It used to be pretty easy for about anyone to get in, which was the problem, and if I remember right the entry fee depending on your category was $30-40. This year a new promoter took over the show, and supposedly the requirements for people to get in were going to be tougher, and the price for most people that were not actual buyers went up to $175. The show has gotten out of control over the years, I'd bet 75% of those in attendance the last couple years I've been there are not the type of people the show was designed for. I've heard that vendors complaints have gone way up because of this, too many window shoppers and YouTube reviewers tying up their booths grabbing stickers and pens instead of allowing large scale buyers to interface with manufacturers as the show was intended for.
We'll see if it's actually impacted anything, to me the only way they are going to impact things is to increase the credentials restrictions, the price increase isn't going to do much unless it's significantly more than $175. If someone is flying into Vegas and staying for the week an extra $125 for admission is nothing, they'll spend more than that in cab rides over 3 days.
