Gates returning to Vegas

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Tuesday, April 15, 2003 | 11:39 a.m.

The producer of the Comdex computer show, gearing to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by June, has confirmed Bill Gates as one of its keynote speakers for the November convention in Las Vegas.

It will be Gates' 20th appearance at Comdex, which was the city's largest convention through the late 1990s but has fallen on hard times with an economic downturn in the information technology industry and reductions in travel for conventions and shows following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Key3Media Group Inc., Los Angeles, filed for bankruptcy protection in February.

The show producer battled back by quickly negotiating new debtor-in-possession financing and today announced that more than 150 exhibitors, including software giant Microsoft Corp., Redmond, Wash., had signed on for Comdex 2003, which begins Nov. 15.

Key3Media Group also said Taiwan-based BenQ and Computer Associates International Inc., Islandia, N.Y., have confirmed their presence at the 2003 show.