Posted on: Thursday, June 24, 2004

Organizers cancel 2004 Comdex

Associated Press

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The venerable Comdex convention, which for almost 25 years showcased the latest and greatest in high technology in Las Vegas every November, is canceling this year's show after years of declining attendance and interest.

Show organizer MediaLive International Inc. described the cancelation as a "postponement" and said yesterday that it had formed an advisory board to reshape the troubled event. The company also said the next Las Vegas show would take place in November 2005.

Originally called the Computer Dealers Exposition when it started in a Las Vegas ballroom in 1979, Comdex grew exponentially over the years as companies flocked to the desert city to announce their latest software, hardware and visions.

During the tech boom, Comdex lured more than 200,000 people and filled more than 1.2 million square feet of convention space. When the tech bubble burst, attendance and exhibitors plunged, forcing the organizer — then Key3Media — into bankruptcy.

The 2003 show attracted about 40,000 technology buyers, 550 exhibitors and 900 reporters, according to MediaLive.

The 2004 show was scheduled to open Nov. 14.