CTIA to combine its two annual conferences into one Sept show

NEW YORK, Jan 2 (Reuters) - CTIA, the U.S. wireless industrygroup, said it plans to combine its two annual trade shows intoone autumn event starting in 2014, as it vies to become a stagefor product launches before the end-of-year holiday shoppingseason. The trade group, whose members include the top U.S. wirelessservice providers such as Verizon Wireless , AT&TInc and Sprint Nextel, said on Wednesday that itsfirst combined show will take place in September 2014 in LasVegas. It has traditionally staged a trade show in the spring and autumn each year but its biggest event, the spring CTIA Show,has been increasingly overshadowed by the Consumer ElectronicsShow held in Las Vegas each January, and Mobile World Congressheld in February in Barcelona. The announcement comes less than a week before the kick-offof the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show, which starts Jan. 8. CTIA said it sees the timing of the 2014 show as a goodplatform for exhibitors "to debut mobile consumer products andservices heading into the annual holiday buying season." Sprint, the No. 3 U.S. mobile service provider, already saidon Wednesday that the 2014 show will be key to its plans forannouncing its latest products and services. CTIA, whose first trade show was held in May 1985 inWashington, D.C., has not disclosed its attendance numbers forthe last few years.