Las Vegas - CES 2009 -- Who's going? Is it worth going? [Merged threads]

I've never been to CES. Is it worth going to?

I've never been to CES. Is it worth going to?

Depends if you're really into gadgets or not. I'm going this year, but I registered before the cutoff time so the tickets were free. I think they're $100 at this point.

There is also another show in town this coming weekend....the AVN awards. It's definitely worth the $80 the charge to get into the expo. Plus, the AVN expo is close to CES...so you can bounce back and forth if you want (no pun intended!) :eek:

Who's going to be in LAS next week for either CES/AVN? I'll kick it off....

1/4 - 1/11 Staying at Encore.

Can't wait!! :D:D

If any fellow FTers feel like getting together for a drink let me know!

1/9-1/11. Was at Wynn, now at Venetian.

I'm not as convinced AVN is worth $80, as I remember going to it 5 years ago for $40, and it's not twice as good as it was then.

Also, much of the eye candy can be seen on the Venetian casino floor. :eek:

Yeah, it's electronic gadgets galore. I wish Comdex were still around but CES is still worth going to.

What's worth $80 about the adult expo, though???

What's worth $80 about the adult expo, though???

Perhaps they give away electronic gadgets also.... :D

If you've considered going in the past and have the coming week (or portions thereof) free, there's not a better time than now. Room rates are amazingly low for CES and may be at the bottom of their range for the next several years.

What's worth $80 about the adult expo, though???

Freebies, photos with your favorite stars, autographs, etc....there is a good buzz about the place. Everyone is having a good time and you're bound to see some interesting things and

...some other things I cannot mention in a public forum! ;)

eponymous_coward , I'm curious, why did you change hotels? I have a great rate at Encore from a promo email but, for a number of reasons, would actually rather be at the Venetian/Palazzo if price were similar.

TommyC80, I'm in town 1/9-1/11... planning to be at Encore, as mentioned above. :cool: Count me in for a beverage with the group! :) I'll pm you about it in a few days - unless details are already here.

CES. I haven't decided when. No hotel, I'm local.

CES. I haven't decided when. No hotel, I'm local.

Ditto.

P.S. If anyone has any free passes to AVN, then please let me know. :)

In on 1/5 out on 1/12, for CES only.

In 1/08 out 1/12, staying at Paris (room comp) for CES only--unless someone has a free AVN pass.:)

I've never been to CES. Is it worth going to?

As others have noted interesting electronic gadgetry galore; also a lot of new technologies show up--two years ago 96" big screen tv's appeared (which seemed to be the max possible), last year they were up to 108". Some of the camera companies have fashion shoots with some very pretty models. The show covers all of the expo center and spills into other casino's expo enters as well--one building of the three in the expo center is devoted exclusively to electronics for cars. The crowds in the past were huge (a minus)--generally (if the past is any barometer of the future) on the last day, things are much quieter.

Ditto.

P.S. If anyone has any free passes to AVN, then please let me know. :)

Yeah, if I had a pass I would go.

As others have noted interesting electronic gadgetry galore; also a lot of new technologies show up--two years ago 96" big screen tv's appeared (which seemed to be the max possible), last year they were up to 108". Some of the camera companies have fashion shoots with some very pretty models. The show covers all of the expo center and spills into other casino's expo enters as well--one building of the three in the expo center is devoted exclusively to electronics for cars. The crowds in the past were huge (a minus)--generally (if the past is any barometer of the future) on the last day, things are much quieter.

Haven't seen the modelling--is it on the floor or elsewhere?

Regarding passes, just so everyone knows, there's really two main events related to AVN - an expo and an awards show:

1.) The AVN Adult Entertainment Expo (Sands Expo Ctr, 1/9-1/11, fan tickets available for $60 in advance/$80 at the door)

2.) The AVN Awards Show (Mandalay Bay 1/10, tkts $107-$240)

You can get the links for either using Google or Yahoo with the event keywords.

I'm in town for CES, but if you find any of the elusive "passes," pm's are appreciated. ;)

I'm in 9th, out 12th for CES.

I will be in on the 9th out on the 13th.. for CES.. we are staying at TI. Yeah I would not mind an AVN pass if anyone has one either..lol :D

I'm a local & I'll be around - though I'll have out of town guests Jan 8-11 (who aren't the AVN type, unfortunately!)

I'm flying in from JFK tomorrow (1/4) and will be in town until 1/9...at the Wynn for 1 night then the Encore...

Mrs Skydiver and I are in on the 8th and out on the 11th. Staying at the Rio.

Back home on the 7th. Working my company's CES booth this year which should be interesting.

Should be there Fri/Sat.

CES is a great show if you're involved with the industry, or really enjoy getting a sneak peek at all manner of modern electronics and a thorough look at what's to come in the short term.

It's an absolutely massive event, much bigger than you would imagine.

Advice:

Wear comfortable shoes.

Stay at a hotel that has a train connection to the convention center.

The train is not as fast nor does it run as frequently as you might imagine and there can be a sizable queue during CES. Be prepared for it.

Don't try to cab it to or from the convention center during the show. Traffic on Paradise Blvd is -epic-.

The shuttles have to deal with the same traffic the cabs do. Take the train.

Really, wear comfortable shoes.

Don't try to see it all in one day. Impossible.

I avoid AVN like the plague - nothing quite like a bunch of big hairy mid-40s dudes in sweatpants staring completely spaced-out at a bunch of adult film stars. Ugh. It's grand central station for creeps and frat boys.

is there any free pases???

Marc

is there any free pases???

Marc

It's way too late to get into CES for free.

I've never heard of passes for the adult show.

Advice:


Stay at a hotel that has a train connection to the convention center.

The train is not as fast nor does it run as frequently as you might imagine and there can be a sizable queue during CES. Be prepared for it.



The best hotel to catch the train is the MGM since it is the end of the line. The car completely empties at the MGM so you can almost always get on without waiting for the next trrain. At stops closer to the center, you usually find the cars full when they pull into your stop.

Ah, CES is $200 now. So who can open a backdoor for me? :)

The closest thing is priority code: INVT
It worked for me and as of this morning, it is $100 with that code.
Let me know if anyone can find a better code. I will be attending the show and would love to get together with my fellow FT comrades.

I hate crowds and lines, so I'm not a big fan of CES. However, if you can deal with that kinda stuff better than I, and love electronics, I'd venture it's a worthwhile visit every year. Maybe with the economic downturn and the currently-reported significantly declined projected attendance there will be more room to roam, but that's probably wishful thinking.

AVN is one of those things that I think everyone should go to just once in their lifetimes to experience and be able to say they've done it. :D If you know people, it shouldn't be [um, difficult?] to get a VIP pass.

Not going this year. I will go to PMA in March instead.

Ah, CES is $200 now. So who can open a backdoor for me? :)

It's way too late for the free passes.

AVN is one of those things that I think everyone should go to just once in their lifetimes to experience and be able to say they've done it. :D If you know people, it shouldn't be [um, difficult?] to get a VIP pass.

Where would one get one? I didn't even know there were passes given the more consumer-oriented nature of the show. I will admit to a certain degree of curiosity but it's not worth the price tag to me.

Not going this year. I will go to PMA in March instead.

I cant believe that PMA will go on much longer. Went every year for 25 years (with Fujifilm), then moved to a new industry as imaging circled the drain

I think that PMA is teetering on the edge

First-timer at CES, in early the 8th, out the 12th. Was at Candlewood, but Excalibur was too cheap to pass up. :) Long but easy walk to MGM train.

From my experience with past shows (I stayed at MGM for the last two), the Monorail in the morning gets very crowded (you would think the MR would run more often at those hours). The CAT 301 "strip bus", stops on Las Vegas Blvd., only a few blocks west of the convention center, so the walk is manageable (about the same distance as walking from LV Blvd to the MGM monorail stop.)

10-13, Encore. If any said passes exist then I'd be thankful. I'd be interested in any DO.

I'm in late on 8th then out early on 11th.

Staying at Planet Hollywood.

Only got a few meetings planned during the show.

Anyone up for a few beers feel free to drop a PM or set someit up in here?

Flying out at 2pm today to LAS, staying at PH 7-9 at the $89 SPG rate. Only going to CES show on 1/8. Been going to CES, Interop and Comdex for years. Been to the AVN show for years too. $80 is just too much for my level of perversion. Not much really goes on here and everyone is covered, I dont think they are allowed much leeway here. The fun show, like someone said earlier is to to go into the Venetian, like at the Lux cafe and watch the porn stars walk their walk and turn lots of heads....

Jim

I got a decent rate for Saturday. Friday is not so decent.

Sitting in IAH just now.

Due into LAS about 22:30 tonight.

Seems to be a few staying at PH & round about.

We got enough for a DO ?

So what freebies are they giving out this year? I will pay the registration for a free Palm Pre!

So what freebies are they giving out this year? I will pay the registration for a free Palm Pre!

My pickings were the worst I have ever gotten from a show.

Also, much of the eye candy can be seen on the Venetian casino floor. :eek:

Thanks for the head's up. You were spot on. ^

Friday night at about 11:30pm, Jailer and I were sucked into an eye candy "vortex" in the middle of the Venetian's casino. There was a small round bar with white columns and tacky statues, which was surrounded by an unbelievable density of people who appeared to be refugees from the Adult Entertainment show. While the ratio of men to women was somewhat unbalanced - maybe 4:1, in a radius of 20 feet from the bar there had to be 400 people (intermixed with lots of slot machines).

As you worked your way out from the epicenter of the "vortex", the density diminished, but there was no shortage of great looking people, although the further away you got, the less likely they were from the Adult industry. Jailer and I had a running debate when we saw someone with extraordinary talents, whether they were from the porn world.

We were staying at the Encore, and we wandered our way back to that hotel, through Palazzo and Wynn. Outside of areas around the dance/drinking clubs, things were really pretty quiet. Near club entrances, the "eye candy" was amazing, along with a phalange of bouncers that rivaled presidential secret service details.

As an aside, over the evening the busiest casino (people actually gambling) was a surprise: Mandalay Bay. Geographically this is about as far away as you can get from the two Convention Centers.