CES Returns to the Strip

More than 150,000 techies are living it up in Las Vegas this week for the nation’s largest trade show: the International Consumer Electronics Show. Taking place in the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Sands Expo, the Las Vegas Hilton, and the Venetian, the show is showcasing more than 2,700 exhibitors and the latest echelon of high-tech gadgets and services. Laurie Lutz, senior director of operations at the Consumer Electronics Association, expanded exhibit space in the Venetian and Sands Expo this year, which according to several attendees has loosened up the pedestrian traffic that has beleaguered the show in years past.

Bill Gates, oft considered a rock star among CES attendees, gave a keynote speech during Sunday’s press day, where he announced the launch of Windows Vista (a new version of the Windows format that allows for live services) and Microsoft’s partnership with Ford, with some difficulty—his microphone kept malfunctioning, and the billionaire apparently “made a few dorky jokes that got no laughs,” according to an attendee we talked to. Microsoft is said to be hosting parties each night this week to celebrate Vista, so far landing at Pure and V Bar, both of which were “very boring” according to our source. Unfortunately for Gates, Vista has largely been eclipsed by the Apple iPhone, which—as you’ve no doubt heard—Steve Jobs unveiled at the MacWorld Conference and Expo in San Francisco on Tuesday.

The CES celebrity quotient is largely skewed toward sports stars this year (they are all presumably on-hand for a price). Confirmed appearances thus far include Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart for Polaroid, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch for Delphi, Hulk Hogan for Polaroid, and retired NBA players Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins for Haier America. Joan Jett performed at the Gibson Guitar happy hour on Tuesday, and Slash (of Guns N’ Roses fame) is slated to play for the brand today.
Posted 01.10.07