BY CHRISTOPHER CAEN
Theory Associates
www.theoryassociates.com
Yep, as of today we are now six short weeks away from CES 2015. I know, you can feel the excitement too, right? And in recent weeks we have been writing about how you can survive the show in one piece and not be a gibbering loon by the end of the whole thing. However, we now have to address the 800-pound gorilla in the room, which is the following: OK, so now I know how to survive CES…how do I survive Las Vegas?
Oh yeah, we forgot to mention that CES happens in the middle of Sin City USA, when the entire industry is surfing on their expense accounts. Is this a recipe for disaster? Of course it is, but once again we will ride the rescue and keep you on track during the week. And no, this is not going to be what you do in the wee hours of the morning…whatever you do at the hour, you aren’t allowed to whine about it the next morning so we moving right past that.
However, we are going to start with the concept of water and no, this is not a comment about alcohol. We mean you are going to be more than likely coming in on a Southwest cattle car (sorry, I mean plane) with recycled air, and then you will get into your air conditioned car to go to your air conditioned hotel room before you hit the convention floor where you will instantly dry up into a prune. None of the above environments are meant for human beings, so for god’s sake drink water. Lot’s of it. We are back to your mom telling you to drink your eight glasses of water. In this case we really mean it. And watch out for the coffee drinks, which have the exact opposite affect.
Next on our list is the concept of transportation. At least it’s a concept during CES, because anyone who has seen the cab line at the show will tell you the reality is something quite dramatically different. Here is where a careful manipulation of your meeting schedules can have an outsized impact on your transportation headaches. You are planning to have all your breakfast meetings at your hotel, right? Or maybe at the hotel of the other party, because that seems more convenient.
Wrong.
The later you decide to head to the show, the longer it’s going to take you to get there. By ten o’clock the monorail looks like the New York Subway at rush hour, and no cab will be in the same time zone as you. However, there are two hotels that bookend the convention center, the Renaissance and LVH. So as painful as this may sound, book your breakfast meeting at one of those two hotels. By the time people are standing in line waiting to battle the crowds, you will be comfortably seated next door to the show, having a nice breakfast.
However, it goes without saying that you should try and take the monorail as much as possible. The lines for cabs are insane, they take questionably long routes during the convention, and each one will work you over to go the best strip joint in Las Vegas…no seriously, this one is the best. The monorail is even better later in the evening when, well, let’s be honest, it’s later in the evening. So grab that 3-day pass for the monorail, because you will be using it.
Ah yes, that brings us to the evenings. Well, it is Las Vegas, right? And nothing starts a night in Sin City like a good dinner. Which you have already booked, yes? Of course not, it’s still almost two months away, and you have no idea who you will be meeting at the show. It doesn’t matter. Book a dinner now. Heck, book two of them while you are at it. It’s CES, you will have a meeting with someone that night, so figure out who you are dining with later but get those reservations in now. In fact, even if you don’t use them, you can wind up being a hero for a client or partner by giving them your reservation, which during CES is more valuable than gold. As for what you do after dinner? Well, like we said, we can’t help you there. It is after all, Las Vegas.
By CHRISTOPHER CAEN, Theory Associates, www.theoryassociates.com
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