GETTING THERE: The International CES, Las Vegas 2014

I have long had the oddest relationship with the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. For in the far off dawn of my career, when I was working for the UK importer of StreetWires, it was legendary in the car audio business. A far off land of amazement and indulgence. Incredible awesomeness in all shapes and conditions of sin. Everything you had ever heard was TRUE
We had this sales rep, who was insufferably unpleasant and happily let me know how only the people that really mattered got out to Las Vegas in very early January to the Winter Consumer Electronics Show or CES. The name was shortened by the loss of the ‘˜Winter’ bit and the word ‘˜International’ was tacked on the front, as this is a big deal for Americans. (For us Brits, it is just a ferry with wings, fins or wheels.) but each year I would see the news, hear from folks who had been and ache for not getting there. The sheer variety and size of amazing car audio brands was the thing. And they all had incredible installs to show it offway past what we had here at the time. I wanted to go so bad, I could taste it.
Then, one year, when I was ICE Editor at Max Power, the bosses of both ProPlus Audio and Fusion UK, (both now brands sold by other outfits and utterly in competition then as now) paid half each to get me out there to report. I was ecstatic!
It was before the days of digital photography. I had to take pricey transparency filmkeep it OUT of damn X-Ray machines and do my level best to get the shots. Of course, you would not even know if you had won or failed until the buffoonery of chemical development had been done to your films! Now, that old 35mm camera is in the hands of a lomography student.
I stayed in a low-rise hotel called the Hacienda. I recall a wedding couple in the sunshine outside the doors.and the beautiful tropical plants in the glass walkway areas between room blocks. But now it is gone and since I lay ill with food poisoning that first year and never felt quite so alone, I was actually happy when it was razed to the ground and a mighty resort grew in its place. It even made the city rename the road outside.
It is the Mandalay Bay ‘˜Resort Hotel & Casino’, as they grandly call these vast edifices. The hugest hotels have their own extensive convention centres attached. And this one was put up in record time, with full size palm trees planted in the gardens out front. And this was to be my first location on this trip, 2014.
But I am getting ahead of myself a tiny bit, for I am still yet to relate the Art Of The Schmooze. Now, the Urban Dictionary defines it as: ‘Making ingratiating small talk talk that is business oriented, designed to both provide and solicit personal information but avoids overt pitching. Most often an artefact of ‘˜networking.’ It is more art than science but can be learned.’ and I had a fine tutor who as well as being a writer and broadcaster could schmooze with the best. My mum.
And I learned of this wonderful concept. The CES Scholarship Journalist. These are the exalted few, who get selected to go to the CES as guests of the CEA. That’s the trade organisation that owns and runs the show, called the Consumer Electronics Association of America. It is also the source of the world-recognised truth-in-rating system of CEA-approved wattage ratings on amplifiers for cars. This was awesome news and to my shame I cannot recall who told me about it. But I was filled with deadly purpose. I had not been since 2009, in the depths of the US housing crisis when it was depressingly quiet. It even rained. I needed to go again, to exorcise the last trip!
First, was CES Unveiled, London. This comprised presentations from the top people of the CEA, plus a few table top exhibits, being put before journalists, entrepreneurs and investors. It is invitation-only and having heard about the ‘˜do’ via the keen PR firm, I enquired and was invited along. I met Madelene and Becky from the agency, who have the CEA as their client and crucially, were the executive types who picked who to go. I sat at the front and found it all gripping. I even videoed the cool stuff

But I think it was the little bit of national BBC Radio 2 on the Jeremy Vine show a day or so before that got me invited to the dinner at the Skylon atop the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank, afterwards. Then, in the week following, I was happy to get asked to do a spot on BBC 1 on BBC Breakfast.
An e-mail arrived that invited me to go the CES as a guest of the CEA and I whooped like an idiot! I must truly matter!
Only now, I realised that all the output would of course be under some scrutiny from the highest echelons, which is enervating, to say the least!

The first event was a version of the CES Unveiled but in a big old room for the whole press corp.in the Mandalay Bay, which I rode to from the Excalibur where we were put up, via a short aerial tramway, which is really cool and free to ride.

There were a lot of people and special press sessions. We had the intro from the CEA and thence to the big old room filled with food, drones and camera crewsin the video below, I express a hope to meet the boss of Sony, to collect or ‘˜notch’ him on my Handycam’s case! I failed to do that and the item finishes on an outdoor walkway outside the Excalibur hotel. I look at Escort radar detectors, flat woofers from Prescient Audio, the Parrot MiniDrone and other stuff

The following three days got really hectic. I was able to post and edit video from the press room on that first day but after that, it was about collecting data in still and video format. And the room I got to use was the Emerald Press Room, where the New York Post and other top folks hung out. It was small and personal and very close to the North Halls where most stuff I needed was situated.
It was clear this was going to be one hell of a show. Madelene Whitson referred to the thirty miles of carpets and Becky Maurice-Cohen to the 3200 exhibitors.. I just wish I could have seen more. Watch this space for more, soon.
In the meanwhile this gallery of pictures shall grow as I add to it, so press go and have a cuppa!
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