Why Is CES So Big? Look at the Numbers

Wonder why thousands of companies set up elaborate technology displays covering 1.5 million feet of convention space in Las Vegas every year? Here's a hint: The Consumer Electronics Association forecasts that factory-to-dealer sales of consumer electronics will exceed $155 billion this year after 2006 sales ($145 billion) exceeded expectations.

TVs will continue to be the industry sales leader, accounting for $26 billion in sales, the CEA predicts. Continued falling prices of flat-panel HDTVs will see to that. But here are some other predictions:

• Next-gen gaming consoles, including, of course, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii, will hit $16 billion in revenues, a 23 percent increase over 2006.

• Sales of MP3 players will account for 90 percent of the $6 billion in revenues in the portable entertainment niche.

• Laptop PCs will continue to eclipse desktop PC sales, digital imaging product sales will reach $8 billion, and consumer electronics accessory sales will climb to $11 billion.

Just as the end of 2006 was the time of the Big TV for many families, GPS technology also took hold with more consumers, and the CEA predicts $1 billion in revenues with the shipping of 3 million global positional tracking units. Sales of GPS units were up 66 percent in 2006, when 2 million units were shipped. That doesn't surprise me. Several of my friends bought GPS units for their parents, spouses, and children this holiday season.

Oh, and the CEA also says that women were expected to spend more than half of the $145 billion spent on consumer electronics in 2006. That's why I'm here, checking out what we'll be eyeing for ourselves and our families in the not-too-distant future.