Glimpse Into a Wireless World 

Lisa Plummer -- Tradeshow Week, 3/28/2008 3:37:00 PM

CTIA - the Wireless Assn. is bringing its spring tradeshow back to Las Vegas after a two-year rotation elsewhere. Geared toward retailers, carriers, manufacturers and providers of wireless, telecommunication and Internet technology, CTIA Wireless opens tomorrow, April 1, at the Las Vegas Convention Center and runs through Thursday.

The association expects 1,200 exhibitors to cover 400,000 net square feet of space. Considered the largest event for the $500 billion wireless industry, the show should attract approximately 40,000 attendees, according to organizers’ projections.

Those attendees will come from 125 countries, representing a stronger international presence than ever before. 
According to Rob Mesirow, 10-year CTIA vice president of business operations and show director, this is due to the weakness of the dollar, the strength of other global economies and a leading U.S. wireless marketplace with tremendous draw.  

“There’s a lot of incredible innovation in wireless happening (here),” Mesirow said. “This is the marketplace to find innovative technology at a good price. For (the international buyer) we’re a giant marketplace, and we’re having a sale.” 

Ranked No. 53 on the 2007 TSW 200 and a 2007 TSW Fastest 50 winner, the 21-year old show isn’t showing any signs of weakening. According to Mesirow, CTIA continues to expand along with the booming industry it serves, with a growth rate of 5 to 10 percent per year. The show will have 300 new exhibitors this year, he said. 

Despite an uncertain economic outlook for many industries, wireless is experiencing strength around the world, Mesirow added. 

“The good news is the show is global, with 20 percent of our audience from outside the U.S.,” he said. “The entire (world’s) economy isn’t in as bad shape, and that’s helpful. As long as we don’t slip into a global slump, we’ll be OK.” 

In addition to the huge spring show, CTIA has a smaller, 10-year-old fall show, CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment, for the entertainment side of the industry that emphasizes content and distribution. It’s scheduled Sept. 10-12 at Moscone Center West in San Francisco.

Despite the obvious overlap between the two shows, Mesirow claimed having both each year not only made sense, but was essential to keep up with technological advances.

After last spring in Orlando, the show will remain in Las Vegas for the next three years. 

So, why bother rotating at all? Mesirow said that the LVCC is a good venue for the show, but it still needs an occasional visit to the East Coast. 

“No matter how global your event is, it’s still regional in some respects,” he added. “The dynamics of the attendance mix differs from East to West Coast, so it makes sense every couple of years to work in an East-Coast rotation.” 

CTIA Wireless will return to the LVCC April 1-3, 2009.