Fewer expected at electronics show

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- About as many people have registered in advance for the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year as last but fewer may actually attend, organizers said.

There are signs attendance will be off when this year's show opens Thursday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Hotel rooms are plentiful and going at cut rates, and fewer people are expected to fly into the city.

Gary Shapiro, president of the Electronics Association, said exhibitors have leased 1.7 million square feet of space, down 5.6 percent from last year.

"Being down under 10 percent in this economy is a huge accomplishment," Shapiro said.

Michael Zaletel, who runs a Las Vegas hotel-booking Web site, said the show appears to have been losing ground for years.

In the 1990s, hotels required visitors to reserve for at least five days during the show. However, with tourism down generally, the business that the show brings to Las Vegas is more important than ever this year.