CES 2011...yep, I'm going!

It's been three years since I've attended the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, but I'll be there starting Thursday. This is actually my seventh or eighth CES, and I always have a great time. I have learned a few things over the years that I'll share with you:

1. Wear comfortable shoes. The biggest foot blister I've ever suffered was at the conclusion of Day 1 at the 2007 CES. It was monstrous, and I was crippled for the rest of the show. In other words, this is not the time to break in those new Italian boots.

2. Bring your own car or rent one. Las Vegas cabbies jack up their rates for CES. The only time I used taxis for getting back and forth between the venues and my hotel, I wound up spending more on cab fare than my lodging.

3. Kobe steak burgers at the Burger Bar between Luxor and Mandalay Bay. Enough said.

4. Bring plenty of business cards. PLENTY. I had new ones made up. They're very cool.

5. Pay attention to your surroundings. One wrong turn and you'll be in the middle of that porn industry convention next door. Not that that's a bad thing. I've done it. I admit it.

6. Finally, have fun. CES has a reputation for being all-business and not quite as fun as other audio shows such as RMAF. But I know too many people in the industry who are completely stressed out right now about the whole CES thing. Let's relax, listen to some music and enjoy each others' company. And if a few checks are signed and handed over, that's icing on the cake!