Supercomm attendance down by at least 25 percent

ATLANTA - Supercomm may lose its crown as Atlanta&#39;s biggest trade show. <br> <br> Attendance at the annual telecommunications conference - which ends Thursday - is down 25 to 30 percent short of the 53,000 who attended the show last year. <br> <br> Supercomm officials say this year&#39;s final attendance could range between 35 to 40,000. Officials had been hoping for 50,000 visitors. <br> <br> The show - held at the Georgia World Congress Center - had been growing until last year, when it dropped to 52,822 in attendance from the previous year&#39;s 53,260. <br> <br> Supercomm manager Jack Chalden blames the tough economic times - especially in the telecommunications industry. He said exhibits are being staffed by 25 percent fewer people than last year. <br> <br> Managers said foreign participation is one of the few growth areas for this year&#39;s show. About a hundred countries are represented, including China, Israel, Japan, Korea and Brazil along with some from Africa.