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| - CES has become an annual tradition to attend. A mix of work, with little bits of fun and Vegas thrown in.
By and large, the draw of CES is for international and multi-billion dollar companies to show off their wares. The latest in curved or ultra-flat TVs in some new resolution with some sci-fi spice thrown in and reblogged by endless websites, the latest in toaster technology, and just how can Keurig screw you over? You'll even see celebrities partaking every year as glorified sales agents hired by companies to draw you to their product.
But behind the scenes is where CES gets fun.
What many don't see beyond the glossy and ritzy million dollar booths are all the Chinese companies hawking cell phone cases and battery banks, without fail, every year. Shady booths giving you free massages that end up looking like timeshares - that too! Don't forget the mess of useless products and Chinese companies ripping each other off!
Just download the app or check out the exhibitor list, you'll read Shenzen so much it'll sound like a gas station by the end.
But the real fun, fun part is taking part in the event. And not only am I talking about the free stuff - a mix of awesome and useless - but just how incredibly large the show is. One of the largest convention centers in North America and it overflows into the nearby Sands expo and the nearby Westgate (used to be Hilton) expo, and outside into the convention center exterior space.
In 3 days, we covered 10 straight hours of walking, which assuming a ~3mph pace is well over 30 miles. If you've ever been inspired to go on a multi-day hike, just go to CES and replace your camelbak with booze, your boots with really comfortable shoes, and your hiking bag with buckets of cash.
All of this comes at a price - not the show, because if you register early enough it's free - but because Vegas is a giant money sink even if you don't gamble. Hotel prices peak higher than a pre-pubescent kid's voice and unless you plan on a diet of Earl's Sandwich and Pizza, you're looking at $$$. This won't be the issue for the majority of attendees who look spiffy in their expensive coats, but they're not exactly the types to read yelp either :)
Of course, there's always Chinatown, but nobody felt like driving because our foots were roasted every night so we stayed in the strip.
Good luck getting in and have fun.
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