E3 2011 expecting 45,000 attendees

This year’s E3 trade show in Los Angeles is expected to draw 45,000 attendees, claim the Entertainment Software Association.

“We are going to look to replicate the success of the past two years,” said ESA president Michael Gallagher, in an interview with VentureBeat.

He said equalling the event’s previous performances will be down to the ESA’s focus on the “quality of the experience of E3 as opposed to the quantity of the experience.”

Gallagher points out that over 200 companies will be at this year’s show, and asserts that foreign visitor figures are climbing.

“We have over 200 companies that are going to be present and exhibiting at the show. That’s a continued escalation in terms of the number of exhibitors.

“The number of foreign media and foreign retailers has continued to climb from the very high levels of last year because of the international reach and importance of E3. We see very strong returns there,” he said.

Press conferences from Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and other companies are due to take place beforehand, with the trade show opening tomorrow.