Attendance Down 14% at CEDIA Expo 2008

Attendance was down 14 percent at CEDIA Expo 2008, which took place Sept. 4–7 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

There were 25,000 attendees at this year's show versus 29,000 attendees during CEDIA Expo 2007, according to CEDIA.

Interestingly, the number of non-exhibiting professionals attending actually increased, as did the number of integrators participating in CEDIA University training, according to the organization.

That means the total figure decline probably reflects the number of exhibiting manufacturers.

CEDIA anticipated the slow economy and down housing market would impact attendance during 2008.

“To help offset the impact, CEDIA provided over $500,000 worth of free education at [CEDIA] Expo [2008]," explains CEDIA COO Don Gilpin.

The show floor appeared bustling and the Expo, in general, seemed to be well-received, based on CE Pro editors' conversations with attendees.

CEDIA Expo 2008 featured over 500 exhibitors, over 90 of which are new companies, according to CEDIA.

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