How to Hack CES Like a Pro

After 10 years of doing CES, I’ve put together some of my most commonly given advice on how to get the most out of it.

• Hydrate. Constantly. Water, lotion, even saline nasal spray. Keeps the gross CES germs away, and keeps you going longer.
• Avoid meetings before noon.
• Wear sneakers. You’re going to be doing a ton of walking. Comfort is essential.
• Take the monorail when you can/when it’s convenient. You can even pre-buy a ticket here: https://tickets.lvmonorail.com/CES2017
• Ubers are better than taxis, but it gets crazy at night. And I mean crazy. It’s worse than the situation where I had to mooch off your ride in Cannes.
• Before you check in, hand your agent a $20, and thank them in advance for their help. He/she will make sure you get a better room.
• Late night pizza at the “secret pizza place” at Cosmopolitan is always a good idea.
• Don’t get FOMO about parties. They are all pretty lame (ok, so I’m jaded — but they always seem like they are going to be better before you walk in). It’s more about the people you’re hanging out with.
• If you gamble, use a player’s card. Use your comps.
• Try to keep meetings central to Aria/Cosmopolitan. It’s where most people in our business are going to be most often.
• Call home. They miss you.
• If you want to hit the trade show floor (yikes!) go early. Getting out of there is crazy. It will suck away half of your day. Get a floor map. Chart out a path. You won’t see anything you haven’t read about/seen before, but if you’ve never done it, it’s impressive. Uber may not be much of a help there, but odds are some ridesharing app paid to sponsor the line. Walk right up to the front of the taxi line (it will be LONG) and schmooze the ridesharing app representative until he/she helps you out. It’s worked every time for me, and I get out of there fast. You’ll be tempted to use the busses, but ew.
• Uber from the airport.
• Get your CES badge at the airport by baggage claim.
• Sign up for Clear. It’s worth it just for getting out of Vegas alone, if you’re leaving at a popular hour: https://www.clearme.com/cities/6
• Pick up party passes/bracelets ahead of time, wherever/whenever possible.
• Leave time for impromptu meetings/gatherings. Don’t schedule yourself back-to-back if you can avoid it.
• Hydrate. A tip so nice I’m giving it twice.
• Get outdoors as much as you can. Even if it’s cool temp-wise, it’s warmer because of the sunlight if you’re in it.
• Everything is farther away than it looks. However much time you think you need to get somewhere, double it. And there’s not much that’s walkable.
• Layer up for nighttime.
• Bring backup power for your phone everywhere you go, or make sure you head out to any new phase of your day with it fully charged.
• There almost always is a less crowded taxi line/exit.
• Many hotels have dedicated/preferred Uber pickup areas. Make sure you know where they are to avoid confusion, or connect with your driver immediately to coordinate pickup.
• Share rides with anyone you can. Some of the best chance (strictly professional) encounters I’ve had at CES were when I offered a ride to someone in need, or vice-versa. It’s good karma and a mitzvah.
• Even if you don’t get a lot of sleep, make sure the sleep you do get is quality sleep.

I hope you put all of this information to good use. If you have any additional tips, please leave them as comments to help everyone out.

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