So, Who are the 5000?

The original press release for the E3 changes were pretty vague, but details are starting to come out now. Something that I'm nervous about, is that these changes may make it difficult/impossible for a researcher like myself to attend. While E3 tended to be open for anyone willing to pay, I suspect that the 5,000 people they're talking about below will not be anyone and everyone willing to pay. I suspect that there will be a predetermined list, or at least partially pre-determined, that I may or may not be able to get onto.

I mean honestly, what's one NSF funded researcher compared to a game/fan site person who will likely get them more exposure?

Lowenstein reveals name, date and venue change for E3 // GamesIndustry.biz

Around 5000 people are expected to attend, a dramatic drop from the 60,000 visitors who were at this year's E3. According to Lowenstein, this is in a bid to meet the needs of exhibitors who felt the event had become too big: "Some companies were frustrated because E3 was such a huge, sweeping event it became increasingly difficult to get their messages out."