Next year's Consumer Electronics Show will include an area reserved for Apple-related products, according to AFP, adding fuel to the speculation that Apple may get involved in that trade show in 2010, despite its public statement that its withdrawal from this year's Macworld was because "trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers."

AppleInsider, which acknowledges that Apple has not even hinted at a desire to exhibit at CES in any capacity, has sources who say that the company does plan to be there next year, "and so would create an incentive for related companies to attend the event themselves." A representative of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which stages CES, would not comment on Apple's plans but did note that the company is a CEA member. 

This year's CES, held Jan. 8 to 11 in Las Vegas, saw attendance drop about 10,000 from last year and the number of exhibitors decline from 3,000 in 2008 to 2,700 this year. According to AFP reporter Glenn Chapman: "Lacking were the lavish parties, frenetic crowds, and seductively clad 'booth babes' of years past. In their place were low-key networking soirees and hot product showcases with names such as Digital Experience, ShowStoppers, and Unveiled."

Mr. Chapman quoted Microsoft CEO Steve Balmmer as saying during his keynote speech: "Our world, our nation and our industry face some really big challenges. All of us, we are all feeling it, and its impact will likely be with us for some time. At the end of the day, it is the power of ideas and innovation that drive us forward regardless of economic environment."