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Arlington, Virginia - With more than 150,000 attendees from 110 countries witnessing the introduction of thousands of new products and technologies from more than 2,500 exhibitors, the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES®) lived up to its billing as the world's largest technology tradeshow. The 2006 International CES, produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), ran January 5-8 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The show floor was packed with global executives from the consumer technology, broadcasting, cable, content, engineering, financial, motion picture, music and numerous other industries who converged in Las Vegas over the last four days. The show attendees heard from technology industry visionaries and viewed a spectacular showcase of hot new products and trends in audio, accessories, emerging technology, home networking, home theater, mobile electronics, video and wireless.

"The 2006 International CES was a success in every sense of the word," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA. "From the international audience, major media and top buyers in attendance to the top-notch keynotes and conferences, government leaders, entertainment superstars and exhibitors, the 2006 International CES shifted from simply a tradeshow to a major global event."

The 2006 International CES set several major show records including number of attendees at more than 150,000 and exhibit space at 1.67 million net square feet of space. The show again proved that it is truly the international center of the digital world as it drew more than 23,000 international attendees

The show featured a broad array of exciting product and exhibitor announcements, many of which provide consumers with unprecedented control over when, where and how they watch movies, listen to music, view their digital photos and access information, education and entertainment content. Convergence was a big trend on the show floor in 2006 as traditional product categories merged together to create unique, multi-functional digital devices. In addition, the convergence trend transcended the show floor with an exciting array of announcements concerning cross-industry partnerships that promise to give consumers a variety of choices in the way they obtain, view and listen to digital content.

Reflecting the strength of the transition to high definition television (HDTV), the show floor featured the latest developments in display technologies, such as organic light emitting diode (OLED) and surface-conduction electron-emitting display (SED), along with a variety of products and innovations that build upon HDTV.

Other show highlights included the latest in Bluetooth, digital audio, digital imaging, HD and satellite radio, home video production and in-vehicle entertainment. This year's CES expanded to Innovations Plus at the Sands which housed new and emerging technologies. Visitors to the Sands were wowed by the latest advancements in robotics, ultra-wideband, IPTV, VoIP and more.

"This year's show cemented the International CES' position as the global launchpad for new technologies," said Karen Chupka, CEA's vice president, events and conferences. "The CES has become the ultimate business strategy, as our exhibitors are able to leverage the tremendous media coverage, partnership and marketing opportunities that surround the show to grow their business."

In addition to standing as a product showplace, the 2006 International CES included a star-studded array of 350 industry luminaries serving as keynoters, Industry Insiders and conference speakers. The show kicked-off with a keynote from Microsoft's Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates and included keynote presentations from Sony Chairman and CEO Sir Howard Stringer, Intel CEO Paul Otellini, Yahoo! Chairman and CEO Terry Semel and Google Co-founder and President of Products Larry Page. Additionally, Industry Insider presentations from Dell Chairman and Founder Michael Dell, Kodak Chairman and CEO Antonio Perez, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin and retail executives from Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA and Radio Shack gave attendees exclusive insights into the top trends and issues impacting the industry. Celebrities sighted at the 2006 International CES included Tom Cruise, Ellen Degeneres, Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Justin Timberlake, Morgan Freeman, Ron Howard , Quincy Jones and more.

The 2006 show also attracted more than 130 top officials from international, federal and state government bodies. The government leaders joined top executives from the technology, cable, broadcasting and motion picture industries at the show's annual Leaders in Technology dinner. The dinner featured a keynote from Peter Chernin, president and CEO, News Corp., who discussed the regulatory environment around broadband and copyright issues and the merging of content and technology.

The 2007 International CES will be held January 8-11, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Quotes from exhibitors at the 2006 International CES:

"CES has become a strategic business event for our company and becomes more important each year as a stage-setter for the new year with our customers. A true world-class industry event." Rick Goricki, senior director of sales, Plantronics

"CES is no longer just an event for a retailer-it is now a strategy. Jim Hamilton, senior vice president, chief merchandising officer, RadioShack Corp.

"The Sands was a hotbed of innovative products and the traffic was there to prove it!" Peter Lesser, president, X-10 (USA) Inc.

"CEA plays a pivotal role in driving this fast paced industry through the work of CEA divisions, committees and staff activities. No other industry association comes close to covering the scope of CEA." Dave Hanchette, vice president of marketing, OnQ/Legrand

"CES is more than a show, it's an event." Herman Sperling, group vice president of marketing, Harman Kardon Group.

"Better then ever. Topped last year-absolutely record breaking! Phenomenal Show!" Skip West, president, Maxsa

"CES is a fantastically exciting, productively informative, outstandingly professional and intensely memorable event." Paul D'Arcy, executive vice president, Sanyo Fisher Co.

"The expansion to the Sands Expo was a success. Traffic flow was heavy, and the visitors were quality leads. Everyone received the message that the Sands was an area to visit, especially for innovating products and digital imaging interests." Charlotte Christou, CEO, Digital Frames Inc.

For more information on the International CES, visit www.CESweb.org, the interactive source for CES information before, during and after the show.

About CEA:
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $122 billion in annual sales. CEA's resources are available online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry. CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Defining Tomorrow's Technology. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.