LAS VEGAS,USA: Just before the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) officially opened its doors, I had a chance to chat with Gary Shapiro, President & CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). CEA are the producers of CES and are responsible for getting together exhibitors from over 140 countries in one place.

Gary was quite forthcoming on his views about the CE industry, the recession and some of the key highlights of the show:

CES in times of recession

The CES is coming in at a difficult time with the economy, but fortunately for us, it is still a very successful event. We expect 1,30,000 visitors from around the world this time. Numbers however, are never as important as having the right people. We have CEOs of every major technology company, thousands of journalists from around the world, all the major Hollywood companies are either exhibiting or in a conference room, the broadcasters, content creators, cable and satellite and the automotive companies; so a wide mix.

This year, we have 300 exhibitors that we've never had before and there are tech zones focused on different things, for example the one for kids (Kids at Play) or the one for older people (Silver Summit). Furthermore, a recession is nothing new.

We've had difficult times before (like 9/11, when our economy froze or even '91) but technology does provide some solutions. Technologies can create new jobs, new businesses. So I'm very optimistic about 2009, even though the U.S. Govt says it will be a tough 2009. I hope they're wrong.

About the main objective behind CES

The main objective behind CES is to have one place, worldwide, where everyone connected with the consumer technology industry can come. Our research has shown that the average person at CES has 12 business meetings at CES. Without CES, those 12 meetings would mean a large amount of travel and time spent for all concerned – which reduces effectiveness.

About the future of the Internet

I am beyond optimistic about the Internet. You all know that in 2010, we will run out of IP addresses, and that's when we move from the current iPv4 standard to the iPv6. That to me is a big new opportunity, where every product, every appliance in your home, different parts of your car and even a lightbulb can have a unique Internet address. New services will be created which allow you to use those abilities. This could be in diagnostics, energy efficiency and security for example.

Other fast-growing technologies

Look at India. I'm amazed that India adds over 10 million cellular connections every month. I see GPS location based services coming up fast, in the U.S. And many other parts of the world. Broadband based services are growing. Sensing devices (which are becoming very cheap at the component level) will be big. Add in biometrics, robotics, nano technology and broadband and you get phenomenal opportunities for new products and services. My only regret is that I can't come back to CES, 50 or 100 years from now to see what they are.

About technology and jobs

Technology can displace many jobs. Take for example, the case of the travel agents. We now use the Internet to book all our flight tickets and those guys were put out of a job. Technology changed that; it made it more efficient. If you try and protect things that technology is trying to change, then you ultimately lose as an economy. What's made the U.S. economy strong, in my view, is that we've been very marketplace oriented and didn't have too many protections.