CES gadget show sets attendance record
NEW YORK — The International Consumer Electronics Show held last week in Las Vegas was the largest ever, with more than 153,000 attendees, according to the trade group that organizes it.
CES is the largest trade show in the Americas, and one of the largest technology-focused events anywhere. The attendance figure represents a comeback after the recession, narrowly beating the 152,203 attendees of 2006.
The Consumer Electronics Association said this weekend that it sold a record amount of show floor space: 1.86 million square feet, or the equivalent of 32 football fields. That’s not counting aisles and other common areas.
The show was the last to feature a Microsoft Corp. booth and a keynote by its CEO. The company is pulling out to focus on its own events, mirroring Apple’s strategy of not participating in trade shows.