E3 2011 attendance grows to 46,800

LOS ANGELES--The Electronic Entertainment Expo ends today, and the organizing Entertainment Software Association revealed it to be the best-attended iteration of the trade show in five years. According to the ESA, 46,800 people were at E3 2011, bringing in an estimated $25 million in revenue to Los Angeles.

The LACC, all dolled up for E3.

The E3 2011 attendance represents a slight increase over the 2010 show, which attracted 45,600 industry professionals, retailers, and analysts. The 2009 show--the first large-scale E3 after the ESA spent two years trying out drastically smaller formats--drew 41,000 people. While the show's attendance number is trending upward, this year's E3 was not the biggest ever. The 2006 show attracted more than 60,000 attendees to the Los Angeles Convention Center.

E3 crowds are growing again, but the number of exhibitors was down significantly this year. The ESA said "more than 200" exhibitors showed their wares at this year's show, down from "approximately 300" in 2010.

Looking ahead, the ESA also confirmed it would return to the LACC for E3 2012, dating next year's event for June 5-7, 2012. For those who missed this year's event, check out GameSpot's complete coverage of E3 2011 for a plethora of hands-on previews, news, live stage demos, and more.