Steve Marcus

Panasonic Electronics technicians set up a display of flat panel televisions in preparation for the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. In the background is the 150-inch plasma television which was introduced at last year’s show. The consumer technology trade show begins Thursday and is expected to attract 2,700 exhibitors and 130,000 attendees.

By Amanda Finnegan (contact)

Wed, Jan 7, 2009 (2 a.m.)

The latest in gadgetry and technology will premier on convention show floors when the International Consumer Electronics Show hits Las Vegas Thursday.

CES, run by the Consumer Electronic Association, is the world’s largest tradeshow for consumer technology and North America’s largest annual tradeshow.

The convention will feature 2,700 exhibitors from 140 different countries, including 300 new to the 2009 show, showcasing new technologies in everything from mobile devices to home appliances to digital entertainment.

The expo has been a stage for manufacturers and developers since the show’s opening in 1967. Products like the VCR in 1970, CDs in 1981, high-definition TV in 1991 and Blu-ray DVDs in 2003 have made their debuts on the CES showroom floor.

CES will sprawl across 1.7 million square feet of exhibit space between the Las Vegas Convention Center, The Sands Expo and Convention Center, The Venetian and the Las Vegas Hilton.

Attendance has dropped for this year’s convention, from 140,000 attendees in 2008 to 130,000 this year.

Along with thousands of vendors, more than 200 conference sessions will be held with 500-plus speakers addressing recent trends in the industry.

Microsoft chief operating officer Steve Ballmer, Sony CEO Howard Stringer and Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally will deliver keynote addresses on the states of their markets.