CES is my favourite business event not named SponsorshipX

Now before you accuse me of being self-serving, let me clarify. If an industry colleague asks me where should they go to:

  1. Be inspired
  2. See what’s next
  3. Meet great people

Plus they get budget to only attend one conference a year – I would definitively recommend CES

If you have any social media tied to your profession, you probably have CES-envy. I don’t know how to describe it, but EVERYBODY is at CES. Business, government, religions, charities, media, musicians, athletes, entrepreneurs, and money managers. Plus, plus, plus. The event is as good as it looks on your social feeds, if not better. The event is as large as it seems, if not larger. The event is as important it looks, if not more.

My CES experience this year was a bit more harried as I squeezed in a half dozen planning meetings for our upcoming SponsorshipX Vegas, but I did want to share some key learnings.

I am not qualified to list the top tech elevations, or smart enough to highlight the most important consumer insights. But I will share with you five things I am going to start doing that were directly a result of my attending this year’s events. I won’t call them New Year’s Resolutions, but they are my CES Commitments. After all, no conference is worth attending if it doesn’t impact your future behaviour.

Here I go:

1. Feel free to eye-roll, but I am going to start playing esports. I can’t say I thought esports had slowed or peaked, but I have come to realize it has only just begun. So while learning the business side is one thing, I want to understand the passion side. 5G is going to democratize esports in a unique way, allowing generations to play and participate together like we have never seen. I want in. 

2. I am going to find a young entrepreneur or two and invest my time in them. I met with one young investor who had exited a blog platform business and was now mentoring/supporting even younger entrepreneurs. The word “new” is one of the most inspiring terms in our vocabulary, and I want to help someone get something new off the ground. 

3. I am going to embrace the rogue. I don’t know how to articulate this to you or pinpoint when it hit me. But last night I was reading my notes from my second day at CES (I like to summarize my days) and I scribed Embrace the Rogue to myself. Not once, but twice. Actually I do know where it came from and who said it, but in fear of paying them a royalty I am keeping them anonymous. But it hit home. The rogue is truly why CES is what it is. 

4. I am going to learn about data. I know nothing about data as it exists today, but I do know that Data Scientist and all its variants will be the hot profession of the 2020’s.

5. I am going back to CES in 2021. I am going to invite you to come with me, and we can form a contingent to learn, network, and explore. I am going to also ensure I get a speaking role at CES. Not because I think I am better than the speakers there (okay, I am better than many of them), but I want to share some stories from Canada because, candidly, I think we are way f’n under-represented on stage there and we have a lot to talk about.

ERA2020 is upon us. CES was a great way to kick off my decade. What’s next?