Consumer Electronics Show 2010: attendance flat, prospects brighter?

The "great recession" hasn't turned the lights out on the Consumer Electronic Show, but it has definitely taken its toll.

The electronics exhibition is expected to attract approximately 110,000 people from around the world for its 2010 iteration, held Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas. That's on par with 2009, when more the 113,000 crowded the booths for the latest in TVs, smart phones, and other consumer electronics offerings.

But this year's attendance figure is well below the event's 140,000-plus totals registered between 2005 and 2008.

While conference attendance is a popular barometer of business confidence – cash-strapped firms don't pay for their employees to oggle the latest gadgets – attendance at CES might be a bit of a lagging indicator. After the financial crisis hit in the fall of 2008, the 2009 showcase bore the brunt of businesses' fear.

The fact that 2010 attendance hasn't declined further, despite the miserable year, may show that businesses foresee a better period ahead – and a more inventive one.

A record 330 companies are presenting products at CES for the first time in 2010, up from about 300 last year.