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Live from CES: Complaints sound familiar
Will show be leaving Las Vegas?
By Larry Thomas
LAS VEGAS — Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
Attendees at a major trade show are upset about hotel owners jacking up rates during the show, and there’s a chance the show may move out of the offending city.
No, I’m not talking about the High Point furniture market, but about CES. And, of course, the city in question is Las Vegas — the same city that, of course, is the site of a furniture market that many see as a threat to High Point.
A spokesman for the Consumer Electronics Assn., the organizer of CES, told msnbc.com earlier this week that the group is considering moving the massive show to another city because of the increasing costs of conducting the event in Vegas.
“We’ve heard from our attendees, from our exhibitors … that the rates of hotels during the International CES are increasing out of proportion from what they think it should be,” Jason Oxman, chief spokesman for the association, was quoted as saying.
The show, which has been in Las Vegas for 31 years, will be back here next year, (Jan. 8-11), but Oxman made no commitments beyond 2009.
If group decides to pull out of Vegas, it will be a struggle to find a city with sufficient convention center space. This year, CES occupied about 1.8 million square feet by using the entire Las Vegas Convention Center, about half the Sands Expo Center, all of the Las Vegas Hilton’s convention center and a number of ballrooms at the Venetian Hotel, which is adjacent to the Sands.
Undetermined commented:
Why does this NOT surprise me! Before opening the WMC the fans of going to Vegas said how inexpensive everything in Vegas is.(wrong) They talked about how restaurants don't raise their prices when we furniture folk come to town.(true) They just didn't say it was because the prices in Vegas are already inflated! The $20 steak dinner that costs $30 in High Point during Market costs $40 in Vegas all the time! Hotel rooms can be rented for a much lower price in Vegas, but make sure you don't have to hail a taxi - at least not before you hit an ATM for a large wad of cash! A "short" ride from the Strip to the WMC typically sets you back $20, plus tip... for a 2 mile drive. And if you are an exhibitor, the "word on the street" is plan on spending twice what your lease costs due to the union labor requirements. I'm not surprised that the CES is finally getting "fed up" after 31 years of watching prices go up ever higher. Just wait - our turn will come!
Undetermined commented:
Please send the CES to Detroit. We can even build em here. Lots of vacant factory space.
Undetermined commented:
Why not use the WMC? I'd bet the permanate showrooms would love to accomodate a temp sublease for a couple weeks.
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