International CES Executives Head To China For LVCVA Trade Mission; CES Joins The Las Vegas Convention And Visitors Authority For First-Ever Delegation To China

25-May-05

Executives from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) head to China this week to participate in a trade mission hosted by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). The primary goal of the mission is to increase Chinese attendance at CEA's flagship event, the International CES, and promote Las Vegas-based tradeshows on a global stage. The two-part trade mission begins today in Beijing and concludes in Shanghai on June 3. Executives are meeting with representatives from the U.S. State Department and U.S. Embassy based in China as well as officials from Chinese government agencies and trade organizations related to the consumer electronics industry. CEA executives on the trip are Karen Chupka, Vice President of Events and Conferences; Dan Cole, Vice President of Sales and Business Development and Doug Johnson, Senior Director of Technology Policy. ""China is an extremely important market for the International CES and the consumer electronics industry as a whole,"" said Chupka. ""More than 1,800 people from China attended the 2005 International CES, and we hope to leverage our relationship with China-based US officials and our industry counterparts in China to grow China's presence at CES even further in 2006."" In addition to promoting the 2006 International CES, CEA also will discuss its partnership with the China Electronic Chamber of Commerce (CECC) to expand the international scope of the upcoming China International Consumer Electronics Show (SINOCES), held in Qingdao from July 1-4, 2005. The strategic partnership with the CECC will allow CES to extend its brand on a global level and help to foster relationships with Chinese organizations dedicated to strengthening business opportunities between the United States and China. CEA also will raise the issue of visa policies and the difficulties facing Chinese business people traveling to the United States for legitimate business purposes. CEA hopes to work with the U.S. Consulate in Beijing to facilitate Chinese attendance at the 2006 International CES and supports recent U.S.-China business visa initiatives that will extend the length of business visas to the United States. Lastly, CEA will promote its new international affiliate membership program which allows foreign companies with no US-based facility to qualify for certain CEA member benefits including market research data and access to member lounges and meeting rooms at the International CES. ""China is poised to become the third largest consumer electronics market after the United States and Europe,"" said Todd Thibodeaux, Vice President of Industry Relations at CEA. ""Through this trade mission and our other initiatives in China we hope to accelerate the integration between Chinese and foreign technologies and create a global consumer electronics industry in China, one that benefits the worldwide consumer technology marketplace.""

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