145,868 Industry Professionals Attend 2005 CES, Setting New Show Record -- With more than 22,000 international attendees and 40,000 senior level executives from 110 countries, the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) drew a record 145,868 industry professionals, January 6-9, 2005, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2005 International CES was the largest in the show's 39-year history in terms of overall attendance, international attendance and exhibitor square footage. The record-breaking attendance for 2005 showed a nine percent increase from 2004, while attracting 51 percent of Fortune 500 companies. This year 2,500 exhibitors participated utilizing 1.5 million square feet of exhibit space. Leading global companies in the audio, accessories, broadcasting, cable, digital imaging, electronic gaming, emerging technology, home networking, home theater, mobile electronics, video and wireless industries attend the International CES. With more than 1.4 million square feet of exhibit space already sold, the 2006 International CES will be held Thursday, January 5 through Sunday, January 8, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
What was once a simple, unidirectional flow of electricity from centralized power plants to passive consumers is evolving into a complex, intelligent network where millions of distributed resources actively participate in grid operations. This transformation, powered by smart grid technologies, represents one of the most significant infrastructure shifts of our time. It promises to reshape how we generate, distribute, and consume energy. At its core, the smart grid represents far more than mere digitization of existing infrastructure. This bi-directional capability is fundamental to understanding why smart grids are becoming the backbone of modern energy systems, facilitating everything from real-time demand response to the integration of renewable energy sources. Smart Grid Market Development By 2030, smart grid technologies are projected to cover nearly half of the global electrical grid, up dramatically from just 24 percent in 2025. This expansion is underpinned by explosive gr...