Consumer Electronic Association’s 2012 International CES was the biggest of the big, with records being broken in number of exhibitors, overall attendees and international attendees, according to an independent audit.

There were a record-breaking 3,319 exhibitors that showed off their technologies at the 2012 International CES event, a 22-percent increase, compared with last year’s show.

There also were a record number of international professionals – 35,734 – who attended the show from more than 150 countries, which was an increase of 13 percent, compared with last year.

In addition, the show, held Jan. 10-13 in Las Vegas, spanned 1.86 million net square feet of exhibit space and had a record 156,153 in overall attendance.

The independent audit was performed by Veris Consulting.

“The 2012 International CES was the largest in show history and was bursting with innovation as the world’s most important technology event,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, events and conferences for CEA.

She added, “These record-breaking audit results confirm that CES continues to be the must-attend event that unites the global technology industry, including Fortune 500 executives, retail buyers, content producers, entertainment executives, venture capitalists, engineers, government officials and media from every corner of the world.”

According to the Veris audit, 43 percent of 2012 CES attendees were senior-level executives. Presidents, CEOs and/or business owners made up 15 percent of the attendees.

Almost one-third of all attendees were the final decision makers when it comes to new product purchases or partnerships with other companies, with 97 percent identified as having buying decision influence.

More than 12,000 attendees represented companies with more than $500 million in total annual sales, up four percent, compared with last year.

The Veris audit also confirmed that CES attracts leaders from diverse business areas, including entertainment, retail, education, engineering and venture capital industries.

This year, more than 12,000 retail buying organizations, 5,000 manufacturers and 6,000 engineering companies took part in CES.

Additionally, after the launch of the Entertainment Matters program at the 2011 CES, more than 32,000 attendees from the content development and entertainment industry returned to the show in 2012.

Veris is certified by the Exhibition and Event Industry Audit Commission (EEIAC) to perform audits. As part of the Veris audit, each CES attendee is counted only once, and show size is calculated using only exhibit space sold, not hallways or bartered space.

According to show organizers, the CES audit provides absolute verification of exhibition records, including direct onsite observation, examination of registration systems and testing of attendee records.

Post-show analysis included direct confirmation sampling, reconciliation of attendance lists, elimination of duplicate names, and verification of demographic data with the source of documentation.