Although press events already began rolling with a vengeance yesterday, today marks the official opening of the 2009 International CES. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the organization that puts on the show, unveiled an opening keynote from President Gary Shapiro this morning. Shapiro stressed overall that although the consumer electronics industry should certainly be concerned about the poor state of the global economy, he believes it is the power of innovation from the industry itself that can help lead the way out of recession.

The keynote began with an amusing video mashup of Shapiro starring as Groucho Marx and other famous characters in a series of clips from classic films, created with a service called Yoostar slated to launch in Spring of 2009. The film panned the state of the current economy and segued into Shapiro's depiction of how the recession is impacting the consumer electronics industry. Despite achieving a 5.4% revenue growth in the industry in 2008, the predictions for 2009 include a bleak 0.6% revenue drop. Still, Shapiro painted the relative stability of the industry as compared to others as an actual positive sign of the vital role technology is playing in consumer's lives.

The CEA President 's message was that innovation and leadership are the way out of the tough times we're currently facing, and that the consumer electronics industry is well-positioned to galvanize that direction: "innovation in technology is the moon that will cause the economic tide to rise." Home entertainment can replace costlier family trips, job seekers need to be connected via mobile devices, and during the week we're here for this event there will be 10 million new mobile subscribers in the emerging economy of India — all boding well for the continued relevance of the industry.

As Barack Obama is poised to be sworn in as the first truly digital U.S. President, the CEA is enacting a plan to educate technologically unsophisticated lawmakers to promote policies that support innovation and entrepreneurship. Shapiro spoke of the importance of fighting legislation that stifles innovation, and of making the U.S. appealing again around the world as a welcoming place for innovative business and smart talent from around the world. The CEA's new innovation checklist has been designed to fit on a single card for ease of distribution and promoting the education of legislators enacting policy on topics of technology they themselves aren't well-versed in.

The second major talking point of the opening address concerned the consumers electronics industry going green. Shapiro stated this is the first time in history consumers are actively buying and seeking out green products, and that the industry is beginning to now understand that the perceived cost of going green is now offset to the point where manufacturing more efficient products is actually cost effective.  Two major initiatives from the CEA in this department include the mygreenerelectronics.org website and the Greener Gadgets Conference in New York City of February this year.

Other major trends rounding out the keynote were the digital TV transition on February 17 and how the more general shift to digital media has paved the way for another shift into mobile television, a trend Shapiro posits will take off more sharply in 2009. In closing, he painted a picture of the scope of the CES trade show in 2009: 2700 exhibitors (300 of which are exhibiting for the first time), over 1 million square feet of show floor space, and over 4500 media outlets present who will produce over 10,000 news stories in the span of a few days' time during the event. Although the gloomy specter of the economy lends itself to an overall quieter CES in 2009, Shapiro offered a ray of hope in the opening address regarding the electronics industry's potential to play a key role in rebuilding.