Some Thoughts on CES
So, CES 2008 is all wrapped up. Did we get a lot out of it? I think so. The booth was great, albeit very tiring, and I know our management team had fantastic success taking a huge number of meetings in a suite at the Venetian hotel.
So, how do I feel about the show? It’s always an experience. I’m not the biggest fan of Las Vegas and all that it has to offer, but I do enjoy looking down at the lights and constant motion from the comfort of a hotel room at the end of each long day.
And the days are very long. My legs have been ready to give out for quite some time, as has everyone else’s that joined me on booth duty throughout the stretch of the show. It’s very interesting - being the Sands, you sometimes feel like you are coming in second to the main convention center. But, that being said, the traffic is a lot of times much more qualified (lead-wise) that just every person stopping by to see what kinda of SWAG they can lay their hands on.
Rachel ran a very successful show. She not only managed to re-brand the company, but also put together an outstanding set of marketing materials, co-ordinated updating our booth with the new brand and really kept everyone in line.
It was amazing and inspiring to see. I really do feel like I know more about how to successfully go to a trade show with a business after seeing her in action. I could never do what she did, mind you…
Of course, the proof is always in the follow-up and the results. They all need to be measured to ensure success of the show is defined well and appropriately.
I did chat with several folks out on the show floor that mentioned they either a) did not like going to CES or b) were thinking of not coming back next year. It was certainly evident that attendance and interest was down, even from only one year ago. I could definitely see having more success by just setting up a ton of meetings in a suite somewhere.
But, the booth is fun. And, it gives you that chance to experience something with your team that isn’t something everyone goes through. It certainly lets you develop a unique bond that carries forward to the next year - being able to trade war stories and memories.
Me? I’m happy we’re headed out tomorrow and will get to sleep in my own bed next week. That is going to be amazing, for sure. I do wish I got to record more Seesmic videos, but alas, no wireless connectivity from our booth made that job extremely difficult.
Happy Holidays!
Hoping everyone has a great break and is getting refreshed for what’s sure to be a whirlwind year in 2008! I will be at CES again this year, and will post more details about the schedule / location as we get closer to the date.
Headed to SXSW
I’m off to SXSW in Austin, TX on Tuesday. If you are going to be there and want to meet-up, send me a quick email: adam [at] musicip [dot] com. I’ll be town from Tuesday through Friday for the entire show.
MusicIP will also have a booth on the floor, so feel free to stop by and see us!
Come Visit at CES!
Just a quick post to let anyone know that’s going, we’ll be chilling at CES in the Sands — we’re over next to the Slingbox booth. Stop by and say hi if you’re around, and we’ll show you some really cool stuff…
Vista — I Love It
Personally, I’m diggin’ the Vista name. Scoble’s brother didn’t like it, but I think it works. Why? Allow me to explain.
Why did Windows 98 work? Because that was the year it was released. Same for 95 and 2000. But, by naming their next version of the OS "Vista", Microsoft really is breaking a mold; their own. We’ve seen their love for the two-letter acronym (NT, ME, XP) — all great names. But, I think breaking the naming conventions they’ve had, they are going to be able to do a whole lot more in terms of marketing the product.
It’s true, Hugh does not care for it either. His argument is a great one: Microsoft should stop being bland. I think though, they have (reference points above). However, staying with this notion, I don’t think that by following the current cutting-edge of PR and Marketing techniques, Microsoft would get any further than by simply doing what Hugh says will fault them in the end:
Now all you need is some uninspired-but-really-expensive Madison Avenue ad campaign (e.g. "What do you want your Vista to see?") just to seal the deal. With an RSS-free, Flash-intro fake blog designed by a hotnewyorkcreativeshop. Rock on.
This isn’t a bad way to go about it. Don’t get me wrong, because I totally see where he is coming from. I just think the mass market will still respond to this better than a direct RSS-feed / blog, "hip", "trendy" approach at the present time. How many middle-aged, beginner-to-advanced computer users (that Microsoft would die to have upgrade to Vista upon its release) are aggregating RSS feeds? I realize the numbers are growing, but it won’t touch as many right now as dangling a huge "buy me" banner from Trump Plaza, or having Gates pound the pavement. That’s just me.
Now, on the flip side, having Gates start a blog that would run from now until Vista’s release, talking about his daily activities geared around it would get some attention.
