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 NAB (and Las Vegas) Tips
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:39 am    Post subject: NAB (and Las Vegas) Tips Reply with quote

Hi everyone,

I thought I would start a thread geared towards helping those folks that are venturing out to "Lost Wages" this year for NAB 2007. I've been going to the show for the past 9 years (?) while working for a couple of different TV/Film companies that would have booths there.

Here is a list of tips and tricks, in no particular order, about the show and the city in general. If anyone has any more, please feel free to add 'em to the list.

----------------------

1. The desert is dry and will eventually takes it's toll on you. You will most likely start to notice it's effects after the second day. The dry air will start to cause mild symptoms such as a dry nose, chapped lips, nose bleeds, dry eyes, etc. Some recommended precautions to help avoid this are to bring nose sprays, tissues, eye drops, and lip balm. Also, while staying at your hotel room, you might even bring or buy a humidifier. For s poor man's process on this, you can also get Ice Cubes from the Ice Machine and lay down a towel and put them on the floor. Throughout the night, as they melt, they will help keep the room a bit more humid.

2. Bring comfortable shoes, and insoles if need be. NAB alone is a huge place, but walking around in Vegas... trust me, you will not regret it.

3. When walking on the Strip, beware of perceived distances. Since all of the Casinos are huge buildings, they tend to look like they are very close when you are standing on the Strip. Many people often say, "Oh, let's just walk it, it's right there". Sometimes it is worth it, and you can save a buck or 25, but other times, you will regret it, and so will your legs. I think it takes about 1 1/2 hours to walk the entire Strip, end to end, but the trek is mixed with some areas where you need to cross over to the other side, and others with poor or no sidewalks... beware.

4. As of a couple years ago, the Monorail was implemented, and now that it is working properly, is actually quite useful. You can buy different tickets for one way passes round trips, or week long passes, if I am not mistaken. When I first tried it, it just opened, and on one occasion, the rail I was on went to eh destination, the doors never opened, and we went back to when we started... no one was very pleased. But I think the kinks are worked out now. Must have been Beta. Smile

5. Taxis in Vegas are notoriously bad drivers, and are expensive. Also, sometimes they will take you the "long way". If you have no other method of transportation, they are usually always available. Many of them also do NOT take credit cards... so make sure you ask BEFORE getting in. I have had some good experiences with taxis as well... just be careful.

4. Most hotels offer insane amounts of food at their buffets at a extremely low price. They really are good deals, and are only s good because they are used to get customers in the door for gambling. The hotels can afford to break even or even take a loss on the buffet when people are throwing money away on the the other side of the room.

5. Some of the better hotels I have stayed in have been Caesars Palace, The Rio, and the MGM Grand. These have been on the company's dime and probably not cheap. One of the better deals I have seen is the Tropicana, which is an older hotel, but right on the Strip. The rooms are pretty poor, but if you just need a place to crash, it's not bad. There are also some off the strip hotels with better rates. Also, renting a house for the week can be an option, if you can find one.

6. Transportation can be frustrating and expensive if you are new to the city. The airport is a little ways away from the Strip, so most people end up trying to get a cab, van, or limo when they arrive. Keep this in mind. The airport will be extremely PACKED with incredibly long taxi lines during big events like NAB. Last year - NAB fell during March Madness, can you imagine? You can wait 45 minutes to an hour just for a cab at the airport. Also, there will be long taxi lines at hotels and at the show... Your best bet is to rent a car, or better yet, a Van, for your group. You will be grateful for the time saved and convenience.

7. Taxis don't stop on the Strip... they are not allowed. If you need to get one quickly, walk to the nearest hotel, and they will usually have a line of them ready... or they can call one for you quickly.

8. Badges??? yeah yeah, I know. To get into NAB (or most trade shows, for that matter) you almost always do not need to pay the entrance fee. If you register ahead of time or have a contact at one of the companies exhibiting, they are usually given a code that can be used to register for free. Also, many companies have extra badges that they can give out while you are at the show. They can simply run one out to you where you are waiting in the trade show hall lobby. But the best approach is to register early... you can usually do this by contacting the company rep or looking online.

9. The NAB show floor is Huge - plan out your visit ahead of time, so that you don't walk from booth to booth out of order and make a zigzag all over the place. If you have extra time this is not as necessary, but if you would like to make sure you hit every target... chart it out and have a good game plan.

10. Respect others at the booths. NAB is a trade show that draws a variety of people from TV and Film professionals, to hobbyists and students. There are also, of course, all of the employees from each company cross-pollinating, so you never know who you will see or who might stop by at your booth. Quite a bit of celebrities have also been known to attend. I have had the pleasure of meeting and discussing interesting Video topics with the likes of Dick Van Dike, Sinbad, Jerry Springer, Wil Weaton and Thomas Dolby. The thing to remember though, especially if you are working a booth for an innovative technology company, is that there will be many people there to cheer your company on, but there will also be plenty of people there to "kick the tires" of your products... Ask the tough questions, and in some cases, try to get a rise out of you. Sure, you can be passionate about the products you are showing... but the key to to do this without coming off as being too "proud"... let the products speak for themselves, and don't take offense at what someone says, even if they are being rude... It's just part of being professional, and more respect will come to those who use this approach later on down the road.

11. To avoid the huge crowds, go to the show early. The best chance seeing the product you wanted and getting valuable face time with the company reps are right after the doors open. Also, be mindful that it is a difficult show to work, and if someone is surrounded by 14 people, they just might not be able to get to your question for the moment. Smile

12. Show Hours. Monday through Wednesday, the hours are 9AM-6PM, however, on the last day, Thursday, the show is shorter, ending at 4:00pm
If you are smart, you can book earlier flight out. Keep this in mind for planning anything after the workday, as a lot of people will leave after Thursday afternoon.

13. The best nights for Entertainment and seeing the town are Tuesday and even more so - Wednesday. (Monday, many companies are still tweaking booths and products after the first day... and then getting much needed rest.) The Hilton has been a hot spot on Wednesday night.

14. Booths often become charged by static electricity which comes from the combination of the dry atmosphere and the floor carpeting. S good simple remedy to this is to buy Anti-static spray made for clothes drying at a local grocery store. With all of the technology and often times, open-circuit boards... this is a MUST - and very low cost solution.

15. If working in a booth... and with an exciting company with innovative products Smile ... be prepared to talk non-stop all day long with hardly any extra time to breath. NAB is a constant barrage of people with all levels of experience and questions... the day will fly by - be careful to save your voice a bit if at all possible. And drink plenty of fluids.

16. If working a booth - try and get a good night sleep every night. There's nothing worse than to face an NAB crowd after a night of little sleep.

17. If traveling with a large group... try and have a game plan ready for any after-work activities. This can simply be a dinner plan, or what Casino or Show you would like to go to later in the evening... but it can be difficult if you try the old approach of ... "Ok, we'll all meet up in the lobby and decide what to do, and how to get there". Usually, people at that point have different ideas, and a half hour or more might go by before everyone decides where they want to go... this just happens because people want to suggest things, yet want to be courteous on a company trip... an odd phenomenon... and not a big deal, but it's a waste of time and can be avoided.

18. Some Gambling Tips... Don't gamble. Smile Actually, I really don't gamble much, but some basic tips, if you plan on it... Avoid slot machines, they are some of the worst odds. Black Jack and Craps are said to have the best odds. If you win big, save at LEAST half of your winnings and don't gamble with it. Also, beware of Vegas's casino "tricks". The majority of casinos do everything in their power to create an atmosphere that leads to keeping the player content and continuously gambling. Ever notice the lighting in the big casinos? A lot of it nowadays is daylight balanced. Caesars and the Venetian, as well as many others, have painted blue-sky ceilings. An artists vision? or a way to confuse the gambler into forgetting how late they are staying up gambling? Other tricks are the constant fresh oxygen they pump in, the confusing layouts of the casino, so it's hard to navigate, the waitresses giving out free drinks to anyone who is gambling... (tough to concentrate when you have had a couple Smile ) and of course, the "happy" major chord sounding winning tones on the slot machines, many of which happen to win big in the highly visible areas of the casino floor. Coincidence? Who knows... but with all of those cameras, I am not so sure I would bet against the house. Smile

Well, that's a start - hope it's a help to anyone new to the City or the Convention.

For those of you going... perhaps we'll cross paths.

cheers,

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