Mixing with the crowds...
     This is a big show by any standard. It fills pavillion after pavillion of the Las Vegas Convention Centre, plus the convention centre of the nearby Hilton, plus...but we'll get to that in a moment.
     Check out the picture below. And remember that what you're looking at is not one of the show floors, but the lobby area of the LVCC!
 
    Of course the lobby doesn't usually look like that. But in the minutes before opening time on the first day, there sure are a lot of people milling about. But then CES draws some 100,000 visitors from around the world, and it has come close to 125,000 in the days before...well, you know.
     The actual show floor is shown below (this is a picture from CES 2003 of course). Check the crowd density, and remember that it can take an hour just to find your way out of this giant complex. Last year we spotted one visitor getting about on a Segway Human Transporter.

The venues
     Not all of this gigantic show is high end audio and video, of course, nor is it all audio and video at all. You can get a hint of this from the keynote speakers, which group includes the usual suspects: Bill Gates, Carly Fiorina (of HP/Compaq), etc. Much of the computer and other electronic commodity industry will be at the convention centre. Even a few high end companies will be -- last year we spotted Linn, Quad, Mirage and Energy there. Most of the stuff that interests us most will be elsewhere. And the main venue will be the Alexis Park.
     This motel-like complex is unlike most other Vegas resorts in that it has no casino. That means it's quieter. The down side? Rooms open onto the outdoor garden, not a hallway. That's rather nice when it's warm and sunny, not so nice when it's cold, windy and rainy. And yes, the desert can be all three of those, and it often has been.
     The hotel's room numbering is baffling until you've attended a few shows and gotten the hang of it. And half the rooms are up a flight of stairs. The different sections don't connect, so seeing the whole show means going up and down stairs a lot. And upstairs exhibitors who are not well enough known to be on everyone's "must see" list risks having lots of time to play cards.
     But, as in recent years, the Alexis Park Complex is not the only show in town.

The rebels
     Perhaps you read our interview with Kathy Gornik in UHF No. 67. She is not only president of Thiel Audio, but also chair of CEA. She had some pointed remarks concerning T.H.E. Expo, the parallel high end show that (not by coincidence) is held at the same time as CES.
     When T.H.E. Expo began (the "THE", by the way, stands for "The Home Entertainment..."), it was in an ideal location, at the St. Tropez hotel, which is next door to the Alexis Park. It didn't last. The St. Tropez was deteriorating, and so was the hotel management's willingness to be accommodating. The rebel show moved to a half-finished resort on Flamingo road, and then to the San Remo. That required shuttles to and from CES itself, and shuttle drivers would regularly get harassed by CES security guards at Alexis Park (or Alexis Park security guards at CES...we never figured out which it was).
     For 2004, T.H.E. Expo still has space at the San Remo, and will still require the shuttles, but it will also be back at the St. Tropez. We expect a war of signs.
     We're pretty much neutral, of course, since we exhibit at neither show. We will be covering both shows, with most of the T.H.E. Expo coverage on Day Two.
     By the way, T.H.E. Expo is packing in an extra day, on the 12th. It did the same thing last year, with mixed results. A few rooms remained open, but a lot of trucks were being packed up at 9 am on the supposed extra day. We'll see this time.
     But last year we were glad that show was still open. The CES access to the Web was down (again!), and we filed our final report from the management office over at the San Remo. And we will again if the CES press centre doesn't have its act together.

Onward to Day Zero
     Yes, Day Zero...a special day filled with press conferences and previews, for editorial press only. We'll be there, with cameras, computers, etc. We hope to file the day's story not later than 6:30 pm PST, or 9:30 EST. Unless the press centre at Alexis Park is better organized than it was last year, the stories may actually pop up only the next morning.
     Right here on the UHF site, you'll be able to visit CES without leaving home. You'll find the links at upper left. One extra reason to visit: throughout the show and for several days after, you'll find special offers from The Audiophile Store.
     Last year, we got as many as 25,000 hits a day during the show. We figure that means you liked what you heard. We'll be doing it again.

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