CES 2011 Attracts 140,000 Attendees

Las Vegas' increasingly gaming-friendly CES event was able to draw in 140,000 industry professionals last week, according to preliminary figures from conference organizers. The numbers for CES 2011, which took place from January 6-9, are up from 110,000 attendees in 2010. Verified figures for 2011 will arrive in spring, according to organizers Consumer Electronics Association. By comparison, at its peak in 2005, the game industry-only event E3 attracted a total of 70,000 attendees. Organizers also said CES is becoming a more global event, as the show brought in 30,000 international attendees, more than ever before. Twenty-two CEOs offered keynotes at CES 2011, including Microsoft's Steve Ballmer and Sony CEO Howard Stringer, both of which touched on video game-related strategies for their respective firms. Gaming-related exhibitors are becoming more prevalent at CES. This year, streaming game company OnLive was on hand to show off cloud gaming-ready TVs, Capcom showed off upcoming games and Softkinetic displayed its Kinect-like gesture recognition controller, among game-centric exhibitors. "The 2011 International CES was a phenomenal worldwide event that spanned global industries including technology, automotive and entertainment markets," said CEA president and CEO Gary Shapiro in a statement. He added, "This global technology gathering featured more innovation, more news, more social media buzz and more international attendance than any other show in CES history."