I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been
Wayne Gretzky
Last week, I was back at the sprawling CES (formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas. I go every year, although I missed the last two years due to the pandemic.
CES has always been gracious enough to extend a media pass to me, even though I write more about legal tech than consumer tech. CES goes out of its way to accommodate the media. Nice media rooms close to most of the sessions and exhibit halls. Lunch every day. Lots of background material to make our jobs easier, not harder. It’s nice to feel welcomed for a change.
CES is the preeminent consumer electronics show in the world. Put on by the Consumer Technology Association, this year’s Show reportedly drew over 100,000 people. Some 2200 companies exhibited their wares. It includes big names like Samsung, LG, Panasonic, BMW, and Sony. And countless others crammed into the Las Vegas Convention Center and several hotel convention centers.
One of my favorite attractions, though, is something called Eureka Park. Eureka Park is housed in the basement of the Venetian Expo convention center. It is where all the start-ups and entrepreneurs are housed. You can see anything and everything there.
This year’s Show gave every appearance of being back to the full throttle pre-pandemic version. Packed hallways. Full conference rooms. Buses and the Las Vegas monorail filled to capacity. Masks? Few and far between.
As an aside, traditional lore pre-pandemic was that most of those who attend come home with some sort of viral crud. I haven’t heard anything about this year, but I have my fingers crossed that I remain well.
