Electronic Blip; CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW POWERS ON, DESPITE ECONOMIC BROWN-OUT.(NEWS)

Byline: MARK VAUGHN

At the last Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner gave a keynote address ("Detroit Invades Las Vegas, AW, Jan. 21), following techno ubergeek Bill Gates. It was the first time an auto executive had ever so addressed CES. Wagoner even took the opportunity to unveil a prototype, the Cadillac Provoq, another CES first. Things were looking up for American carmakers.

For the upcoming showwhich runs Jan. 8-11, 2009Ford CEO Alan Mulally is scheduled to give a keynote address, even though the car industry is in full survival mode. The carmaker presence at this show is a strong reminder of how much the economy depends on the auto industry.

Every year at CES, the entire North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center and many displays throughout the million-plus square feet of additional show space are crammed with automotive stuff. It's a sizable percentage of the total CES exhibitor list. While big-screen televisions and home-entertainment systems are huge draws every year, automotive electronics are mighty big, too. If the Detroit Three were to go under, they would take an awful lot of electronics manufacturers and suppliers with them.

Auto supplier Delphi, usually a big exhibitor at CES, will be absent this year, but competitor Visteon will be on hand. The total number of exhibitors will hold steady at 2,700, according to the Consumer Electronics Association, which produces the show.

While the Detroit Three might not have as big a presence this time around, Hyundai and Kia will be at the show for the first time. The Korean companies will use the HKS Genesis Coupe, a Genesis ...