A Las Vegas Resident Geek’s Guide to CES 2008
This is updated from last year's post, thanks to all who provided suggestions and feedback! Especially Gabe, who suggested I talk about something other than food and drinks :) - the first section is for you!.
Here's my advice on what to do and what not to do in Vegas during CES 2008. I thought I should add my .02 as I’m a rare breed – a middle aged, married IT professional living in Las Vegas that is not employed by the gaming industry. So here are my biased, subjective tips for CES geeks in Vegas.
Best parts to Visit: The show is huge, so you probably won't see everything. The Sands is where it’s at in terms of cool stuff to see, in the “Innovations
Plus” section. Other than that, Hall S3
and S4 (upstairs in the South building, farthest from the Hilton) and the Hilton booths house all
the little startup companies from Asia and Eastern Europe and elsewhere, not
cool enough for an Innovations Plus booth - yet. I usually start at Innovations Plus, then move on to the Hilton, then S3 and S4, then work
my way downstairs and north through the main halls (mostly car audio and TVs)
if I have time.
Swag: Don’t bring a
bag to the show if you can avoid it, they have swag bags all over the place if
you need one.
Water - buy water and drink it wherever you can. It's winter, but it's still the desert. And the convention halls are very dry. Avoid alcohol and caffeine when you can as they dry you out. For the uninitiated, note that a lightheaded feeling, headaches and even nosebleeds can be signs of dehydration.
Jacket - If you plan to be outdoors, it gets cold in winter here. In the last few years it has even snowed during CES week. But don’t bring a coat or jacket inside the show. It’s hot in there.
Footwear: Good shoes are essential, the concrete floors suck the
life energy out of your feet.
Best free stuff: The
XM Satellite Radio booth usually has concerts, comfortable seating, and free
Starbucks in the morning.
Also, there's a full-service Starbucks in the main hall, just outside the XM radio booth.
Best onsite food: there’s an Indian food stall around Hall S3.
STAYING CONNECTED
Almost all hotels in Vegas have Wifi now, for a fee. Also, lots of open hotspots on the show floor, and the Renaissance Las Vegas, next to the convention center has free Wifi for guests.
The PodTech Bloghaus has free connectivity for bloggers, but you have to sign up in advance.
The Vegas Airport (McCarran) has Free Wifi.
Other than that, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, It's a grind coffee house, Panera Bread and Krispy Kreme have free Wifi.
Off-hours CES: Vegas Tips:
This year, as last year, I’m looking forward to hanging out at the
PodTech Bloghaus and the Blogger Reception. Also, here's a list of a few more events. If
this is not for you, or you just want to get away and experience a bit of
Vegas, and you haven’t been invited to the myriad (that's right, myriad!) CES parties taking over all the cool bars in town, here are my tips:
SIGHTS
-Museums - Las Vegas pays a lot of money to import culture, including the Guggenheim, the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, and the Wynn Museum (No link to that one. Note to Steve Wynn - summarizing what I said last year - fix your crappy Web site!).
-Bellagio Fountain and conservatory, and the chocolate fountain behind the conservatory
-Paris Eiffel tower replica
-Weird little robotic show outside the Cheesecake factory in the Caesar's Palace Forum Shops (Vegas for Mall)
-For Hemingway (and cigar) fans, a pretty good replica of La Floridita at Casa Fuentes in the Forum Shops. Have a Daiquiri and a Faux Cuban and take in the sights on the strip below.
-Wynn hotel's free water show - best at night
-Browsing rock memorabilia at the Hard Rock Hotel
-Fake Canal at the Venetian, and for Casino Geeks, the new Palazzo Tower just opened.
-Auto Collection at the Imperial Palace - Free coupons all over the place out front. Amazing Cars
-Free evening "Sirens" Show at Treasure Island
-Just walking up and down the strip and taking it all in.
ENTERTAINMENT AND NIGHTLIFE:
About Gambling:
Please do Gamble. What happens in Vegas...Pays my Taxes!
Q: How do you make a small fortune in Vegas?
A: Start with a large one.
SHOWS:
If you see one show, make it "O" at the Bellagio or my second choice, Love at the Mirage. Both are expensive, and worth every penny. BTW, for next year - Cirque show reservations can be canceled with a full refund with 48 hours notice.
Other than Cirque, Spamalot at the Wynn is offering half-price tickets, but it's not clear of that's for locals only.
GEEK BARS:
These deserve a special category this year. There are a few bars in town who are using new technology and displays to create some pretty fun and interesting electronic experiences as part of their lounge features. Many are in the VIP areas, so you may have to shell out a lot. And if you're going to do that, you should invite me along to um, show you around or something....
Revolution Lounge at the Mirage
Perhaps Revolution's most novel embellishment is its clutch of
interactive tables, where patrons can take an ashtray or a cocktail
glass and sketch designs on the tabletop from a series of different
motifs projected onto the glass, from squirming jellyfish to fluttering
butterflies.The images are then projected on a large column in the middle of the room.
Tabu nightclub at the MGM Grand
Wave a hand above a black-and-white image of a woman's pursed lips on
the table top and the area below your hand turns to color. Other tables
appear littered with dozens of paper clips that scatter to other parts
of the surface when an object passes over them. Yet another table is
decorated with a fairly plain motif, until an item -- say, a drink --
is placed on it. At that, a Lord of the Rings-style circle of fire surrounds the object.
Eyecandy sound lounge & bar at the Mandalay Bay Hotel
Featuring interactive touch tables exclusively for eyecandy sound
lounge, this groundbreaking technology allows guests to be in control
of their nightlife experience all from the comfort of their booth.
Using interactive, multi-touch tables, guests can create visuals and
messaging as well as project images onto screens above the dance floor.
This high-tech table technology allows guests to create and control the
visual and audio environment, becoming part of the sensory experience,
where each night has a unique vibe.
BEST NON-VEGAS EXPERIENCES
Helicopter tours of the grand canyon. Maverick is the best operator.
The Grand Canyon Skywalk is now open.
The Valley of Fire is an amazing place.
Closer to Vegas, Red Rock Canyon is worth catching at sunrise, like Tony Soprano did. Peyote optional.
DRINKS:
I like the Nine Fine Irishmen Pub in the New York New York. A great live Celtic band starts at 9, and they have live step dancers!
MIX in the Mandalay bay is a cool choice, with a great view of the strip, and free before 10, after that everyone is herded around into standing-only pens unless they want to buy bottle service.
For sports bars, I like the one at the Bellagio or the Wynn, or Blondie’s in the Mall behind the Aladdin.
FOOD:
The Las Vegas Strip is a great case study on the
meaning of expensive vs. overpriced. However, there are some diamonds in the rough…..If you’re on expenses or
just want to splash out, I recommend Bouchon at the Venetian or Nobu at the
Hard Rock Hotel. Also anything by Michael Mina - Seablue for healthy seafood at the MGM Grand, and unhealthy but great seafood like the the lobster pie at Michael Mina restaurant at the Bellagio.
For a good meal moderately priced I like Nine Fine Irishman
(the seafood chowder is amazing) in the New York New York, Café Ba Ba Reeba for
tapas in the Fashion show mall, or the Wynn Buffet, (IMHO the best buffet in
town).
Bargains: The few edible meal bargains left in Vegas are off-strip. My faves are both at the Hard Rock Hotel: : The $7.77 Steak and Shrimp (ask for it – not on the menu) at Mr Lucky’s, and happy hour 5-7 in the Pink Taco, 2-for-1 drinks and appetizers.
SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS:
Lots of healthy food at the two Trader Joe's and two Whole Foods Markets
in town. Also many products for special diets: Parve, Halal,
Vegetarian, you name it....They're all about 15-20 mintes drive from
the strip. Also the closest big grocery store to the strip to stock up on water, etc is Albertsons on Flamingo. Should be no more than 5 minutes by cab in normal traffic.
DESSERT:
The best dessert in Vegas is at the patisserie in
the Bellagio. And the floor-to-ceiling
chocolate fountain is worth a visit. The
white chocolate cheesecake is my favorite. The second best is across the street at the Paris hotel Patisserie.
ROOM SUPPLIES:
There are ABC stores hidden in a few malls around the strip,
otherwise the CVS and Walgreen’s pharmacies are down by the Monte Carlo
Hotel. all have reasonable prices on
bottled water, etc, and the pharmacies are open 24 hours a day.
ROOM PARTY SUPPLIES:
Lee’s Discount Liquors south of the airport on Vegas Boulevardis the best and closest place.
GEEK SUPPLIES:
Yes, Vegas has a Fry’s. If you don’t know what that is, it’s an amazing, huge and fairly cheap
electronics superstore. If you can’t
find it there it probably doesn’t exist in the retail world…..I call it
Nerdvana….
Hope that helps! Have Fun! Leave comments of you have specific questions!
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