Vegas Hotels Slash Rates As CES Looks Like A Dud
CNBC's Jim Goldman: Yes, you read that correctly. Hotels on the Strip are actually slashing prices ahead of the big show. In the 15 years I've been covering these shows, I have never seen anything like this, and it may just go to show just how soft this economy really is. In years' past, hotels often jacked up their rates during the week of CES because they knew they could. Rooms that ran $75 or $125 the week before and week after CES suddenly jumped to $350, $450, or over $500. The "CES Premium" all of us stuck paying it lamented.
This year, attendees are being tempted by an unheard-of CES discount! In an email to registered attendees, the Consumer Electronics Association writes, "Those who have attended CES over the years and are accustomed to peak rates...may be pleasantly surprised when they book rooms this year." "More affordable than ever," the email adds.
The show is also offering discount airfares, free registration, and free hotel rooms for some groups, CNBC adds. But that's not enough to prevent many companies from ditching or downsizing their booths.
The economy is one problem. Another: Boring trade shows. Show us something that's actually exciting at CES next year -- besides yet another big TV, yet another Blu-ray player -- and we'll eat our words.
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We're looking forward to seeing you at CES this year and I'll even offer you a personal tour of some of the 2,700 companies that will be unveiling some 20,000 exciting new products at our show -- if I get to watch you eat those words at the end!
The number one concern we hear from our exhibitor customers is the cost of hotel rooms. CEA has been working directly with the Las Vegas hotels for months to convince them to lower room rates for the 2009 CES -- and our efforts are paying off. You may recall that at the 2008 CES there was a lot of buzz that CES would leave Las Vegas because of the high cost of hotel rooms. We love Las Vegas and always want our show there -- perhaps the hotel properties, having added thousands of new rooms this year, finally understand the importance of the $250 million in non-gaming revenue that CES generates for Las Vegas over four days in January. But whatever the motivation, less expensive hotel rooms are good for everyone who attends the show, and we are thrilled.
No industry is immune from the current economy -- not even the CE business so beloved by American consumers that the average household owns 24 CE devices. Given the current economy, will this be our biggest show ever? It will not. But is CES still the largest consumer technology trade show in the world? Absolutley. The average CES attendee has 11 meetings (that would otherwise require 11 separate trips) with buyers, investors, press, analysts and others during the show, making CES the most efficient travel budget saver imaginable. More, there is no better place on the planet to see the latest technology that will be on store shelves and in consumers' living rooms in 2009. We'll see you there.
Jason Oxman
Senior Vice President - Industry Affairs
Consumer Electronics Association
Hard to claim your the premiere consumer electronic show when all of the coolest consumer electronic innovations are coming out of one company that never attends.
http://cesweb.org/aboutces.asp has a list of Products that Debuted at CES just one on the list at least in my generation is the greatest inovation yet Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), 1996. Hope to see more in 2009.