CES Las Vegas 2007

In December of 2006, I decided to start off 2007 with a bang. On an impulse, I joined a group of buddies in Las Vegas for North America’s largest tradeshow, CES Las Vegas. Although I’d never been to CES, I’d attended many different conferences and tradeshows across the country and figured my traditional planning strategies would work. Silly me.

With over 80,000 booths and exhibitors spread across dozens of buildings, there is simply no easy way to “prepare” for CES. With that said, I did learn enough to share a few helpful tips and tricks.

Preparation vs. Perspiration
While I’m typically fairly efficient and thoughtful in my pre-event planning activities, I missed the mark in a few key areas that cost me precious time and money. The first was deciding to go to CES late in the game (December). That meant hotel and flight selection was limited and expensive. Tip: book as early as possible to avoid holiday and last minute markups. If booking late, check hotel rates online at the last possible moment (depending on the hotel cancellation policy) and be prepared to change hotels and save hundreds of dollars a night. Hotel and airline Web sites have better prices than the aggregators like Expedia. When packing, don’t forget two key items: comfortable shoes and business cards. Once you’ve checked in, don’t forget to ask the front desk for special rates or coupons, especially if you’ve had a less than wonderful check in experience. Then traveling to and from the airport to the strip, DO NOT take the shuttle. Travel will take twice as long, and can cost as much or more than a cab, especially if you’re traveling in groups. Bonus tip: don’t forget your pre-registration badge at the office like I did, as it will cost you an hour or so in transportation time to get to the main registration area for a new badge.

Hit The Carpet
Assuming you found a decent hotel and were able to get into the exhibition halls in one piece, there is no substitute for exercise. I found it much easier to reference the on-site show guides and maps than preparing materials from the Web site in advance. On my first day, I spent a majority of my time simply walking the halls, getting a feel for the show, exhibitors and the general flow. I only stopped by booths that had a compelling display, product or promotional item. By the end of the day, I had all the materials I needed to plan for day 2 and had a good feel for who I needed to meet and which companies I wanted to explore further. Tip: plan 30 to 60 minutes ahead, in that there are lines for absolutely everything in Vegas during CES: cabs at the airport, expo center and hotels, food, etc.

Making Sense of it All
After an hour of intense planning back at the hotel room before dinner, I felt prepared for day 2. I scheduled meetings and identified the best parties, bars and restaurants. Unfortunately, I got a late start on my second day, due to late night festivities, and hit the dreaded lines waiting for the morning shuttle to the show. I was able to make solid headway, however. I connected with peers, met with two prospects (closing one at the show) and spent quality time with a few clients exhibiting at the show. While CES was good for nurturing existing relationships, I learned quickly that it’s hardly ideal for making new connections, at least on the show floor. Key decision makers are rarely available. Everyone in the booths is also distracted and quickly forget conversations. Tip: the only way to make good use of CES for business development/sales opportunities is to connect prior to the event and schedule a meeting in advance. Based on experience, I recommend that meetings take place over drinks or dinner. The best bonding, however, occurs at industry parties and bars. This is a universal rule, of course.

Best in Show
When I returned from CES Las Vegas with a bag full of swag and a grip of prospect business cards, the first question everyone asked was, “What was the coolest thing you saw at the show?” The answer was invariably, Rachel Hunter. I had the pleasure of attending a Texas Instruments poker tournament party, expertly populated with a plethora of celebrities including the aforementioned supermodel. I have evidence of her unrelenting beauty as a keepsake.

Back to the show…they don’t call it Consumer Electronics Show for nothing. While I only experienced a portion of the overall show, I was able to determine that the industry is vibrant. Prior to the event, I put together a handful of categories which to award my own best in show. The winners are listed below:

Coolest new product: LG 3D Flat Panel Display
As long as you stood in the right place, the image was truly 3 dimensional, yet it didn’t require special glasses. I’m not sure how practical a 3D set would be for the average consumer, but it was certainly cool. Runners up: the thought-controlled robot rock-paper-scissors hand, dancing and running Honda robot, Alpine Mercedes concept car and notably absent Apple iPhone (voted best in show by just about everyone, even though Apple didn’t even have a booth or product at the show).

Coolest new company: Skullcandy
I was familiar with Skullcandy before I even visited their booth, but I was immediately drawn to their industrial booth featuring a gaggle of colorful of headphones, related fashion accessories and a live DJ. The youthful staff lent credibility to their hip, creative product line.

Coolest booth: Creative Labs
While I was interested in Creative Labs as a potential client, I was efficiently hooked in by one of their booth staff, who suggested I get a card stamped twice to qualify for a free spin on their wheel of prizes where everyone was a winner. Knowing Las Vegas wasn’t built on winners; I appreciated the gesture and sat through a very impressive demo of their new 3Daudio imaging technology. Even though I ended up with a stuffed bear, I was educated on their product and had a pleasant experience. Runners up: Panasonic, Pioneer, Alpine and InFocus.

Overall, CES was a worthwhile adventure, as I bonded with partners, prospects and clients. Although my experience could have been much more positive due to a few freshmen foibles, I still enjoyed myself and would recommend anyone considering attending to do so next year. With that said, don’t expect to make a ton of new friends or customers at CES, even if you are in the industry as a buyer or seller. You’ll spend a majority of your time in lines, walking the show, sitting in meetings or manning the booth, which doesn’t leave much time for networking and bonding.

While I didn’t win any money while at Vegas, a picture is worth a thousand words.

[tags]CES Las Vegas 2007, Rachel Hunter, Kent Lewis[/tags]