CES 2012 Preview

A few years ago I hit the jackpot in Las Vegas. I don’t mean the monetary jackpot. I was scheduled to attend a conference there and wondered why I couldn’t find a hotel room off-site. After some research I discovered my conference overlapped with the Consumer Electronics Show, which is the preeminent tradeshow for the electronics industry. Yahoo! I hit the jackpot. For years I watched that tradeshow from afar. Now I could actually attend.

CES 2012 promises not to disappoint as it continues at the helm as the world’s largest technological tradeshow. This year the show has grown to three venues; the Las Vegas Hilton (Las Vegas Hotel and Casino), the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Venetian from January 10 – 13, 2012.

What are some of the exhibitor products?
• Home Electronics
• Automobile Electronics
• Digital Imaging and Photography
• Electronic Gaming
• Video
• Wireless and Wireless Devices

I was thrilled when I got to Las Vegas and discovered that I could actually get into the exhibits. Yes, it is open to the public. Just go to cesweb.org. There is a tab at the top of the website for registration. Click on that tab and all the information for registration is right there. There are assortments of options available.

As a small business owner, I was thrilled to be able to hear some of the top executives from some of the best corporations. This year’s keynote speakers include Steve Ballmer CEO of Microsoft, Paul Jacobs Chairman and CEO of Qualcomm, Dieter Zetsche Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Ursula Burns, Chairman and CEO of Xerox. Anyone is sure to learn something new from this group of people, or any of the other fine executives who will be at CES 2012.

Favorite events of the show beside the exhibitions include:
• Awards Night,
• Last gadget standing,
• Mobile Apps Showdown,
• Mash Bash
• and CES Tweetup.

As you are planning everything that you want to do, consider downloading the CES app. It is called “Follow Me” and can be found on the Consumer Electronics Tradeshow website. You will be able to search the directory for companies and products that you want to visit while you are at the tradeshow. Alerts and all of the latest information will be sent to you as alerts. When the floor maps become available, you will be able to view them in real time.

I am so thankful for the time I was able to be at the CES tradeshow. I actually gained more usable information from my day visit there than I did from the conference I went to Las Vegas to attend. There is a wealth of information at the show which is well worth the fee. You will be able to use it over your entire career.

CES 2012 promises to retain this tradeshow as a hallmark of all tradeshows. Don’t miss it.