<![CDATA[Tips from a CES veteran - Valleywag Comments]]> <![CDATA[Tips from a CES veteran - Valleywag Comments]]> <![CDATA[Tips from a CES veteran]]> @transparency: Good catch, though the reference was to the "Aladdin shops area" -- they're now called the "Miracle Mile Shops," and yes, they're near what's now Planet Hollywood.

Owen Thomas

]]> <![CDATA[Tips from a CES veteran]]> JIMMYG's advice is golden. I didn't wear nice shoes my first year. You should have seen the blisters. I also decided I should try and walk along Paradise to get to the Hilton. That sign is big... so it looks WAY closer than it really is. Big mistake.

Mobius

]]> <![CDATA[Tips from a CES veteran]]> I went to CES and stayed at the Paris when it had just opened and I could have sworn the Aladin was either demolished by then or about to be.. (i think it was demo'd) it definitely wasn't open. So kinda odd that this tipster would mention the two one right after another.

Whocares

]]> <![CDATA[Tips from a CES veteran]]> Tip 1) Get tips from someone living in the present tense - Aladdin hotel long gone, replaced by Planet Hollywood.

transparency

]]> <![CDATA[Tips from a CES veteran]]> First off, Buccaneer Bay at TI is no longer there. Its the Social House--and yes it is better than a lot of other places to eat in Vegas. Expensive, but worth its weight in gold.

Second, Learn to TIP. I say this in caps because it still means the same thing that most people forgot what it meant in the first place--To Insure Promptness. Be cheap with your Bellman = slow moving bellman. Meaning, longer to get your crap product moving to where you want it. Give a dollar to Valet = he might remember who you are and the next time you might be sitting on that bench just a little longer. Bottom line.. you want good service don't be a cheapskate about it because you won't get away with it for too long.

Speaking of service, center bars have plenty of it. "They" stick out like a sore thumb with own agenda in mind. Their manager is usually close by playing slots or video poker "They" know who you are with your tucked-in embroidered polo shirt with cell phone holder and tassled brown shoes. Your their target market for the next few days.

elshootoe

]]> <![CDATA[Tips from a CES veteran]]> The best money I spend every time I am in Vegas on business happens just outside of the airport. Get a limo (sedan, not stretch) from the airport to the hotel, tip well and get the drivers card. Tell him/her that you're going to call. Need a ride somewhere? Just call the driver a few minutes before and you'll be greeted like a rockstar with walk-on privileges. Works great when you're with clients.

DaveTyranham

]]> <![CDATA[Tips from a CES veteran]]> Not to sound motherly, but take it from a 20-plus-year CES vet: 1. Eat a good breakfast before hitting the convention center to avoid burning out by midday. Lunch, where you can find it, is usually awful, assuming you have the time to stop and eat. If you have to buy it yourself food is horrifically expensive and not much better. 2. Wear comfortable shoes. This sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many novices underestimate how well their feet will hold up after a long day of walking and standing. Black sneakers look the best with business garb. 3. If you want the PR flacks to take you seriously, dress well (business casual at the least) and don't stuff your pockets with giveaway trinkets or sneak more than one goodie bag. Don't beg for review products--take a business card and follow up the week after the show. Don't shove printouts of your web pages or copies of your publication in PR peoples' hands; again, take a card and follow up when things are less hectic. 4. I don't care how good the band or comedian is, if a PR person invites you to a party, don't go if it's primarily a dealer event. You'll be shuttled to the back of the room and made to feel second class. 5. If you're going to try and crash a party to which you've not been formally invited, make sure it's a large enough event to get lost in and wear your badge in an inconvenient location (i.e. below eye level). 6. Keep in mind that everything on the strip looks about 50 percent closer than it really is; walking from, say, the MGM to the Mirage will take a lot longer than you might think.

jimmyg

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