Innovations Plus at the Sands Heats Up with Emerging Technologies at 2006 International CES; TechZones, Innovations Honorees, Industry Insiders and Conference Sessions Highlight Venue.

NEW YORK -- Emerging technologies, Innovations 2006 Design and Engineering Award honorees, TechZones, Industry Insiders and special media events will take center stage at the newest venue of the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES(R)) - Innovations Plus at the Sands. The 2006 International CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology tradeshow, runs January 5-8, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Sands Expo and Convention Center, which is scheduled to open early at 8 a.m. each day of the show, will serve as the new destination for Innovations Plus at the 2006 International CES. Innovations Plus at the Sands is slated to house the prestigious Innovations Award honorees, more than 12 hot product TechZones, along with International Gateway exhibitors, 75 conference sessions and the CES Industry Insider Series. An enhanced and expanded CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of CES, exhibitor press conferences and live radio broadcasts from Dave Graveline's "Into Tomorrow" program also will find a home at Innovations Plus at the Sands in 2006.

"The Sands is gearing up to be one of the hottest destinations at the 2006 International CES," said Karen Chupka, vice president of events and conferences at the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the producer of the International CES. "With a focus on emerging technologies and a solid line-up of speakers, events and displays showcasing the breadth and depth of the industry, Innovations Plus at the Sands will be the place to see and learn about the leading-edge of consumer technology."

A main highlight of Innovations Plus at the Sands, the Innovations 2006 Design and Engineering Award honorees will showcase the best designed and engineered products of 2006. Adding to the excitement this year is the all-new Scientific American Innovations People's Choice award sponsored by Zero Air Pollution (ZAP) cars, where CES attendees will vote for their favorite Innovations honoree and enter to win a ZAP Xebra electric car. The People's Choice winner will be awarded during a special Saturday@theSands event featuring the electric car drawing and NFL wildcard playoff games in the Innovations Showcase on Saturday, January 7, 2006. Awards keep flowing during Saturday@theSands when Ziff Davis announces the best-of-the-best products at CES during its annual Last Gadget Standing SuperSession.

Innovations Plus at the Sands also features the largest concentration of market-specific TechZones at the 2006 International CES. Emerging technologies such as Robotics, USB and IPTV will each have dedicated TechZones to display the companies and products new to each market. Other innovative TechZones at Innovations Plus include Bluetooth, Cardio Play, Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), Portable Audio, Portable Power, Studio@Home and Zigbee Alliance.

CES partner programs at Innovations Plus bring additional expertise and technical knowledge from some of the industry's most prolific companies. EE Times presents Great Minds, Great Ideas, a one-day event focused on the people, products and technologies set to change the world. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) also will be a big focus at Innovations Plus with the Pulvermedia-sponsored Consumer VoIP Summit and Consumer VoIP TechZone. And digital imaging is back at the Sands with Flash Forward 3.0: Bringing Digital Imaging into Focus, sponsored by InfoTrends and Picture Business.

The successful CES Industry Insider Series also will move to Innovations Plus at the Sands in 2006. Verizon's Ivan Seidenberg and Kodak's Antonio M. Perez will present individual sessions on Thursday, January 5 and Friday, January 6, respectively. Also on Friday, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro will meet for their first one-on-one conversation to discuss public policy facing the CE industry, and four leading retail giants, Brad Anderson of Best Buy, David Edmondson of Radio Shack, Alan McCollough of Circuit City and Larry Mondry of CompUSA, will take part in the Retail Power Panel to define today's hottest selling technologies.

With all the action taking place at Innovations Plus at the Sands, CES has taken measures to ensure all CES attendees have an opportunity to visit the Sands each day of the show. In addition to opening early at 8 a.m., two separate shuttle loops run continuously to the venue - one between the Sands and the Las Vegas Convention Center and one between the Sands and all official CES hotels.

For credentialed press attending the exhibitor press conferences on Wednesday, January 4, Sands shuttles will run early, with the hotel shuttles starting at 7 a.m. and the Sands Express from the LVCC starting at 7:30 a.m.

Credentialed CES press also will find a full service press room on the show floor at the Sands. Amenities include press registration; CES bag pick-up; computers, fax machines and phones; high-speed internet; a press lunch on Thursday and Saturday; a keynote playback area and exhibitor press kits.

For more information on the 2006 International CES, including online registration, updated CES news, events and schedules, visit www.CESweb.org.

Note to Journalists: All verified CES press and analysts receive complimentary access to all CES conference sessions, keynotes and Industry Insiders. Press and analyst registration is available at www.CESweb.org, where the full slate of exhibitor press conferences also is posted. Journalists are encouraged to arrive in Las Vegas by Tuesday, January 3, to take advantage of all the CES press events, including CES Unveiled at 4 p.m. on January 3 in the Bellini Ballroom of Innovations Plus at the Sands.

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the consumer technology industry through technology policy, events, research, promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA represents more than 2,000 corporate members involved in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and integration of audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless and landline communications, information technology, home networking, multimedia and accessory products, as well as related services that are sold through consumer channels. Combined, CEA's members account for more than $122 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 Tomorrow's Technology. 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

--  CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES
    January 3, 2006, Las Vegas, NV

--  2006 International CES
    January 5-8, 2006, Las Vegas, NV

--  2006 CEA Winter Summit
    March 2-4, 2006, Vail, CO

--  CEA 2006 Winter Technology and Standards Forum
    March 6-10, 2006, Clearwater Beach, FL

--  CEA Spring Break
    March 14-17, 2006, Washington, DC

--  CEA Entertainment Technology Summit
    March 15-16, 2006, Washington, DC

--  Digital Patriots Dinner
    March 15, 2006, Washington, DC

--  EHX Spring 2006
    March 28-April 1, 2006, Orlando, FL

--  CONNECTIONS (TM) - The Digital Home Conference & Showcase
    May 2-4, 2006, Santa Clara, CA

--  2006 PARA Conference
    May 3-7, 2006, Hilton Head, SC

--  The 10th Annual Consumer Electronics CEO Summit
    June 21-24, 2006, Southampton, Bermuda

--  2006 SINOCES
    July 7-10, 2006, Qingdao, China

--  2006 CEA Summer Technology and Standards Forum
    July 24-28, 2006, Coronado, CA

--  CEA Industry Forum
    October 16-18, 2006 San Francisco, CA

--  2007 PARA Conference
    May 16-20, 2007, Coronado, CA