▁ste al ▁their ▁execut ives ▁and ▁designs . ▁But ▁Way man ▁was ▁persistent ▁and ▁after ▁three ▁board ▁meet ings , ▁the ▁Cons umer ▁Electron ics ▁Show ▁( CES ) ▁was ▁finally ▁approved ▁although ▁R CA / Z en ith , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁member ▁companies , ▁agreed ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁show ▁for ▁only ▁one ▁year . ▁ ▁Way man ▁spent ▁the ▁next ▁several ▁months ▁planning ▁C ES , ▁only ▁to ▁see ▁his ▁ven ue ▁of ▁choice , ▁McC orm ick ▁Place ▁in ▁Chicago , ▁burn ▁down ▁before ▁his ▁eyes ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁He ▁immediately ▁book ed ▁the ▁Amer icana ▁and ▁Hil ton ▁hot els ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁Way man ▁had ▁convinced ▁Jules ▁Stein berg ▁to ▁hold ▁the ▁annual ▁National ▁App liance ▁and ▁Radio ▁De al ers ▁Association ▁( N AR DA ) ▁show ▁with ▁C ES ▁for ▁four ▁years , ▁thereby ▁guarantee ing ▁an ▁initial ▁attend ance ▁base . ▁The ▁initial ▁show ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁had ▁ 2 0 0 ▁exhib itors , ▁ 1 7 , 5 0 0 ▁at ten de es ▁( most ly ▁N AR DA ▁members ), ▁and ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁square ▁feet ▁of ▁exhib it ▁space . ▁Today ▁C ES ▁is ▁at ▁ 1 . 9 ▁million ▁square ▁feet , ▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁at ten de es , ▁and ▁ 2 , 7 0 0 ▁exhib itors . ▁ ▁Sony ▁Bet am ax ▁case ▁▁