CES 2024 Guide. Forth, CES 2024 Tips: Make the show more enjoyable. Attending CES can be a very exciting experience, not only because you get to experience and feel the world’s technology trends firsthand, but also because you get to feel a sense of global change.
However, such a large-scale event also presents a number of challenges, not least of which is the physical challenge of being the largest show of its kind in the world. If you’re planning to attend CES 2024, this article will provide you with tips to help make your time at the show more comfortable and enjoyable, especially if you’re not used to living in the United States.
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1. Tips for staying in shape for CES 2024
- Choose comfortable clothing and shoes: The CES show floor is bigger and more spacious than you might think, which means you’ll be doing more walking than usual when visiting the many booths. This makes comfortable shoes and clothing a must. Choose shoes with good cushioning to reduce foot fatigue. Avoid flip-flops if you can, and opt for shoes that make your feet feel comfortable, such as sneakers or trekking shoes. If you’re really enjoying the show, you can expect to walk at least 10,000 steps and up to 30,000 steps a day.
- Use a backpack: While eco-bags will be handed out on site, a backpack is a great way to pick up pamphlets, magazines, or just carry around some food and water. Some people bring laptops in case they need to get some work done, but if you can, use your smartphone to minimize the weight you’re carrying.
- Stay hydrated: The CES show floor can be hot and dry with large crowds and devices running. It’s important to remember that Las Vegas is a desert, and to stay hydrated. Carry a 500ml bottle of water with you at all times and drink water regularly.
- Eat right: You’ll need nutritious food to fuel your active day. It’s a good idea to prepare and carry healthy snacks like fruit, nuts, and energy bars. It’s usually recommended to refuel regularly every 30 minutes, known as an action meal, especially if you’re doing an activity like hiking. Walking around the show floor for long periods of time can be equally strenuous, so we recommend that you snack regularly to keep your energy levels up. There are restaurants on the show floor, but very few of them offer flavors suitable for Koreans. Salads, pasta, pizza, and some Hawaiian food are available, but they’re not exactly to our taste buds, so consider stopping by a convenience store near your hotel to pick up some of your favorite snacks.
- Take regular breaks: Long hours of walking and visiting exhibits while jet lagged can be more exhausting than you think. It’s a good idea to take regular short breaks to keep yourself refreshed, and it’s even better if you do.
- Maintain personal hygiene: Even though COVID-19 is over, it’s still a large-scale event, so use hand sanitizer if possible to maintain personal hygiene.
- Masks are essential: Even though COVID-19 is over, don’t forget to bring a mask. It’s a way to maintain humidity in a dry environment, and the air can often be hard to breathe. Las Vegas hotels allow indoor smoking, so a mask can also be useful as a way to avoid those odors.
- Humidifiers in hotels: It’s true that Las Vegas is a desert climate, so it can get pretty dry, but I don’t think I ever used a humidifier in my hotel room. Another tip is to run hot water on your bathroom towel or in the bathtub and leave the door open if you feel it’s too dry.
2. Stay safe at trade shows
- Manage your personal belongings: While there is less risk of pickpockets than in Europe, the sheer volume of people visiting the show means you’ll need to be careful with important items like your passport. Unless you plan to buy something like alcohol, you won’t need your passport for a simple tour of the show, so keep it safe in your hotel room.
- Transportation: Hotels on the main strip regularly run shuttle buses to the CES show floor. Anyone with a CES badge is welcome to board. However, the Venetian is usually a short walk away, and farther away, such as the LVCC, you may need to use shuttles, Uber, or a lift. In the case of LVCC, you can also take the monorail, but keep in mind that the station is farther away than you might think.
- Tip for using Uber and Lyft: When using car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, try not to take photos of the show floor during the same time as the exhibits are opening, as you may end up waiting in traffic for longer than you’d like. In this case, it’s much more time-saving to set a destination that’s a bit further away from the show floor and walk a bit.
3. Small tips for foreigners
- Convenience Stores: Unlike other tourist destinations, Las Vegas hotels are meant for casino-centric leisure. As a result, they’re a bit stingy about providing free amenities and beverages, so it’s usually best to buy drinks, snacks, etc. at convenience stores like Walgreens and CVS outside of the hotel. Of course, there is usually a store inside the hotel on the first floor that sells such food and drinks, but the prices are higher than convenience stores.
- Purchase a coffee pot if you plan to drink coffee or ramen directly at the hotel: You can order hot water from the hotel’s room service, but it’s a hassle to order multiple times and pay a separate tip, so if you plan to drink coffee or ramen frequently, you may want to purchase a coffee pot that costs between $10 and $20 at a convenience store. It’s important to note that these pots must be 110V-only.
- Trade show brochures: When you visit the show floor, you’re bound to pick up magazines and brochures that interest you. However, it’s been my experience that I rarely look at them again once I leave Las Vegas, so I recommend taking a picture of these pamphlets with your smartphone in your hotel room and importing them as images.
- Feel the waves on the last day of the show: CES usually lasts about four days, with three days being lively and the last four days being when companies pack up their booths. Of course, places like the startup booths will be lively, but try to see everything you need to see by day three if possible.
- Bring a 110V power strip: It’s inevitable that you’ll bring a lot of charging cables for your devices, including your smartphone, but the U.S., as we all know, is not like our own country and requires a so-called pig nose for 110V use. You can bring several of these adapters, but I personally find it easier to just bring a power strip. You can either use a 110V adapter for the power strip, or if you have a travel 110V only power strip, you can use the rest of the outlets in your home country. The products in the shopping mall below are the ones I usually use. It has a variety of outlets for electronic devices such as smartphones and adapters for laptops.
- Be prepared to charge: Always check your phone or tablet’s charge, and have a portable charger or extra batteries on hand. If you’re roaming, your battery tends to run out faster than you think. So be sure to carry at least a power bank and a charging cable for emergencies. However, it’s important to pack a power bank that’s the right size, as a heavy power bank will only add to your fatigue.
4. Manage your time efficiently
- Check the schedule in advance: Check the official CES website or app to see the timetable for the sessions and exhibits you’re interested in, especially if you plan to attend the conference, as this will help you stay on track.
- Set priorities: Decide ahead of time which events or booths you think are most important during the show and plan your schedule accordingly. The LVCC and Venetian Expo are completely different in nature. We recommend prioritizing the ones you’re interested in and visiting one on your first day, rather than trying to hit both on your first day.
- Utilize online check-in: If possible, take advantage of your hotel’s or show’s online check-in option to reduce wait times, especially for exhibits.
- Avoid peak hours: Restaurants and cafes at trade shows can get very busy at lunchtime. Eating outside of peak hours can save you time.
5. Mobile apps and maps are a must
- CES Official App: Download the CES Official App to get the latest schedule, maps, session information, and more. It’s especially useful for checking out maps and getting to the places you need to visit.
- Ridesharing apps: Use ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft to help you plan your transportation between the show floor and your hotel.
- TripAdvisor: This is a handy app for checking out different places to eat in Las Vegas.
- OpenTable: A must-have app for making restaurant reservations in Las Vegas. You can also make reservations on their website.
6. Las Vegas Tip Culture
- The United States, as you may know, has a strong tipping culture. Some of you may not be familiar with tipping, but it’s a nice gesture to show respect for their day-to-day lives. Remember, you’re tipping because you think you’ve received good service, but unless the service was so bad that it’s unacceptable, it’s common for people to tip. In fact, for those workers, their salary and tips are basically their income.
- Recently, some restaurants, especially when paying with a credit card, have made it so that the tip is included in the bill or entered when the card is initially swiped. Be careful with this, as a small mistake can result in double tip.
- The following are suggested tip levels. These are guidelines, and can be adjusted flexibly to accommodate different people or expenses to the nearest cent.
– Hotel maid: 2-5$ per day (you can leave it on the bed in your room)
– Hotel porters: 1-3$ per bag
– Restaurant waiters: 20% on average
– Taxi driver: 20% on average
– Uber/Lyft: After checkout, you’ll have the option to tip separately. Use the above as a guide and pay extra.
– Starbucks, McDonald’s, etc. : There is usually a jar for tipping when you order, but you don’t have to pay.
CES 2024 is a massive event that attracts more than 100,000 people each year. While everyone’s interests vary, life is bound to be similar. We hope these tips will help you navigate your time in Las Vegas.