Las Vegas Weekly

January 6, 2009 · 10:25 AM

Music, sports and entertainment icons and tech titans head up the CES parade

By Don Chareunsy

Soulja Boy Tell 'Em.

Photo: N9NE Group

Showbiz, music and sports superstars and captains of the electronics industry are en route to Las Vegas today for the giant 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show, the globe’s greatest gathering of gadgets and gizmo groupies! The world’s largest consumer technology trade convention officially kicks off tomorrow as manufacturers promote their latest products and technologies, with Microsoft’s head honcho Steve Ballmer -- instead of Bill Gates after 10 consecutive years -- making the premiere keynote speech.

In a revealing first-day presentation, Soulja Boy Tell ’Em will share strategies of his rising stardom using everything from disc tracks on YouTube to incredible ring tone sales. His manager and producer will join his “Tell ’Em” panel to show how his finger is firmly on the pulse of today’s digital world instead of yesteryear’s guitar strings! Then pop music giant Akon, who rang in New Year’s Eve at the House of Blues here, will outline how art meets commerce in the digital age.

Photo: NBC

Today's Ann Curry, Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira and Al Roker.

On hand from NBC Universal will be all the anchor hosts of the morning show Today, Brian Williams of NBC Evening News, Access Hollywood on-air personalities and CNBC’S frisky financial feline Maria Bartiromo.

Photo: Courtesy

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek.

Over at Sony Television, game show king Alex Trebek will film daily episodes of Celebrity Jeopardy! right on the convention floor to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Eleven episodes will be recorded on a 16,000-square-foot stage for an audience of 600 delegates each time. Dr. Oz, a frequent medical guest star on The Oprah Winfrey Show, also will use the set to promote his new, upcoming syndicated talk show.

Sports celebrities booked at the Sharp HDTV zone highlight a slew of Major League Baseball players, including Prince Fielder, all-star first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers and the youngest person ever to reach 50 home runs, plus five-time all-star Big Papi, David Ortiz from the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets starting pitcher John Maine, silver sluggers Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins and Matt Holiday of the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs infielder Ryan Therlot and New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain. Basketball stars Clyde Drexler, Robert Parish and Bill Walton are booked at the Haier America booth.

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Akon at the House of Blues on New Year's Eve.

Akon will be back at the SanDisk booth, and Indy Car and Indy 500 racer Sarah Fisher will be at the Simcraft booth. The first-night awards show in the Bellini Ballroom at The Venetian will feature the presentation of the Global Media Award to Black Eyed Peas star Will.I.Am. The Monster Cable invitation-only concert at Paris Las Vegas has songbird Diana Ross as the headline attraction.

Some 130,000-plus conventioneers are expected to explore the 1.7 million square feet of exhibits, the third largest in CES history. There will be 300 new exhibitors this year despite the fact the electronics industry is reportedly in its worst slump in several decades. Last year, CES added more than $230 million in spending here in Las Vegas -- and that’s not counting gaming revenues. In all, 1,500-plus U.S. companies and 1,300 overseas manufacturers will represent some 140 different countries.

The 42nd CES is the annual centerpiece of what’s well over a $125 billion global business of electronics. You know me and my fun facts file! For your fascination, take note that the first CES show was held back in New York in 1967, four years before the first ever cell phone call and the U-Matic VCR, the now non-existent forerunner of the Beta system! In 1978, CES moved to Las Vegas as the Hilton added its north tower -- three years before the first-ever demo of HDTV and the introduction of the CD in 1981.

It took seven years before CDs surpassed the old vinyl records in sales in 1988. Hard to believe it was only back in 1993 that PDAs were first launched, and in 1996 we saw the first movie-length DVDs. At the turn of the century, the average U.S. household had 17 consumer electronic items, but today it’s hovering at the 30 mark!

— From Vegas Deluxe

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