2010 International CES SuperSession Program to Feature FCC Chairman, Technology Leaders and Top Retail Executives

ARLINGTON, Va. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^® today announced a robust SuperSession lineup as part of the 2010 International CES^® conference program, which will feature Federal Communications Commission Chairman (FCC) Julius Genachowski, and top technology and retail executives, including Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn and leaders from Kodak, Pandora, Wal-Mart and X-cite. Owned and produced by CEA, the 2010 International CES, the world’s largest tradeshow for consumer technology, is scheduled January 7-10, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“The SuperSessions at CES lets attendees hear directly from technology and government leaders on the state of the industry and the future of the market,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, events and conferences, CEA^®. “We have an impressive lineup of speakers as part of the 2010 CES SuperSessions, including FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, who will take the CES stage for the first time.”

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski will join CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro for a candid discussion of the Chairman’s policy priorities for the FCC, at noon, Friday, January 8 in the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), North Hall, N255-257. Discussion topics will include developments in competition policy, wireless spectrum scarcity, broadband and other issues impacting the consumer electronics industry.

Also as part of the 2010 CES SuperSessions, the “Global Perspective on Retail” panel, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 8 in LVCC, North Hall, N255-257, will address the challenges retailers face when dealing with an international marketplace. Moderated by CEA’s Shapiro, attendees will hear from top retail executives including Brian Dunn, CEO, Best Buy; Gilbert Fiorentino, chief executive, Technology Products Group, Systemax; Srikant Gokhale, CEO, X-cite and Gary Severson, senior vice president, general manager, Entertainment, Wal-Mart Inc.

Safe driving and the connected car will be topics of discussion for the 2010 CES SuperSessions with panels including, “Driving Connected: Built-in, Brought-in or Beamed-in - Developing Cars that Don't Crash and Devices that Don't Distract,” at 10 a.m. Thursday, January 7 in LVCC, North Hall, N250, and “Drivers, Consumer Electronics, and Highway Safety: How Can Technology Help?” scheduled for 3 p.m., January 8 in LVCC, North Hall, N255-257.

The next generation of technology products will be discussed, judged and voted on during SuperSession programs, including CNET’s “Next Big Thing: I Want My IPTV,” scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, January 7 in the LVCC, North Hall, N255-257; “Big Thinkers and Disruptive Technologies - Today's Thought Leaders, Tomorrow's Technologies,” taking place at 1:30 p.m. Friday, January 8 in LVCC, North Hall, N255-257 and the ever popular, “Last Gadget Standing,” scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, January 9 in LVCC, North Hall, N255-257.

Additional SuperSession panels include, “The Twitter Revolution: How The Real-Time Web is Changing the CE,” which will address social media platforms and business at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, January 7, and “Staying Competitive in Turbulent Times,” highlighting what retailers and e-tailers are doing to stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive at noon, Thursday, January 7. Both sessions will be held in the LVCC, North Hall, N255-257.

The 2010 CES will feature more than 2,500 exhibitors and an expected 110,000 attendees from 140 countries. As the launch pad of new technology, the 2010 International CES will showcase some 20,000 new products across 30 different technology categories. Also known for its diverse and compelling conference programs, the 2010 CES will offer more than 250 conferences with 800 industry experts as speakers.

For more news about the 2010 International CES, including a complete conference agenda, visit CESweb.org. Journalists are encouraged to arrive in Las Vegas by Tuesday, January 5, to take advantage of all the CES press events, including CES Unveiled from 4-7 p.m. on January 5.

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $172 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,000 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES – Where Entertainment, Technology and Business Converge. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• 2010 International CES
  January 7-10, 2010, Las Vegas, NV

• Digital Music Forum East
  February 23 - 24, 2010, New York, NY
• Greener Gadgets
  February 25, 2010, New York, NY

• EHX Spring 2010
  March 24 - 27, 2010, Orlando, FL
• CEO Summit and Board Retreat
  June 16 - 19, 2010, Ojai, CA
• CEA Line Shows
  June 22 - 23, 2010, New York, NY
• 2010 SINOCES
  July 8 - 11, 2010, Qingdao, China
• 2010 CEA Industry Forum
  October 17 - 20, 2010, San Francisco, CA