2003 International CES Announces Special Incentives for International Attendees; Largest Tradeshow in North America Announces Plans Catering to Global Audience.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

CES 2003

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2002

The International CES, North America's largest technology tradeshow, announced plans to cater to the show's global audience before and during the 2003 show. The 2003 International CES is held January 9-12, 2003 in Las Vegas, Nev.

"CES is the one annual event that anyone in the world involved in the consumer electronics industry knows they must attend," said Karen Chupka, vice president of events and conferences for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the producer of CES. "With that being said, CES is doing more to help our international visitors with pre-show and on-site needs to maximize their time at the show."

To assist with registration for 100,000 attendees from 100 different countries, those who require a letter of invitation to obtain a temporary visa to attend CES, can request a visa letter of invitation at the same time during the registration process by going online at www.CESweb.org. Once the request is made, a response will be sent within 48 hours, and a letter will be sent within three to four weeks.

In addition, those wishing to seek out exhibitors exporting to certain countries or regions along with the products they manufacture, can do so by searching the CES exhibitor directory and locate exporting exhibitors who are looking to reach certain markets online.

The 2003 CES line-up of keynote presentations is a prime example of the global energy CES possesses. Four executives including Kunitake Ando, COO of Sony Corp.; Craig Barrett, CEO of Intel Corp.; Tom Engibous, chairman, president and CEO of Texas Instruments Inc.; and Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect for Microsoft Corp. represent four of the top 35 largest electronics companies in the world. CES will provide simultaneous Japanese translation upon request for all keynote addresses.

On Thursday, January 9, CES kicks off the show with a special invitation-only reception for international visitors. This exclusive reception provides an opportunity to meet and network with exporting exhibitors and other international visitors.

During each day of the show, two International Commerce Centers will be located in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center and in the Las Vegas Hilton. Both locations offer business services such as meeting rooms, copier, fax and Internet connection. A multilingual staff speaking Chinese, Japanese, French, German and Spanish is available to assist visitors with information, translation or interpretation services.

The International Gateway returns in 2003 with more than 50,000 square-feet of space in the Las Vegas Hilton. This venue will be home to exhibitors from countries such as Korea, Hong Kong, Sweden, Germany, Israel, Japan and others showing innovative new technologies and products. The International Gateway also will feature the highly regarded Innovations showcase where CES honors the best designed and engineered products new to the market.

CES is North America's largest technology tradeshow by a factor of two. The 2003 International CES will showcase the latest innovations from 2,000 international exhibitors in wireless communications, gaming, digital video, high-end or "extreme" audio, accessories, CE fashion, consumer technology networking, broadband, mobile electronics, content media, new business technology, delivery systems and the Internet.

Online registration now is available at www.CESweb.org, the interactive source for CES information.

Note to Journalists: This year, CES will hold three pre-CES press conferences and receptions. The first reception will be held in Washington, D.C. on October 2 at the National Press Club. The west coast reception will be held Monday, October 14 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, Calif. The east coast reception will be held Wednesday, November 6 at the Essex House Hotel in New York City. The CES pressroom will return to the South Hall connector bridge - room S229-S232. Wednesday, January 8, 2003 is "CES Press Day." While press and attendees are generally not allowed on the exhibitor show floor on the 8th, numerous exhibitors will hold press conferences throughout the day. Detailed press conference information will be available later this year. Journalists are encouraged to arrive in Las Vegas by Tuesday, January 7th to take advantage of all the CES press conferences and events.

About CEA

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) represents more than 1000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing and distribution of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $80 billion in annual sales. CEA's resources are available online at www.CE.org, the definitive source for information about the consumer electronics industry.

CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES - Defining Technology's Future. All profits from CES are reinvested into industry services, including technical training and education, industry promotion, engineering standards development, market research and legislative advocacy.

UPCOMING EVENTS

-- CEA Fall Conference and Industry Forum October 13-16, 2002, San Francisco, CA

-- Electronic House Expo - Fall November 11-14, 2002, Long Beach, CA

-- 2003 International CES - Defining Technology's Future January 9-12, 2003, Las Vegas, NV

-- Electronic House Expo - Spring February 26-March 1, 2003, Orlando, FL

-- CEA 2003 Winter Technology & Standards Forum February 24-February 28, 2003, Scottsdale, AZ

-- 2003 CEA Winter Summit March 4-6, 2003, St. Regis Aspen, Aspen, CO

-- HDTV Summit & the Academy of DTV Pioneers 2002 Awards March 10, 2003, Renaissance Hotel, Washington, DC

-- Asian Home Electronics Fair May 14-17, 2003, Shanghai, China

-- 7th Annual Consumer Electronics CEO Summit June 18-20, 2003, Vail, CO

-- CEA 2003 Summer Technology & Standards Forum August 1-4, 2003, Location TBA

-- CEA Industry Forum & Fall Conference September 14-17, 2003, Carlsbad, CA