Morning, all. We’re back and, I think, mostly recovered from CES, provided that we didn’t bring home any swine flu or black plague again this year. CES is a pit of contagion, among other things.
The way we do CES is particularly grueling. You see, the show’s area is vast, covering multiple floors and buildings, including the massive Las Vegas Convention Center and several other venues. Companies set up shop either somewhere in one of the expo centers or, more commonly, in a hotel suite somewhere around town. They’re scattered everywhere across Las Vegas in semi-random fashion. We make appointments to meet with them wherever they may be—one meeting after another, all day for four to five days straight. What ensues once the show starts is an insane marathon of long walks, cab lines, cab rides, monorail trips, questionable navigation, logistical second-guessing, and poor cell phone service. We walk at least 5-7 miles each day, on concrete in dress shoes, standing for a total of eight or more hours in between jaunts.
By the end of it all, we’ve generally seen everybody once or twice, we’ve taken hundreds of pictures and pages of notes, and we’re physically shattered. If I weren’t so exhausted, I would have been amused, on Thursday evening, at the picture of Geoff and Cyril sitting across the table from me, taking turns putting their heads down onto their arms, sighing, and making old-man noises. Mostly, though, I was just feeling the blisters burning on the soles of my feet—two large ones on the right foot, one smaller one inside of a larger one on the left.
But we managed to survive, so I guess, hey, mission accomplished.
And, heck, CES really is the only opportunity each year to see nearly everyone in the industry in one place. It’s also the only time Geoff, Cyril, and I are in the same room together. I even give my annual report for TR to the guys before the show opens. So it’s a good thing in many ways unrelated to, you know, the actual experience.
Now that we’re home and somewhat rested, we’ll be writing up a few more stories from the show floor over the next day or two. Just be patient with us as we nurse our blisters and shattered psyches along the way.