CES expected to draw 94,000

Many of the gadgets and gizmos that consumers will begin the new millennium with will make their debut in Las Vegas this week.

The Winter Consumer Electronics Show, a four-day launching pad for new products, opens Thursday at four convention centers and hotels and is expected to draw more than 94,000 people to the city.

The trade show with more than 1,800 exhibitors will be open through Sunday at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Sands Expo Center, the Las Vegas Hilton and the Alexis Park Resort.

Howard Stringer, chairman and chief executive officer of the Sony Corp. of America, kicks off the show, open only to trade professionals, with a keynote address on Thursday morning.

Other speakers: Craig Mundie, a senior vice president at Microsoft; John Chambers, president and chief executive officer of Cisco Systems Inc.; Edward Zander, chief operating officer and corporate executive officer of Sun Microsystems and David Coursey, publisher of corsey.com and a columnist for Upside magazine.

Digital televisions, car-based personal computers, high-powered wireless telephones, home editing video systems, V-chips and palmtop computers are expected to get the most attention at this year's show, which is sponsored and produced by the Arlington, Va.-based Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association, a sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance.

"CES is where you see the products of tomorrow, today," said Jeffrey Joseph, a spokesman for the show, which is expected to be the fourth largest convention hosted by Las Vegas this year. "The technologies on display at CES are the products that soon will be in everyone's home, bringing you the best in entertainment."

CES is a more consumer-friendly technology show than the larger Comdex exhibition conducted every November. While Comdex focuses more on computers and their components, CES has more gadgets that are driven by technology -- VCRs, wristwatches and stereo systems. CES also shows more peripheral items that can be used with electronic devices.

Terry Jicinsky, research director for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said the non-gaming economic impact of the show has been estimated at $147.4 million.

By attendance, CES will be the fourth-largest show this year, behind Comdex, March's ConExpo-Con/Ag construction equipment show and April's National Association of Broadcasters show.

Traffic is expected to be heavy around the convention venues when trade show floors open and close. The floor opens at 10 a.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. the next three days. It closes daily at 6 p.m. and at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

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