The 2008 Consumer Electronics Show is just around the corner (Jan 7-10, 2008) and I have already started creating detailed schedules for each day.
Last year was our first year to attend the show and we really had no idea what to expect. We went in without a game plan on how we would cover the show each day, so we ended up just kind of roaming the show floors mindlessly. The result? Very poor time management, coverage and article output. I take 100% of the blame for this. At the end of the day, we chalked it up to one giant learning experience and as such, we know exactly what to expect this year.
Nearly everything will be different this year, and it all starts with our shelter arrangements. Last year, we stayed with a friend that lives about 20-30 minutes from the strip. While it was great being able to hang out with him and not have to pay for a hotel room, we lost a ton of time each day in transit, etc. This year, we will be staying right on the strip at Treasure Island. This will allow us to get a quicker start each day and allow us to freshen up, relax, write articles throughout the day.
The OCIA.net coverage team will consist of four people this year (as opposed to just three last year): Josh, Keith, Airica and myself. Having four people will let us to split into teams of two, so we can cover two events / sections of the show simultaneously. A two-person team will allow one person to take pictures / notes while the other person does most of the contact with the sponsor representative (asking questions, that sort of thing).
Also new this year will be our approach to articles. Last year, I elected to do all of the articles myself… yeah, big mistake. 10 articles in as many days was a bit much. This year, I will have each team do an article on the event / section of the show they covered. This will give diversity to our articles, a different point-of-view, rather than just having one person do everything. Also, we will be able to cover a wider range of products / events and have at least double the show coverage that we had last year. I plan to make periodical updates on this blog as well as having articles go live on OCIA.net throughout the day.
This year will be much more productive and fun, I have no doubt. Time is ticking; just over two months until show time!
