90 Companies Demo to 1,000+ Journalists, Analysts, Bloggers at ShowStoppers Press Event

Exclusives include Ford, Microsoft introducing next-generation SYNC, electric bike rides from Schwinn, sneak previews, product demos

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ninety companies shot new life into the economy last night by introducing and demonstrating new products and technologies for work, home and play to more than 1,000 journalists, analysts and bloggers attending ShowStoppers, the press-only special event during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

“At ShowStoppers events, journalists get to see, touch, feel and play with new products, as they are announced”

“At ShowStoppers events, journalists get to see, touch, feel and play with new products, as they are announced,” said Steve Leon, partner. “For exhibiting companies, it’s an incredibly effective use of executive time and marketing dollars in a tough economy. There’s nothing like being one-on-one and face-to-face with a reporter – who’s actually holding your product in her hands – to help push product coverage and interviews.”

CBS News/CNET, Fox Business News, Dave Graveline’s “Into Tomorrow,” BNETtv, TechTalkRadio, RCR Wireless, AVING.net, Computer Outlook and Slashgear broadcast, streamed, podcast and blogged live from reserved stages inside ShowStoppers – and recorded additional coverage for later broadcast.

Some of the journalists, analysts and bloggers tracking hot products from cool companies included, among others, ABC News, Andy Seybold, Ars Technica, Associated Press, Barron’s, BBC, Bloomberg, Boston Globe, BusinessWeek, Car & Driver, CNBC, CNN, Consumer Reports, Crunchgear, Electronic House, engadget, Esquire, Financial Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine, gadgetell, Gartner, gizmodo, Good Housekeeping, Iconoculture, IDC, IDG News Service, Laptop Magazine, Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, NBC News, New York Times, Nikkei, NPD, PC Magazine, PC World, Popular Science, Reuters, Revision3, T3, theStreet.com, TWICE, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Which?, Wired and ZDF.

Robert Scoble worked the room for FastCompany.TV and Scobleizer. Crews and hosts from G4 TV taped segments for network broadcast.

The invitation-only event featured start-ups, upstarts, innovators and industry leaders, including Alcatel-Lucent, Astrogaming, AT&T, Autonet Mobile, Avermedia, Boxee, Bug Labs, Compositor, Device VM, Diskeeper, Displaylink, D-Link, FLIR, FusionOne, Future Sonics, FyreTV, Griffin, HP, Honestech, Hughes Network Systems, iolo, iSkin, iZ3D, Jakks Pacific, Kingston, LaCie, Lexmark, Mead Map, Muvee, Myvu, Newber, Nextar, Novotel, Otterbox, Plastic Logic, PlumChoice, Portrait Displays, Rand McNally, Rebit, Roland, Sakar, Schlage, Shapeways, Siber Systems, Single Click Systems, Sisvel, Slacker, Smith Micro Software, Sonoro, Speakal, SPOT, Sunbelt Software, tikitag, Transpera, Trendnet, VIA, Extreme Tech and Zoombak.

Exclusives included, among many:

• The world’s first demonstration by Ford, Microsoft and partners Airbiquity, Gracenote, INRIX, MACOM, Sirius, TeleNav, Tellme and THX of the next-generation edition of SYNC, the hands-free information and entertainment system for drivers – just one hour after it was announced by Alan Mulally, chief executive office of Ford.
• IFA invited exhibitors, journalists, analysts and bloggers to Berlin for the largest consumer-electronics and home-appliances tradefair outside North America – and ShowStoppers @ IFA 2009, the official press event.
• Intuit introduced Quicken Online, the first forward-looking personal-finance service on the Web.
• Boingo Wireless and Skype announced an agreement that allows Skype users to access more than 100,000 Boingo Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide.
• Schwinn gave rides to journalists on its innovative electric bike, the Tailwind.
• Start-up Cloud Engines launched Pogoplug, a small device that connects a USB hard drive to the Internet, giving users access to files from any Web browser, from anywhere.
• FusionOne, GoTV, Juice Wireless, Truphone, Vringo and Vuzix demonstrated tools that won Mobile Entertainment Awards.

For exhibitor details, check the ShowStoppers NewsDesk blog (http://www.showstoppers.com/newsdesk) and Virtual Press Office (http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/showJointPage.do?page=jp&showId=33&mode=BW).

About ShowStoppers

Now in its 16th year, ShowStoppers, http://www.showstoppers.com, is the global leader in producing press-only events that organize company launches, product introductions, sneak previews and hands-on product demos for reporters, editors, columnists, bloggers and analysts who cover business, consumer, lifestyle and digital products for work, home and play. Industry leaders, innovators, startups and upstart companies exhibit during the year at ShowStoppers events to help generate news coverage and product reviews, make new connections, promote brand, and open new markets.

The next ShowStoppers events are ShowStoppers ShowStoppers @ Mobile World Congress, 15 Feb. 2009, in Barcelona, Spain; and ShowStoppers @ CTIA Wireless, 1 Apr. 2009, in Las Vegas.

ShowStoppers also produces in Berlin, Germany, the official press event of IFA, one of the largest consumer-electronics trade fairs in the world.

To exhibit at ShowStoppers events, contact Dave Leon, sales director, [e-mail], 845-638-3527.

Working press are invited to attend ShowStoppers events. For information and requirements, contact Steve Leon, [e-mail], 512-288-0950.