Consumer Electronics Show. A week in Las Vegas. A suite at the Venetian hotel (hey Symantec Accounting, they are ALL suites at that hotel!!) 145,000 other technology fans.
Survival methods:
1. Flat shoes in my tote at all times (if I wasn't wearing them to walk around in.)
2. Hand sanitizer.
3. A daily acetaminophen tablet in the morning.
4. Several bottles of water per day (most of them got started and then I'd forget where I'd put them down. Next time, I'll bring a Sharpie to mark my water bottles.)
5. Breath mints or gum are a must!
6. I tried to use long-lasting lip color but the dry desert air and the over heated Sands Expo center made that feel too drying so I had to switch to my old standby, Bobbi Brown lipgloss.
7. I didn't get sick (!) and I even made it to the snazzy Canyon Ranch gym in the Venetian three times! I've never seen a gym before with a climbing wall in it, but I've also never spent $35 per day for a hotel gym.
I spent my time either in our booth talking with customers and reporters or hosting a spiffy and fast-paced game show in the Norton from Symantec booth called the "Norton CyberSmackdown". You can even play it yourself by visiting http://www.cybersmackdown.com/. And we have a Facebook application to add to your page so you can test your friends and their knowledge of (or ability to guess) internet security trivia.
My other two "partners in crime" for the game were Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson and star of Fox-TV's "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?", Nathan Lazarus. Nathan is only 9 years old but possesses a remarkable combination of a photographic memory, loads of charm and confidence and killer dimples. We had one amazing round where all our competitors were blogging Moms and they ALL wanted to take Nathan home! I know I did! His mother Elizabeth must be incredibly proud! (And we loved meeting her too - she's wonderful!)
Lauren is nearing the end of her reign as Miss America and will be at the pageant at the end of this month, airing live on TLC. She's also appearing in a new reality series, "Miss America: Reality Check". So far, she's the best thing in it (based on my one viewing and my unbiased friendship with Lauren.) I hope you will all tune into the pageant on Saturday, January 26th on TLC. (Check your local listings!)
Some of my personal CES highlights:
- Mommy blogger contestants - incredible enthusiasm, a little cheating and loads of fun!
- The very last Smackdown game where we thought we had comedian Gallagher playing but he cancelled at the last second. Turns out it was his loss - George, Jonathan, Johnnie and Dan were the BEST and the crowd made so much noise!
- Meeting one of the stars of "Sex and the City" - Evan Handler. (He played Charlotte's husband, Harry.) He dished a little on his acting work (including the upcoming movie of SITC - coming out in May 2008).
- Meeting ELMO!! Yes, the little red monster star of "Sesame Street" - and I have the photos to prove it. But Ed Baig of USA Today had the best reaction - he dialed home on his cell phone and had Elmo leave a voicemail for his 3-year old daughter! He is definitely Daddy of the Year!
- Appearing on a panel for the Sandbox Summit. We discussed "What is Tech Teaching?" and I shared some insights on how we all focus on things like stranger danger when cyberbullying and other more mundance internet nasties are far more prevalent and likely to strike your child's surfing.
So, for my first CES, I'd have to say I had a lot of fun. I hope next year to actually visit some of the other booths but honestly, I didn't have much free time and was usually dashing from one meeting to another or trying to find our group for dinner at one of the many incredible restaurants in Las Vegas. Hope to see you there next year!!