CTIA Merges Mobile Industry Shows

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - The past few years have not been kind to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association - or CTIA - and its two mobile industry shows.

CTIA's big spring event has now been overtaken (in both attendance and importance) by the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. And their smaller show each autumn has not been a huge success at drawing exhibitors or showgoers to San Diego.

This year, they distanced themselves from the European show - extending from one to two months between MWC and Spring CTIA. But, it wasn't enough. And the Fall show, although renamed MobileCON, still isn't a big hit.

So, this morning, the organization has announced that next year, it's combining CTIA and MobileCON into one "Super" mobile industry show. And the Association's planning to hold it in Las Vegas at the beginning of September, 2014. The show isn't large enough to fill up Las Vegas' giant Convention Center, but is a perfect fit for the smaller Sands Convention Hall (located right behind the Venetian Hotel).

In its press release, the organization explains the move this way:

"CTIA 2014 will take the best of its CTIA Show that's focused on technology and consumer electronics with MobileCON and its emphasis on mobile IT solutions to offer attendees, exhibitors and speakers with specialized opportunities so that all of the companies that comprise of the wireless ecosystem can network and conduct business with the right people."

CTIA Show has been suffering, in part, due to huge competition from the steadily-growing MWC show. While Apple (APPL) doesn't exhibit at either show (or at the giant Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas), Barcelona has been a magnet for other electronics giants, including Microsoft (MSFT), Google (GOOG), Samsung, Nokia (NOK), HTC, LG and everyone who is anyone in the mobile field.

--Written by Gary Krakow in New York.

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Gary Krakow is TheStreet's senior technology correspondent.