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Las Vegas Trade Shows Still A Work In Progress After CES2023

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A recent trip to Las Vegas revealed some cracks in the city’s convention business, and perhaps in American society as well.

Las Vegas has a long convention history, dating back to a legendary Shriner’s convention that attracted 5,000 people in 1935. Conventions and tradeshows traditionally take over the town during the slower Sunday through Thursday period, when LA visitors have gone home. Trade shows really took off in 1959, with the opening of the ever-growing Las Vegas Convention Center.

I have been attending the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES) since it was referred to as the “Woodstock” of trade shows. Now it’s the “Coachella.” But my experience at the most recent CES has made me seriously reconsider ever attending again.

The problems started at the end of 2021, when many exhibitors and attendees debated going to CES 2022 during a COVID-19 surge. Show management refused to cancel. Many exhibitors pulled out, but the show went on. About 40,000 attended, down from the usual 150,000. The CTA did not reveal how many acquired COVID during the 2022 show, nor did their partners at the Nevada Department of Health. However, two aircraft were reportedly sent from Korea to pick up dozens of delegates from Korean companies who came down with COVID.

Considering this, I debated attending CES 2023 until the last moment. By that time, affordable convention housing was unavailable. After repeated internet searches I finally decided to roll the dice with Priceline, requesting a “4-star casino hotel in the South Strip area.”

Unfortunately, it seems Priceline is indulging in grade inflation. For $180 a night, plus a $42 per night resort fee, I got the bungalows at the Tropicana, erected in 1957. While my unrenovated room was comfortable enough, both the pool and the food court were shut down. And with no coffeemaker, I had no choice but to pay $11.42 for a large coffee and small muffin at the packed Starbucks.

On my way to Las Vegas, I mercifully avoided the Southwest Airlines travel delay nightmare that delayed or stranded thousands. Things seemed to be looking up, despite the cold and rain.

But walking around the Strip and the show, the recovery seems uneven. In the casino, slot machines and $10 tables often stood empty, with bored dealers waiting for customers.

The most action appears to be happening at Starbucks. Elon Musk’s Boring Company tunnels underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center were humming with Teslas full of conventioneers. But CES itself had some wide aisles of carpet, with benches where booths should have been. My Lyft driver remarked that it seemed that many Asian companies were not in town.

On the Strip, many stores were closed, including an entire outdoor shopping mall. Many blocks were nearly empty of people. For me, the worst day was Thursday, January 5, the day CES officially opened to a reported 115,000 people.

I had a breakfast meeting with a friend, a high-tech publicist, at the Venetian. I dressed in traditional business attire, blazer, gray slacks, and my tradeshow badge. With a 24-hour pass on the Deuce bus, I planned to walk from the Tropicana to a northbound bus stop.

But as I neared the bus stop, an angry-looking street person took notice of me. “What do you want?” he screamed. I kept walking and he lunged. “Why are you looking at me!”

I ran towards the bus stop, glancing at the empty street and the closed stores. He chased me until I got to the bus shelter. Dodging him, I slipped on the wet street, bruising my knees. As I got unsteadily to my feet, he stormed off in a different direction.

Shaking, I caught the bus and made my meeting. I managed to do an interview and got to see some of the show, including a flying car in the parking lot.

At a press event that evening, I caught up with a friend and his son. There was a big crowd, my friends were concerned about COVID, and I had caught the virus at my last Las Vegas trade show. So I wore a mask, perhaps out of hope it had magical properties.

After a long day, the bar was in sight. As I waited, a stranger with a press badge walked up.

“Why are you wearing a mask?” he screamed. “What’s wrong with you? You’re making all of us look bad.” I tried to explain why I was masked. He responded,” You had COVID? Then you’re full of antibodies!” I shook my head, got my drink and went back to the party.

Later, I sat with my friends, eating and drinking. The same individual came by our table. He started pointing and screaming, “You see? You took off your mask!” I restrained my desire to slug him, and just told him, loudly, to have sex with himself.

Las Vegas has the 9th highest murder rate in America, but it’s probably no more dangerous than any other city. Crime in ‘Sin City’ always bring the same piece of wishful thinking, “This wouldn’t have happened if the Mob was still in charge.” But Vegas is not on the list of the 25 most dangerous U.S. cities, despite the old cliché, “Come on vacation, leave on probation.”

CES itself seemed much more subdued than in the past. Formerly “sold out” press conferences like Samsung were easy to get in. The Sony press conference, traditionally a venue for journalists to explore with a beer and snack, was food and alcohol free. The next day, a hungry journalist in the press room, informed that there were no more boxed lunches, yelled, “CES sucks this year!”

I was supposed to spend the next day at the show, but I’d had enough. Instead, I checked out of my hotel at noon, paid $50 to change my ticket, did some gambling and relaxed at the American Express Centurion airport lounge. As a Lyft driver put it, the CES experience is “not what it used to be.”


A recent trip to Las Vegas revealed some cracks in the city’s convention business, and perhaps in American society as well.

Las Vegas has a long convention history, dating back to a legendary Shriner’s convention that attracted 5,000 people in 1935. Conventions and tradeshows traditionally take over the town during the slower Sunday through Thursday period, when LA visitors have gone home. Trade shows really took off in 1959, with the opening of the ever-growing Las Vegas Convention Center.

I have been attending the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES) since it was referred to as the “Woodstock” of trade shows. Now it’s the “Coachella.” But my experience at the most recent CES has made me seriously reconsider ever attending again.

The problems started at the end of 2021, when many exhibitors and attendees debated going to CES 2022 during a COVID-19 surge. Show management refused to cancel. Many exhibitors pulled out, but the show went on. About 40,000 attended, down from the usual 150,000. The CTA did not reveal how many acquired COVID during the 2022 show, nor did their partners at the Nevada Department of Health. However, two aircraft were reportedly sent from Korea to pick up dozens of delegates from Korean companies who came down with COVID.

Considering this, I debated attending CES 2023 until the last moment. By that time, affordable convention housing was unavailable. After repeated internet searches I finally decided to roll the dice with Priceline, requesting a “4-star casino hotel in the South Strip area.”

Unfortunately, it seems Priceline is indulging in grade inflation. For $180 a night, plus a $42 per night resort fee, I got the bungalows at the Tropicana, erected in 1957. While my unrenovated room was comfortable enough, both the pool and the food court were shut down. And with no coffeemaker, I had no choice but to pay $11.42 for a large coffee and small muffin at the packed Starbucks.

On my way to Las Vegas, I mercifully avoided the Southwest Airlines travel delay nightmare that delayed or stranded thousands. Things seemed to be looking up, despite the cold and rain.

But walking around the Strip and the show, the recovery seems uneven. In the casino, slot machines and $10 tables often stood empty, with bored dealers waiting for customers.

The most action appears to be happening at Starbucks. Elon Musk’s Boring Company tunnels underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center were humming with Teslas full of conventioneers. But CES itself had some wide aisles of carpet, with benches where booths should have been. My Lyft driver remarked that it seemed that many Asian companies were not in town.

On the Strip, many stores were closed, including an entire outdoor shopping mall. Many blocks were nearly empty of people. For me, the worst day was Thursday, January 5, the day CES officially opened to a reported 115,000 people.

I had a breakfast meeting with a friend, a high-tech publicist, at the Venetian. I dressed in traditional business attire, blazer, gray slacks, and my tradeshow badge. With a 24-hour pass on the Deuce bus, I planned to walk from the Tropicana to a northbound bus stop.

But as I neared the bus stop, an angry-looking street person took notice of me. “What do you want?” he screamed. I kept walking and he lunged. “Why are you looking at me!”

I ran towards the bus stop, glancing at the empty street and the closed stores. He chased me until I got to the bus shelter. Dodging him, I slipped on the wet street, bruising my knees. As I got unsteadily to my feet, he stormed off in a different direction.

Shaking, I caught the bus and made my meeting. I managed to do an interview and got to see some of the show, including a flying car in the parking lot.

At a press event that evening, I caught up with a friend and his son. There was a big crowd, my friends were concerned about COVID, and I had caught the virus at my last Las Vegas trade show. So I wore a mask, perhaps out of hope it had magical properties.

After a long day, the bar was in sight. As I waited, a stranger with a press badge walked up.

“Why are you wearing a mask?” he screamed. “What’s wrong with you? You’re making all of us look bad.” I tried to explain why I was masked. He responded,” You had COVID? Then you’re full of antibodies!” I shook my head, got my drink and went back to the party.

Later, I sat with my friends, eating and drinking. The same individual came by our table. He started pointing and screaming, “You see? You took off your mask!” I restrained my desire to slug him, and just told him, loudly, to have sex with himself.

Las Vegas has the 9th highest murder rate in America, but it’s probably no more dangerous than any other city. Crime in ‘Sin City’ always bring the same piece of wishful thinking, “This wouldn’t have happened if the Mob was still in charge.” But Vegas is not on the list of the 25 most dangerous U.S. cities, despite the old cliché, “Come on vacation, leave on probation.”

CES itself seemed much more subdued than in the past. Formerly “sold out” press conferences like Samsung were easy to get in. The Sony press conference, traditionally a venue for journalists to explore with a beer and snack, was food and alcohol free. The next day, a hungry journalist in the press room, informed that there were no more boxed lunches, yelled, “CES sucks this year!”

I was supposed to spend the next day at the show, but I’d had enough. Instead, I checked out of my hotel at noon, paid $50 to change my ticket, did some gambling and relaxed at the American Express Centurion airport lounge. As a Lyft driver put it, the CES experience is “not what it used to be.”

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