exclusively on weekdays. If Shapiro’s onsite estimate given at Las Vegas news conference last Wed. was accurate -- that Day One attendance this year was 12,000 above that of opening day of last year -- final tally showing total turnout at 23% that of 2001 event would indicate there was significant attendance dropoff toward tail end of this year’s event. CES Vp Karen Chupka was traveling back from Las Vegas and couldn’t be reached for comment by our Mon. deadline.
CEA announcement featured more than usual litany of CES endorsements from exhibitors, many echoing show management in praising quality over quantity of attendees. For example, quote attributed to DirecTV Chmn. Eddy Hartenstein said: “The quality of attendance is what counts to us, and this show was way ahead in that metric.” CEA also quoted Atlantic Technology Pres. Peter Tribeman as saying impact of Sept. 11 attacks and economic recession actually “worked in our favor,” presumably because he believed it convinced tire-kickers to stay home. Tribeman said: “The people that came really wanted to do business. We had a strong show.”