CEA Membership Triples In Three Years

2004 CEA Industry Forum Highlights Growth and Vitality of Industry

20-Oct-04

With more than 1,700 members, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today announced a record 44 percent membership growth in 2004. Representing members from all facets of the consumer electronics industry, CEA's members account for $100 billion in annual U.S. sales. ""Our record growth over the past few years is a testament to our volunteer leadership, the competitive value we provide our members and the innovative and dynamic industry we represent,"" said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of CEA. ""As sales of CE products soar towards the $108 billion mark, we have seen our membership nearly triple - from 598 in 2001 to 1750 today."" CEA credits the record rise in membership to continuing evolution within the CE industry and the addition of emerging technologies and membership categories within the association. CEA includes member companies from all parts of the industry, from manufacturers and distributors, to content creators and broadcasters. In 2003, CEA granted full membership rights to retailers and in 2004 merged with the Professional Audio-Video Retailers Association (PARA), creating a new PARA division and adding more than 180 new members. The record membership numbers come as CEA gears up for its annual Industry Forum, the leading educational and networking event for the consumer electronics industry. Each year, executives from top technology companies come together to discuss market trends, business strategy and the future of the CE industry. Highlights of the 2004 Industry Forum include the induction of several visionaries in to the CEA Hall of Fame; keynotes by Stanford Law Professor and renowned intellectual property lawyer, Lawrence Lessig, and management consultant and best-selling author, Dr. Oren Harari; a Best Buy panel session detailing innovation and market segmentation at the nations' largest retailer; in-depth market research presentations; and CEA product division meetings.The 2004 CEA Industry Forum runs October 18-20, 2004, at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, California. For more information, please visit http://www.CE.org/events

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