Some time ago Wei Yang of Easy Auto Sales suggested on Skribit that I write about bringing CES to Atlanta. With that annual consumer electronic bacanal opening today it seems an appropriate time to address the topic. As Greg Foster mentioned last night, the odds of CES coming to Atlanta are zero. Here are a few reasons why. And why I don't care.
Size Matters
CES is too big for Atlanta. Back when the Super Show moved from Atlanta to Las Vegas in 2001 Show Management (the company that ran Super Show) said they had outgrown Atlanta. At the time the Super Show had about 80,000 attendees. This year, even with an 8% forecasted drop in attendance, CES is
expecting 130,000 people.
A few facts are in order.
Atlanta has 92,000 hotel rooms. Las Vegas has 155,000.
The Georgia World Congress Center has 1.5 million square feet under roof. The Las Vegas Convention Center has 3.2 million. There is over 9 million square feet in the Las Vegas MSA.
Atlanta can't handle a show the scale of CES. Few cities in the
world can.
So what. It is what it is. And even if Atlanta could it would not matter. Because…
Location Matters
The people that go to CES don't want to come to Atlanta in the dead of winter.
Let's start with the most obvious. Las Vegas is a closer to the majority of people that are attending and exhibiting at CES. People from LA can drive. It is a short flight from SF. Vegas knocks hours off the trip from Japan and Korea. It is merely more convenient.
I remember when E3 was in Atlanta in 1997 and 1998. My West Coast partners complaining about the trip. Basically wanting to know why over half of the participants got on a plane to fly four hours. Yeah I remember that. And the latex clad E3 booth babes. Nell McAndrew as Lara Croft was mesmerizing. Forget CES. I want E3. But I digress.
Vegas has better weather. It is going to be sunny and mid 50's this week in Las Vegas. Atlanta is mid 50s with a bit of rain. But it could be a lot worse. Ask the NFL.
On top of all this, whatever entertainment Atlanta is known for that attracts conventioneers Las Vegas has more of.
But it really does not matter. Because…
Trade Shows Don't Matter
I don't like trade shows. They are a waste of precious dollars and time. Too many people. Crammed in one place. Over a short period of time. Follow up does not happen. The ROI is not there.
Back when I was in the InfoSec space the sales team insisted on going
to RSS. I insisted on knowing what deal was initiated and closed as a
result of us being there. Yes deals were moved along. But the answer to my question. Zero. I'd rather pay for a
plane and spend a day to get in front of the people that I need to talk
to. Quality time. If you feel you need to be at a trade show for presence or relationships or
whatever, fine. Call it what it is, sales or promotion. Either way exhibiting at trade shows has a negative ROI.
And not to be a total Grinch, but oh the noise, noise, noise, noise! The PR noise is just impossible to rise above. Even if you bring a bunch of presents.
For all these reasons back in the day I vowed to never attend Comdex. And I never did. Comdex is gone. The Super Show is shutting down. I have no desire to attend CES. Let's see if I can keep my string alive. Maybe it will out last me. I doubt it.
Big trade shows are dying. They just are. I attend MacWorld and CES online and like it that way. More efficient and effective.
On this point I agree with Scoble. And I suppose I will close with that.