For the first time in 25 years, the IT industry is without COMDEX. We at MediaLive International share the industry’s disappointment as to the postponement of COMDEX 2004, however, we are pleased to share our progress in rebuilding COMDEX for future years.

Recently, MediaLive International commissioned an independent survey of IT buyers, for which we received 3,445 responses. We are grateful for the overwhelming response, and encouraged by the enthusiasm and loyalty to the COMDEX brand. The results of this survey confirm our long held belief that the $1 trillion information technology industry needs an annual event. A place where enterprise, small and mid-size businesses, and channel partners can hear from industry leaders about future direction, find and learn about new products, attend educational sessions and network with peers – one event that lets you see the whole picture. COMDEX is that event.

The survey results show that:

• Over three-quarters of respondents prefer to see multiple vendors across many product categories at one large IT industry event versus smaller, vertical events;
• Seven in 10 respondents agree that COMDEX is the most efficient way to see products in one place and meet with a variety of vendors; and,
• By an overwhelming margin, IT buyers want the IT industry’s ideal annual event to remain in Las Vegas.

The detailed results of this independent study are now available online.

In addition to listening to IT community, we’ve also formed a COMDEX Steering Committee comprised of executives from leading IT companies including AMD, Borland, Cisco, Dell, EMC, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle and Sun Microsystems to help determine how COMDEX can best meet the future needs of the industry. Through our continued discourse across the community of IT buyers, vendors and other stakeholders, we are making significant progress in delivering a COMDEX to serve the industry for the next 25 years as it did for the past 25 years.

We'd like to hear your thoughts on this study, as well as your overall comments regarding how you'd like to see COMDEX shaped for its return in November 2005. Email us at feedback@comdex.com.