CES attendees get pep talk from industry

New is the new new.

That was the message early Thursday at the International Consumer  Electronics Show, the world's biggest tech gadget show under way in Las  Vegas.

A speaker lineup that included actor Tom Hanks, Sony chief Sir Howard Stringer and Gary Shapiro of the Consumer Electronics Association gave attendees a pep talk aimed at helping them see through the battered economy.

Shapiro said the consumer electronics industry has weathered downturns, such as 9 percent unemployment and 20 percent interest rates in past  decades, and will survive the current situation.

"We not only survived these climates, but grew stronger and wiser,"  Shapiro said.

The group all hammered the notion that more innovation is key to reviving the economy, which they say needs more new products that make  communication, entertainment and business easier and more efficient.

"We do not seek a bailout," Shapiro said. "We will work hard to stop any proposals that hinder innovation."

Past shows have attracted more than 140,000 attendees and generated more than $200 million in non-gambling spending in Las Vegas.

Crowds appear smaller for the 2009 event. Traffic was relatively light at Las Vegas Boulevard and Spring Mountain Road this morning. 

During past CES events the intersection has been one of the most  congested, as it is close to the Sands Expo Center and The Venetian, where part of the event is held. CES also uses the entirety of the Las  Vegas Convention Center.

"I noticed the traffic wasn't nearly as bad as when I came last year,"  said attendee Rick Silcock of Vail, Ariz., "It is just weird."