E3 isn't exactly happening yet, but the Expo folks are trying to promote the E3Insider.com web site, which features—wait for it—blogs.

But in their promotional email, they posted a list of stats and figures about the show itself which are actually sort of interesting. I have reproduced them after the jump, in hypertext.

Rigging: 1.7 million pounds of equipment is being hung from the ceiling of the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) — roughly the equivalent of 500 automobiles or 250 elephants.

Monitors: More than 5,700 monitors, screens and plasmas will be displayed on the show floor and in public areas at E3Expo.

Networking: E3Expo's network capacity requirement has increased four-fold in the last 2 years. This year, inbound and outbound traffic will be moving in excess of 180 Mbps (million bits per second). This is the equivalent of 3,000 dialup connections, and is enough bandwidth for 600 simultaneous VHS-quality live-streaming video connections.

Cabling: The show floor is blanketed with more than 20,000 feet of power cable and more than 200 miles of high-speed data cabling and fiber optic cabling.

Banners: More than 110,000 square feet — 2.5 acres — of vinyl banners will cover both the inside and outside of the LACC. Two banners hanging outside of the LACC weigh 600 pounds each, and each of these banners requires a crew of six to hang.

Crating: Enough crate wood will be used during exhibitor moves to frame a 15-story building, requiring more than 87 forklifts to transport.

Exhibit Space: E3Expo 2005 saw the fastest sell-out of exhibit space in five years. The show floor will cover more than 540,000 net square feet, the equivalent of 2,700 city blocks.

Exhibitors: E3Expo 2005 will host more than 400 exhibitors from 90 countries.

Products: E3Expo 2005 will debut more than 1,000 never-before-seen products, and will showcase more than 5,000 products in all.

E3Insider: The site attracted a record number of visitors in 2004, with more than 100 million hits, 6.5 million page views and over 700,000 unique users during the three days of show. The 2004 site was ranked the fifth fastest growing Web site in the world during the three days of the show.

History: E3Expo is now in its 11th year, and its 9th year in Los Angeles.