Attendees are starting to plan for the show, with discount rates available for pre-booked sessions.

With the consumer electronics industry as a whole cutting back, this year’s annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is expected to be a subdued affair compared to previous years. 

Spokesperson for show organisers, the Consumer Electronics Association, Jason Oxman said that companies are cutting their travel budgets - causing an estimated drop in attendance from 141,000 in 2008 to 130,000 in 2009. 

The lower attendance rate spurred a discount in ticket prices with those choosing to pre-register by January 2 saving US$100. Session passes are also US$200 cheaper through advance booking. 

Taking advantage of get together
Many companies are making the most of the meeting of the CE heavyweights by using the time together to arrange meetings to secure deals and sales opposed to booking exhibition space. 

"A lot of companies are asking us for meeting rooms that haven't done so in the past," Oxman said. "Companies are looking to do business at the show that they would otherwise do with individual customer visits." 

Exhibitor numbers down 10%
The number of exhibitors at the show has also dropped from around 3,000 last year to roughly 2,700 this year. 

The emphasis in products on show this year is expected to be centred around gadgets that are smaller, more connected and more environmentally friendly to help consumers save. 

"In tough times, the emphasis maybe shifts from cool and neat to how do you make things work better," NPD analyst Stephen Baker said. 

Hot keynote speakers
Despite the drop in attendance and tough economic climate, the CEA has kept up with the trend of sporting a great lineup of keynote speakers. In 2009 this includes: Microsoft Corp chief executive Steve Ballmer, Cisco Systems Inc CEO John Chambers, Sony Corp CEO Howard Stringer, Intel Corp chairman Craig Barrett and Ford Motor Co CEO Alan Mulally. 

The CES kicks off on Thursday, January 8 and will run until Sunday January 11.