CES About People, Not Products

The sheer size of the annual Consumer Electronics Show makes it a spectacle to behold. Company “booths” can cost millions of dollars to create and seem to consume as much floor space as a football field. One can spend hours walking the show floor only to discover that the surface has barely been scratched.

When the size itself is paired with its location in Las Vegas, it is hard to go without being awed. As someone who has attended a number of these events, I am able to go in with a certain sense of perspective. I have come to learn some of the tricks (avoid the show floor on day one when it is most crowded; focus more on people than products; etc.). And I know many of the pitfalls (hour-long taxi lines; tired feet; little sleep; etc.).

The things I have learned in the past about CES help make the experience more enjoyable and productive. The 2011 event was no exception. It was good to see lots of old friends that I don’t connect with regularly enough in person. But I was also fortunate enough to meet up with my brother who works for a major media company and was introduced to many new people from his network of colleagues and business associates.

I had great conversations with folks from Sling Media — I’ve been a fan and owner of Slingboxes since the very early days since it let’s me watch my beloved Boston Red Sox even when I’m on the road. I got to meet many smart people from Akamai and learned more about some of the work they’re doing to make content distribution better and faster. And one of my most enjoyable conversations was actually at Charlotte Airport on a layover heading back from Las Vegas, when I was fortunate enough to connect with my friend CC Chapman (he tells the story here). Oh, and you should buy CC’s book Content Rules if you’re interested in learning how becoming a publisher can help you as a marketer.

What about the products? After all, that’s what the media tends to focus on when they cover the event. They’re not as much concerned with me and my networking, but rather what’s the coolest gadget or the next big thing?

My view, as well as that of most of the people I spoke with at CES, was that there were not many “oh wow” moments this year. Sure, there was lots of great new technology, but much of it was an incremental improvement over previous generations – or had already been buzzed about in the press far in advance. There were also some impressive niche debuts, but not ones likely to see widespread mainstream consumer adoption.

3D TV’s? Yep, there were plenty of them. But how many can any one person look at before one’s eyes glaze over? (Plus I find the 3D viewing awkward with my prescription eyeglasses — I’m sure there’s a good solution but it wasn’t obvious to me.) There were more tablet cases than one could count. Green tech and portable devices all got lots of play, but nothing that really knocked my socks off — but plenty of things that I have or will buy.

Most times that I end up at CES (or even similar, smaller tech events), I have friends say, “Hey, did you check out” one product or another. This time, I had more people commenting on the multi-million dollar booths themselves rather than the products on display in them.

Does that make it a bust? Not at all. Like many of the 140,000 other people who went to Vegas for CES last week, it’s about the people, relationships, and connections – just like most trade shows. The product displays are an important part of the lure to get all of us there, but talking to vendors and attendees is really what it’s all about.