international professionals – 35,734 – attended the show from more than 150 countries, representing an increase of 13 percent over last year. An independent audit, performed by Veris Consulting, LLC, confirms CES’s status as the world’s most important technology event and North America’s largest annual tradeshow of any kind.

The 2012 International CES, held January 10-13, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nev., spanned 1.86 million net square feet of exhibit space and welcomed a record 156,153 industry professionals overall. After the United States, the top 10 countries represented in terms of attendance were Canada, South Korea, Japan, China, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Taiwan, Germany and Brazil.

“The 2012 International CES was the largest in show history and was bursting with innovation as the world’s most important technology event,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, events and conferences, CEA. “These record-breaking audit results confirm that CES continues to be the must-attend event that unites the global technology industry, including Fortune 500 executives, retail buyers, content producers, entertainment executives, venture capitalists, engineers, government officials and media from every corner of the world.”

Senior-level executives and top decision makers continue to take advantage of the unparalleled networking and business opportunities at CES. According to the Veris audit, 43 percent of 2012 CES attendees are senior-level executives. Presidents, CEOs and/or business owners made up 15 percent of attendees. Nearly one-third of all attendees are the final decision makers when it comes to new product purchases or partnerships with other companies, with 97 percent identified as having buying decision influence. More than 12,000 attendees represented companies with more than $500 million in total annual sales, up four percent over last year.

The Veris audit also confirms that CES attracts leaders from diverse business areas including entertainment, retail, education, engineering and venture capital industries. This year, more than 12,000 retail buying organizations, 5,000 manufacturers and 6,000 engineering companies came to CES. Additionally, after a successful inaugural Entertainment Matters program at the 2011 CES, more than 32,000 attendees from the content development and entertainment industry returned to the show in 2012.

The 2012 CES also brought together top government officials from the Obama administration, U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, Federal Communications Commission, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Science and Technology Policy, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. International Trade Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Each year, influential media and analysts attend CES to report on the latest consumer electronics technologies and trends. 5,000 media and industry analysts attended the 2012 CES, and media coverage of CES was up 35 percent over 2011.

The International CES has been named North America's Greenest Show by Trade Show Executive Magazine, and this year, CEA significantly expanded its recycling and repurposing efforts by recycling 75 percent of show materials from the 2012 CES. CEA collected a record amount of materials to recycle and repurpose, including more than 35,700 square feet, equivalent to 20,000 pounds, of magnetic banners; 28,600 square feet of vinyl banners; 16,000 square feet of other show signs and materials; and for the first time, almost 50,000 pounds of show publications.

Veris is certified by the Exhibition and Event Industry Audit Commission (EEIAC) to perform audits. As part of the Veris audit, each CES attendee is counted only once, and show size is calculated using only exhibit space sold, not hallways or bartered space.

The CES audit provides absolute verification of exhibition records, including direct on-site observation, examination of registration systems and testing of attendee records. Post-show analysis included direct confirmation sampling, reconciliation of attendance lists, elimination of duplicate names, and verification of demographic data with the source of documentation.

Final audit numbers may differ from preliminary estimates given onsite due to additional badge pick-ups and badge reader reports. This audit complies with the industry standards for audits adopted by both the EEIAC and the International Association of Exhibition and Events (IAEE).

For full audit results, please visit CESweb.org/exhibitors. The 2013 International CES is scheduled for January 8-11, 2013, in Las Vegas.