CES 2008: Is CES leaving Vegas? Is the next stop Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania?
It is bit like the ravens departing the tower or Ant going solo without Dec, but there are whispers at CES that the show may soon be leaving Las Vegas.
Local paper the Las Vegas Sun reckons that the top bods at CEA, the organisation which hosts CES, now reckons that Vegas has got way too pricey and that delegates are being fleeced when paying for hotels, food and drink and, ahem the city’s other entertainments.
It is kind of ironic really that CEA President Gary Shapiro has spent much of the last few months banging on about the importance of free trade and letting the markets decide prices in his industry while at the same time he’s trying to get market rates reduced artificially in another one.
But hey local cabbies and casino owners shouldn’t be too worried yet. Apparently the current deal runs through to 2011 and to be honest where else in the world could they hold it? Vegas has the biggest convention centre in the US as well as the biggest number of hotel rooms. Chicago and Orlando has been mooted a potential rivals and in the early 80s when the show was twice a year it did actually use Chicago convention centres. But I reckon it is just a bit of sabre rattling from the CEA team to save delegates a few dollars.
IF CES does leave Vegas my favoured destination would be Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for given the amount of gadget deja vu going on at this year’s its Groundhog day credentials are rather appropriate.
CES 2008 Special
Read all our coverage from the show in our CES 2008 category
