A Good Time Had by All
Heidi Genoist -- Tradeshow Week, 1/22/2007
Could Intl. CES be inching toward COMDEX's fate?
Not likely. The nonprofit show for consumer electronics is run by a team widely believed to be made up of the smartest cookies in the tradeshow industry.
Still, comparisons between the two are irresistible. Las Vegas is, or was, home to both shows, which claim(ed) status as the largest in the United States, feature(d) the latest technology and are (were) frequently opened by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
At a New Year's Eve Party, one tipsy guest even informed me he couldn't wait until the largest show in the world, COMDEX, came to town the following week.
CES, however, has always been a much more serious business venue than its now-defunct IT doppelganger.
Could that, too, be changing?
At this year's show, there was no shortage of circus-like entertainment. Here's a sampling:
- Casio welcomed visitors to Central Hall with a booth babe riding a mechanical bull.
- Hitachi hired a Vegas-style magician to show off its super-wide screens.
- Belkin had a live rock band on a full stage.
- Canon's popular live show featured ballroom dancers in slinky outfits doing numbers that would have trouble getting a PG-13 rating.
- Sony not only featured a musical stage with a variety of acts, but also had a movie theater and tennis stars signing autographs.
- Intel put up a massive tent in the parking lot to host a stop on the World Series of Video Gaming tour.
- Orange mini-dress-clad go-go dancers on a platform in front of Vonage's exhibit blew soap bubbles on passers-by.
- Giddy attendees had their pictures taken with "Elvis" under a banner reading "Celebrity Sighting ... Did you get the shot?" in Lexair's booth.
- Pioneer's live DJ set drew large crowds that mostly wouldn't dance, despite suited salespeople's awkward clapping and shouting "Yeah!" as they circulated through the audience.
Is it mass hysteria, or simply being in Las Vegas that makes Fortune 500 companies behave this way? In tradeshow terms, it doesn't really matter — as long as the ROI is keeping pace with the fun.
