By Ron Hendrickson
Holy monkeys.
If you've never been to the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, you really ought to go at least once, if only for the spectacle of the thing. This year's show was my first, as well as my first trip to Vegas itself. The word "overwhelming" comes to mind.
The show sprawls across three convention halls and a slew of "nearby" (ha ha) hotels, totaling 1.9 million square feet (43.6 acres) of exhibit floor. This year's show featured 3,200+ exhibitors and required six 18-by-36-inch foldout maps (that I know of - there may have been more) to locate them all. As I write, attendee numbers haven't been released yet, but it has to be about 10% of the entire human population. About half of Las Vegas' human population was occupied in driving cabs, and there still weren't enough.
(About the cab thing: Everything in Vegas is supersized, so normal perceptions of size and distance don't work. Something looks close, so you decide to walk to it. Half an hour later, it's still far away. It's like trying to walk to the moon. People familiar with Vegas know this, hence the high demand for cabs.)
As you'd expect, most of CES consists of (surprise!) consumer stuff, rather than the cable operator stuff that we're most interested in. Granted, consumer electronics are important - the iPad and the multiscreen revolution come to mind - but most of it really isn't our bag. Cable gear is there, but you have to hunt for it. It's not a matter of finding a needle in a haystack, either - it's a matter of finding a needle in any one of several biggish and far-flung hayfields.
All that said, it is possible to see the people and things you need to see, given good planning and time management. Figure out which companies you want to see well before the show. Group them geographically - South Hall level 1, the Venetian, North Hall, and so on - and build your appointment schedule accordingly. Be sure to get cell phone numbers for all your prospective contacts. Allow at least 30 minutes' travel time between appointments, and at least an hour if said travel involves a cab ride.
Above all, keep your expectations realistic; things happen, and appointments get missed. It just is. Accept it and move on. Not everyone can do this, but if you can, the show will be much more fun.
Oh, and wear comfy shoes. You'll need them.
Ron Hendrickson is BTR's managing editor. Reach him at [email protected].