The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®, owner and producer of the International CES^®, the world’s largest annual innovation event, which is held annually in Las Vegas, today announced two $50,000 donations to local Las Vegas organizations Green Chips [1] and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) [2] to advance clean energy and sustainable living. The 2013 International CES opens tomorrow and runs until Friday at the Las Vegas Convention Center, LVH and The Venetian.

“The International CES is proud and grateful to call Las Vegas home, and we at CEA are committed to giving back each year to invest in the sustainability of this great city,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. “Solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations are great investments for our organization to make that will benefit Las Vegas residents and visitors alike.”

The LVCVA, which promotes Las Vegas as the world’s most desirable destination for leisure and business travel, will use its $50,000 donation from CEA to install several electric vehicle charging stations at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“We have a long-standing relationship with CEA and are delighted to be one of the beneficiaries of their ‘green’ program,” Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO, LVCVA. “The donation will help fund new vehicle charging stations at the Las Vegas Convention Center – site of International CES – and will represent the innovation and ingenuity in the consumer electronics industry while further advancing our sustainability efforts.”

Green Chips, a unique public/private partnership that advances environmental sustainability initiatives in southern Nevada, plans to use its $50,000 donation from CEA to support a proposed solar installation project at the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign on Las Vegas Boulevard. In the last two years, with the assistance of CEA donations, Green Chips installed solar panels at the Las Vegas Rescue Mission and at a local Salvation Army, in addition to other sites, to significantly reducing energy bills for both nonprofits.

“We’re proud to partner with the consumer electronics industry and CEA in helping to power Las Vegas via solar panels,” said Cindy Ortega, vice president, MGM Resorts International and chairperson for the Green Chips Board of Trustees. “In a city that gets 300 days a year of sunshine, that is a powerful commitment.”

In addition to the donation to local green organizations, CEA has an overall goal in conjunction with the 2013 International CES to increase the reuse and recycle rate for solid waste generated at the show beyond last year’s high of 75 percent. For the second year, more than 190,000 badge holders were made from vinyl banners from the previous year’s CES, and more than 80,000 square feet of magnetic and vinyl show banners will be collected in cooperation with key exhibitors to repurpose. CEA will also collect discarded publications and show collateral, setting out to surpass last year’s collection of 50,000 pounds of materials.

For more information on the sustainability practices of the 2013 International CES please go to CESweb.org/green [3]. For more on how to live green, buy green, and recycle responsibly, visit GreenerGadgets.org [4].

About CEA:

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $206 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 owns and produces the International CES – The Global Stage for Innovation. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org [5], www.DeclareInnovation.com [6] and through social media: https://www.facebook.com/#!/CEAfeed [7], http://twitter.com/ceafeed [8], http://blog.ce.org/ [9].

UPCOMING EVENTS

• 2013 International CES
  January 8-11, 2013, Las Vegas, NV
• Economic Retreat
  March 8-10, 2013, Snowmass, CO