KEYS TO YOUR SUCCESS AT CES

-- PLANNING, PREPARATION, PATIENCE

By Miles Weston

Nothing helps people in the PC/CE/communications industry mark the beginning of a new year like CES (Consumer Electronics Show). It puts the joy, pain, fun, disappointment of buying, selling, giving, receiving holiday stuff behind you.

It's the love/hate trek to Las Vegas to get an advanced look at what's going to be hot and hopefully profitable for the coming year. Depending on how you approach trade events like CES they can be a tremendous opportunity, a waste of time, a challenge, disaster, torture or the most profitable time you've spent all year. You--and nearly 250,000 manufacturers, dealers, corporate buyers and interested bystanders-- will converge to buy, sell or just see what's new.

It's enough to test the endurance, strength, perseverance, patience, stamina and organizational abilities of the best people in the industry.

Copyright--CEA

The biggest mistake most people make is that they don't take maximum advantage of the show. Study the CES exhibitor listings and floorplan to make maximum use of your time. At least a week before the show (the week between Christmas and New Years can be put to good use), develop your show calendar of meetings. Prioritize the companies you're going to visit at the show. Use your daily calendar (may want to use the MyCES service on the web site) and floorplan to plan your hours, days and evenings.

Mix and match your priorities to group your booth visits and save steps.

With all of the booths -- spread across more than four football fields of space -- to cover, you need the most comfortable shoes possible. When you walk on concrete and thin carpet all day, your feet are subjected to unbelievable punishment. Before you go out in the evening, give yourself a 30-minute breather. Take a shower and soak your feet in cool water for a few minutes. You'll "almost" feel like a new person.

Copyright -- CEA

The only way to survive an event as large and as important as CES and be at your best during the show is to get enough sleep and eat and drink in moderation. While many feel that a drink before hitting the sack at night will help you sleep, the truth of the matter is that alcohol is actually detrimental to your sleep. Keep a close eye on your purse or wallet when you're in a crowded elevator or waiting in one of the taxi lines.

You even have to be careful in the men's and ladies room. Your coat or purse can disappear in seconds. Talk to show veterans. They've learned how to pace themselves and how to zero-in on their particular areas of interest while looking for new possibilities.

With a little planning and preparation, you can take advantage of the tremendous opportunities that are available and still enjoy yourself.


Copyright -- CEA

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Undercover author Miles Weston has spent more than 30 years in the storage, software and video industry, indulging in, among other things, marketing activities in promoting PC, CE, communications, content technology and their applications . Contact Miles through his editor by clicking here.

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