CES 08 Editorial

This year's 2008 CES high-end events took place January 8th thru the 11th, at three locales; Venetian hotel and T.H.E Show's Alexis Villas (formally Alexis Park) and neighboring St. Tropez locals, which once again, strictly in terms of logistics, proved another nightmare. This was my 11th consecutive CES event, yet somehow I always forget how insanely long the taxi lines are at the airport. I was faced with a rude awakening after getting my luggage because I found myself on the end of a taxi line that had to be 1200 folks long. Amazingly, what looked like a all day affair took less than an hour.

My watch read 12:30PM, and the sooner I could get to the show the better. Immediately after dropping off my bags at the Golden Nugget hotel, my very nice taxi driver actually waited for me to check in (with the meter off no less), then drove me to the T.H.E Show's Alexis Villas where I was nicely greeted as usual by the staff, given a press badge and was on my way....

Something strange struck me immediately while walking through the St. Tropez - besides the usual suspects of manufacturers, importers and the like - there were very few people around. I double checked the time to be sure I adjusted my watch to left-coast time. Though it read 2:30PM, the place was nearly empty compared to years past (though last year's event wouldn't qualify as a barn-burner either). I then walked through the Alexis Villas and besides the faint sounds of music being played in the distance, what used to be High-end's Home Depot closer resembled a ghost town. I personally doubt if anybody who purchased rooms would renew at either T.H.E Show or the Alexis Villas for 2009, considering how bad traffic was.

[Photos of the famous but now virtually empty pool and Acoustic Sounds booth located in the Alexis Villas - formally the Alexis Park.]

I've a sneaking suspicion that switching the show dates, beginning last year, from weekends (Thur - Sun) to weekdays (Mon - Thur) prevented a lot of folks from attending that normally would have.

To add misery to it all the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) basically forced the hand of its High-end participants by moving from the Alexis Villas to the Venetian hotel in an attempt to better integrate High-end audio and Home theater in what they officially renamed "High Performance Audio." Not just at the Venetian, but in the worst possible venue they could accommodate already worn out travelers - the upper floors of the Venetian towers reachable only by way of elevators that were invariably packed like a can of sardines.

The fact there was no signage visible on the main floor only meant nothing changed from last year to help anyone lost or struggling to find their way (last year, a CEA floor manager promised better signage only after nearly everyone got lost). In essence, I think the CEA wanted give High-end audio and Home theater a Convention Center feel.

Unfortunately, I think they accomplished just that because that place never appealed to me regardless of all the new gadgets.

Like the war raging now between Blu Ray and HD-DVD, there's no real winner when we the consumer become the ultimate loser. The CES appears in big trouble with regard to  High-end two-channel especially when it expects potential dealers and the press to continue to endure the pressures felt once again this year.

If it sounds like I'm complaining, well, basically YES I AM. Consider this, in the years past, the Alexis Villas and St. Tropez, aside from being only minutes from the airport, provided the perfect location for a high-end show from a press/reviewer/photographer's standpoint. The singleness of purpose was far more palpable. You knew whoever you saw was there for the same thing: AUDIO. Often, I recall, dashing from one room to another, only to bump into a friend or industry acquaintance who would tell me of another exciting room I should investigate not to mention all the familiar faces I'd stop to chat with at the beautiful poolside lounge in the Alexis Villas.

A better question is what could have been a better venue than the Alexis Villas? When you walk into the Venetian, you're on your own. There's a million and one people and just as many distractions. At the Alexis Villas or St. Tropez, the definition of trouble usually was some manufacturer dragging you into a bad sounding room and keeping you hostage. The Alexis Villas served as an oasis for folks like me, whose only reason to visit Las Vegas in the first place was because of CES and not the bright lights, craps tables, or showgirls.

Manufacturers, distributors and importers alike let me know they weren't exactly thrilled with the Venetian towers regarding the lack of fresh air and the considerably tight quarters while the folks who purchased the larger ballrooms on the opposite side of the building were at the mercy of their next door neighbor since all rooms used partitioned walls.  

Again, CES 2009 will be held at the Venetian, St. Tropez and Alexis Villas and again, I plan to attend despite my protestations. My only hope is that both the St Tropez and Alexis Villas are once again filled to full capacity. The old saying "You don't know what you got until you lose it" seems apropos.

So it's on to the show...