Intl. CES Taking Over Sands Too

The Consumer Electronics Assn. will expand its 2006 Intl. CES to halls A and B of the Sands Expo & Convention Center, due to high demand for booth space. According to CEA, the event is already the world's largest annual tradeshow for consumer technology, taking up all the Las Vegas Convention Center, exhibit space at the Las Vegas Hilton and Alexis Park Resort Las Vegas, as well as two temporary outdoor structures. However, the temporary structures will no longer be required starting in 2006.

"We've maxed out everything," said Brad Jones, CEA's communications manager. "We're operating under a waiting list." Many of those exhibitors on waiting lists will be accommodated in the Sands, along with a number of special events and displays involving emerging products. Jones said new technologies like nanotechnology, for example, that are beginning to make waves, as well as some industries that only make up a small piece of the main showfloor pie now, could grow into larger aspects of the show when allowed more space. Yet, Jones stressed, "Right now, there's nothing concrete on paper of what we'll do there."

Space at the two hotel convention centers will continue to be used, though it remains unclear whether the same aspects of the show will stay in their current locations. Jones expects that Alexis Park will see little change, while the only elements he was confident would likely stay at the Hilton are presentations by the keynote speakers and the Intl. Gateway exhibits.

The 2004 Intl. CES was held Jan. 8-11 across nearly 1.4 million net square feet, growing 11.3 percent over the year before when it was ranked No. 1 on the Tradeshow Week 200. This year there were 2,491 exhibiting companies and 88,400 qualified buyers. Already, 1.3 million sq. ft. of space has been sold for the 2005 show, to be held Jan. 6-9.