December 2, 2002 — Parks Associates and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announce their new partnership in CONNECTIONS™, an international showcase and conference for home networks and gateways.

Together, CEA and Parks Associates will expand CONNECTIONS™ to include more emphasis on entertainment and home controls networking as well as maintain its presence as the showcase of innovations and knowledge forum for data networking. To emphasis this, CONNECTIONS™ theme is changing from The International Home Networking and Gateways Showcase to CONNECTIONS™ 2003: The Digital Home Showcase and Conference.

CONNECTIONS™ 2003 – to be held May 7-9, 2003, at the Fairmont San Jose – is a fast-growing international executive forum dedicated to digital home technologies, including broadband-related services, residential gateways, home networks, digital entertainment and home management solutions. This year’s event will feature speakers, panelists and representatives from the entire value chain of digital technology and provide comprehensive discussions on the technical and marketing challenges facing industry as it develops and sells applications, products and services to create the digital home.

“We are truly excited about our new partnership for CONNECTIONS™ 2003,” says Tricia Parks, president of Parks Associates. “We anticipate that the number of networked products in U.S. households will exceed 180 million by 2006. The most potentially explosive market for networking in the next years is in entertainment. CEA’s strength and vision in this area will allow us to provide our current and new attendees a relevant and even more exciting event than in the past.”

“As consumers beef up their new and existing homes with the latest in home networking, information and entertainment, the need for advanced digital home technology is facing strong consumer demand,” said Karen Chupka, vice president of events and conferences for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the producer of CES. “The CONNECTIONS™ program offers a great venue to learn about the latest trends helping fuel this technological revolution within the home.”

CONNECTIONS™ attracts leaders from an array of industries, including market research, energy services, broadband Internet access and services, entertainment, appliances, and computer manufacturers. Attendees include strategic planners, product developers, and marketers who are developing and selling advanced products and services for consumers in the residential market.

For additional information about CONNECTIONS™ 2003: The Digital Home Showcase and Conference, please visit www.connectionsconference.com, e-mail Parks Associates at sales@parksassociates.com, or call 972-490-1113.

About CONNECTIONS™: CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Home Conference and Showcase, produced by Parks Associates in partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association, is an international executive conference for digital home technologies. Market areas include broadband-related infrastructure and services, residential gateways, home networks, digital entertainment and home management. Speakers, panelists, and attendees see innovations, address technical challenges, network with peers, hear consumer research and business model presentations, and participate in industry discussions. www.connectionsconference.com